GMC News

Major General Jim Butterworth, Adjutant General of Georgia, will visit Georgia Military College on Friday, March 7, 2014. General Butterworth, who leads nearly 15,000 personnel of the Georgia Department of Defense, will be the distinguished speaker during GMC’s Military Honors Parade at 2:30 p.m. on Grant Parade. The community is invited to attend, with a special invitation to members of the Georgia National Guard. Major General Jim Butterworth is the Adjutant General of Georgia. In this position, he reports directly to the Governor with responsibility for almost 15,000 personnel of the Georgia Department of Defense which includes the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, the Georgia State Defense Force, and over 500 State employees. Some of Gen. Butterworth’s prior military assignments include pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; time as a T-38 Pilot Instructor; service at Dover, Del., as a C-5 A/B pilot; and service in Georgia’s own 116th Bomb Wing as a B-1B aircraft commander and flight lead. Prior to being appointed as the Adjutant General, Gen. Butterworth served as a State Senator representing the 50th Districtin Northeast Georgia. During his time in the Senate, Gen. Butterworth served as the Chairman of both the Higher Education Committee and the State and Local Governmental Operations committee, as Vice Chairman of the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, as well as sat on a number of other committees. In 2010 he was appointed as a Floor Leader for Governor Nathan Deal during which he led the charge for Governor Deal’s HOPE Scholarship reform effort. Prior to his election to the Senate, Gen. Butterworth served as Chairman of the Habersham County Board of Commissioners. During his time as a County Commissioner and Chairman of the Board, he worked closely with other Commissioners and governments to pass a 25-year water contract providing the county with an additional three million gallons of water every day. He also worked with community leaders to successfully pass a Special Local Option Sales Tax to finance transportation, economic development, recreation, and natural resource improvements. In addition to an impressive public service record, Gen. Butterworth has also flown as a pilot for Delta Air Lines and has accumulated over 11,000 hours of flying time between his military, commercial and civilian flying careers. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science, and the Air Force R.O.T.C. program at UGA. Born in Macon, Georgia and raised in Habersham County, Gen. Butterworth and his family are members of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarkesville. He and his wife Amy have four children: Blake, Claire, Jack and Cate.