Bible readers: June Butler, Diocesan Secretary
It's a tradition that a local personality is asked to give the Bible reading on each evening of the Bishop's Bible Week. This year all our readers are women of note in public life.
June Butler, Diocesan Secretary
June, who was appointed Diocesan Secretary in October 2010, previously was Assistant Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland.
June grew up near Donaghadee. She studied English at the New University of Ulster at Coleraine, and her first job was with the Ministry of Agriculture. She moved to the new Northern Ireland Housing Executive and then on to the Northern Ireland Training Executive. She later joined the Northern Council for Educational Research (NIGER), based at Queen's University, Belfast.
Between 1987 and 2001 she worked for the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland as Deputy Electoral Officer and Deputy Returning Officer for six constituencies in Co Antrim and Belfast.
In 2001 June was appointed Assistant Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland and oversaw the introduction of individual registration for voting - the first area in the UK to do so. She also for eight years managed all elections throughout Northern Ireland.
June is married to Kevin and they have three daughters. She lives in Saintfield where she is an active member of Saintfield Parish and has served on the Select Vestry since 1995. She has been involved in the Mothers’ Union, at branch and diocesan level, for 18 years.
June was awarded the M.B.E. in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year for "Services to electoral services" in Northern Ireland.