by Shannon Knauss

M. Veronica (Ronnie) Butler, Division of Ocean Sciences Front Office

"Good morning, Division of Ocean Sciences. This is Ms. Butler speaking; how may I help you?"

This welcoming phone greeting callers hear belongs to Ronnie Butler, a treasured pioneer of the Division and the Foundation. As is inferred from her delightful phone etiquette, Ronnie models a value becoming increasingly rare in the workforce: truly polite, personal service.

Ronnie began her career at NSF in May, 1959, under its first Director, Alan T. Waterman. Then a comparatively small federal operation housed on Constitution Avenue in Washington, the Foundation boasted a total budget of less than $10 million. Ronnie has watched a procession of ten Directors since Waterman's departure in 1963, and moved with the agency's growing momentum to two other sites: 1800 G Street, only two blocks from the White House, and 4201 Wilson Boulevard, in Arlington.

Ronnie's first position, as a secretary for the Summer Institutes Program under Dr. William Morrell, consisted mainly of proposal and award processing. Data entry was a far more time-consuming, tedious chore then, performed using cumbersome keycards that were stored in the vast paper files that comprised the Foundation's database! Ronnie easily met these technology challenges and steadily climbed the administrative ladder.

In the mid-1970s, Mary Johrde and Feenan Jennings led the formation of the Division of Ocean Sciences. Ronnie was one of the first members of OCE's administrative staff, and she served as Division Secretary for Mary Johrde, Dirk Frankenberg and M. Grant Gross. Her energy, wit, and unflappable professionalism cemented her valuable role through all the phases of OCE's growth.

Ronnie knows how to liven up any party--start the dancing now!

Throughout her career, Ronnie has been recognized for her persistence, diligence, and willingness to lend a hand. Not content to wait for assignments, she is always seeking ways to help the daily operations of the Division in a dependably efficient manner. Ronnie also has a wonderful sense of humor, and delights in making others smile with her witticisms.

In addition to helping manage Division operations, Ronnie has been a well-known member of past NSF choir groups and a strong supporter of the NSF Employees' Association. She is notorious for being the first person on the dance floor at NSF Holiday Parties; in fact, rumor has it she once coaxed former Director Erich Bloch into a little two-step boogie!

Though Ronnie retired officially in 1990, she continues to devote a significant part of her time, energy and spirit to the Division several days a week as a Program Assistant. Inarguably one of the Foundation's most well known and revered employees, Ronnie Butler serves as cheerful inspiration to our staff, as well as the ocean sciences community.