New leader, new era

Congratulations to Rodney A. Butler, the chairman-elect of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.

A six-year incumbent and current treasurer of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, Mr. Butler is getting a promotion but also inheriting tremendous responsibilities, including overseeing the Mashantuckets' effort to restructure $2.3 billion in debt.

He will be serving a splintered constituency, with members divided over how to manage tribal business, utilize its assets and conduct its government. And he will be instrumental in the effort to develop a fresh business plan that keeps the tribe's casino-resort enterprise lucrative despite growing competition and continuing economic hard times.

People who know him say Mr. Butler is the perfect Mashantucket to right the tribal ship at this difficult time.

He is described as "intelligent," "thoughtful," "cool under pressure," "honest," and "a good listener," all attributes that will serve the Mashantuckets well. Mr. Butler also gets high marks from local municipal officials who like and respect him, including Nicholas H. Mullane II, the first selectman of North Stonington, where Mr. Butler lives with his wife and two children.

He is a homegrown leader, a former standout football player at Montville High School who also played on the gridiron at the University of Connecticut, where he earned a degree in finance. Before joining the council in 2004, Mr. Butler worked as a financial analyst at Foxwoods Resort Casino and chaired the Tribal Business Advisory Board, overseeing the portfolio of non-gaming assets. More recently he has served on the boards of the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and Roger Williams University.

Mr. Butler will officially become tribal chairman when sworn in Jan. 1. He has the ability and personal characteristics to be a good leader. He understands his people and their history, knows the casino-resort business and the challenges it faces, and has respect for and involvement in the local community.

We wish Chairman-elect Butler well. By all accounts, he is the right leader for the tribe's next chapter.