Lisa Butler ’82 P’15 ’17 ’20 was recently appointed President & CEO of GBS|CIDP Foundation International, which supports individuals and their families affected by Guillian-Barre’ syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and other rare diseases and related conditions through a commitment to support, education, research, and advocacy. She has personal connections to this work and began her involvement with the Foundation as a parent liaison following the GBS diagnosis of her son, Stuart ’15, in 2002. Butler has served the Foundation in an official capacity since 2013 in roles including Manager of Volunteer Engagement, Director of Marketing and Development, and Executive Director.

The Impact of Volunteering

Volunteering has always been a foundation in Butler’s life. Her mother volunteered at GA when she was a student, and Butler carried on that tradition when her own children attended the school, assisting in the Admission Office. As both an alumna and a parent, Butler brought a well-rounded perspective when speaking to prospective families. 

Not only did Butler connect her personal experiences to her volunteer work at GA, but also she related to the experiences of those she worked with at the Foundation as a volunteer manager. 

“My son had GBS, so working with volunteers who were also parents of former GBS patients, I got it - the devastation, the questions, and the traumatic effects.” 

Personal connections have been strong drivers for Butler’s work. Her passion and deep commitment has grown the volunteer program at the Foundation, which currently has over 200 volunteers in 47 countries. 

“I took my experience as a volunteer at GA to the Foundation,” said Butler. “I know how rewarding it can be to volunteer, how vital volunteers are to fulfilling a mission, and how strongly we rely on them to spread our message.”

Generations of GA Excellence

All three of Butler’s sons, Stuart ’15, Peter ’17, and Walker ’20, graduated from GA. Additionally, Stuart and Walker are Academy Club members, as were Butler and her brother, the late James Van Blarcom ’80. 

Butler shared that GA gave her sons the opportunity to gain confidence and learn from the moments they struggled. 

“I think my sons left GA with a confident voice and they knew how to have strong conversations and develop meaningful relationships with their college professors,” Butler said. “They talk about how they knew how to complete a project or paper while their peers had difficulty finding an approach. All three of my sons faced different challenges or mistakes at school, but learned to face them and move forward, with support from faculty and their coaches.”

Butler herself also leaned into the writing skills she gained at GA in college and beyond. She was an English major because of her Upper School teachers, who inspired her interest in writing. Her choice of major also set her up for success to move into a variety of careers. 

“When I began working in marketing for a commercial insurance company, I would have assumed they would have preferred to hire business majors, but they wanted liberal arts majors like English, who could speak, write, and present themselves well,” Butler said. 

Butler still regularly applies her writing skills in her work, proofreading the Foundation newsletter, writing her regular column, and more. She also published a children’s book, Jake Jennings: Lacrosse Goalie, with the help of GA English faculty for proofreading and an alumnus, JD Whitman ‘09, who created the illustrations. What an exciting GA collaboration!

The Value of Nonprofit Work

“Finding a career that fits you, serves you, and feeds you as an individual” is Butler’s key advice for current GA students and young alumni. “I worked in marketing for 10 years and enjoyed it, but it was a job. In my current role, my life became service and it is so rewarding. I’m committed, and when it’s challenging and demanding, it feels like an opportunity supporting who I’m meant to be.”

Butler shared that nonprofit work is a valuable industry for students to explore. 

“Over the past 20 years, nonprofit work has really elevated and is a valid career path where you can be fulfilled in every aspect of your life,” Butler said. She is happy to share about nonprofit work with current GA students and alumni. If you’d like to reach out, please contact her via email at lisa.butler@gbs-cidp.org.