Bart Butler
Executive Vice President
How long have you been a member of IABC?
I joined IABC in Columbus, Ohio in 2006.
What is your current position/company?
I’ve run my own business writing and communications consulting business, Bart Butler Communications, for the past several years, but I’ve just signed on as a contract internal communications consultant with APS. Feels good to be working in a team environment again.
What is your favorite aspect of your job?
Helping people communicate their ideas clearly, and also in a way that conveys some personality. I especially like that magic moment when you find just the right phrase, concept or image that captures their message and will truly resonate with their target audience.
What do you hope to gain from your membership/involvement with IABC?
It’s always stimulating working with smart people who care about what they’re doing. I hope to tap into that energy, and learn from the experience and perspective of communicators from varied backgrounds. Everyone in this organization has something to offer.
What words of advice do you have for young professionals?
Get a variety of experience, and never stop expanding your knowledge and your skills. Develop a specialty: something you do so well that you become the “go-to” person whenever that talent is needed. And keep developing new ones over time.
Who was/were your biggest professional influence(s)?
I’m always impressed by people who think clearly, see new possibilities, feel strongly about what they’re doing, and have the work-ethic to produce outstanding results. But we’re also influenced by people we don’t want to be like, and by those scary times when we’ve screwed something up… not that that’s ever happened.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Hiking, photography, New Yorker cartoons, and trying to learn foreign languages — like HTML.
What destination do you want to travel to the most?
I’d like to go back to Japan, but I’m open to just about anywhere, and there’s still lots to explore in Arizona. Maybe Brazil for the next World Cup?
