Valeisha Butterfield is an American businesswoman. She was the Vice President of Partnerships & Engagement at Google, Inc and was formerly co-president of The Recording Academy.
Valeisha Butterfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 30, 1978 |
| Alma mater | Clark Atlanta University |
| Occupation(s) | Former Co-president, The Recording Academy |
| Years active | 2021-2022 |
| Spouse | Dahntay Jones (2011-2022) |
| Parent(s) | Jean Farmer-Butterfield G. K. Butterfield |
Early life and education
editButterfield Jones was born and raised in Wilson, North Carolina. She is the daughter of U.S. Congressman G. K. Butterfield and North Carolina State Legislator Jean Farmer-Butterfield.[1] She graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2000.
Career
editIn 2009 she was deputy director of public affairs at the Department of Commerce during the first part of the Obama administration. Between 2011 and 2012 she was part of the Obama for America campaign, as national youth vote director.[2]
In 2016 she worked at Google as global head of women and black community engagement. She organized Decoding Race, an international event for Google employees.[3]
In 2020 she was appointed chief diversity and inclusion officer of The Recording Academy,[4] and in June 2021 became co-president of the company.[5]
In 2024, under her production company Seed Media, Butterfield produced a film adaptation of the book The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table by Minda Harts. The film, titled The Memo and adapted into a psychological thriller, starred Kyla Pratt and featured a score by rapper MC Lyte.[1]
Awards
edit- 2017: 14th Annual McDonald's 365Black Awards - Honoree[6]
- 2020: 14th Annual ADCOLOR Awards - Honoree[7]
Personal life
editButterfield was married to NBA champion Dahntay Jones from 2011 to 2022. The two share two children, Dahntay Jr. and Dillon.[8]
References
edit- ^ "G.K. Butterfield: Full Biography". House.Gov. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Valeisha Butterfield-Jones, National Youth Vote Director for Obama for America, Shares Her Biggest Surprise on the Campaign Trail". Glamour. November 5, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Jenna Sauers (August 21, 2018). "Tech Has a Huge Diversity Problem. This Woman Is Determined to Fix It". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Jem Aswad (April 30, 2020). "Recording Academy Names Valeisha Butterfield Jones Its First Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Jem Aswad (June 22, 2021). "Recording Academy Names Valeisha Butterfield Jones and Panos Panay Co-Presidents". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Chevel Johnson (July 2, 2017). "McDonald's honors actress, Olympian, others at annual awards". AP News. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Mary Emily O'Hara (July 28, 2020). "Exclusive: Black Lives Matter Founders to Be Honored at Adcolor Awards". Adcolor. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Porsha Monique (April 2, 2018). "Valeisha Butterfield Jones, global executive at Google, talks diversity in tech". Rolling Out. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
External links
editThis article needs additional or more specific categories. (May 2022) |