Former president of the Mississippi Chapter of Blacks in Government (BIG) Dennis R. Butler was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award during BIG’s 27th Annual Black History Month Program Wednesday morning at the Ardis T. Williams Auditorium in Vicksburg.

“I’m not big on awards,” Butler told the crowd. “I just like to kind of do my thing behind the scenes and keep it moving. But, thanks to everybody.”

Butler also said, since “leaving the government” he has begun a non-profit organization.

“I have a non-profit, Tennis4Life,” he said. “I try to spread the game of tennis.”

Butler is a native of Tallulah, La., where he graduated from Reuben McCall Senior High School. He is a graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, where he earned a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering. He began his career as a faculty and design engineer in the former Engineering and Construction Services Division (E&CSD) and was promoted to chief of the Estimating and Inspection Section.

Butler also studied environmental engineering at Mississippi State University and LSU through the WES (Engineer Research and Development Center) Graduate Institute. He served as environmental engineer for ERDC in the Safety and Environmental Management Office. During his career, Butler served as acting chief of the Directorate of Public Works. He received several awards during his years of government service, including the Commanders Award for Civilian Service and the Superior Performance Award. He was also featured in a special Black engineer edition of “Minority Engineer” magazine.

Butler is a Gold Life Member of BIG. He served numerous terms as president of the Mississippi Chapter of Blacks in Government and, under his leadership, the general membership and life membership doubled. Also during his tenure as president, the Black History Month Program at ERDC(WES) evolved from a lunchtime event to an ERDC-sanctioned event held during work hours. During his time as president, Butler was awarded by the director of ERDC with a Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service, due in large part to his successful programs, including canned food drives, scholarships, breast cancer awareness forums, Harvest Fest, and the annual meet-and-greet for new employees and students.

Butler is a member of the Southern University Alumni Federation and of the Omicron Rho Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is a certified tennis professional and was recognized as the Adult League Captain of the year. He is the program manager of the non-profit organization Tennis4Life, which has a mission to promote the game of tennis as a means to provide fitness and wellness to children and adults.

Wednesday’s service also included a performance from the Vicksburg High School Choir, under the direction of Erika Wheeler, and an address from guest speaker United States Rep. Bennie G. Thompson.