Welcoming Guest Preacher Richie Butler

Richie Butler is Senior Pastor of the historic St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church in Dallas and Founder of Project Unity.

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Richie has over 20 years of experience in private equity real estate investment management. He has been responsible for nearly $1 billion of institutional real estate investment and fund management activity throughout the U.S.

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Under his visionary leadership Project Unity offers community building and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) solutions through its “Together We” programs including Together We Ball, Together We Dine, Together We Learn, and Together We Sing.

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As a civic leader, in response to the five Dallas police officers who were ambushed in 2016,Richie launched the Year of Unity a community wide initiative to help bridge racial divides in Dallas. The initiative included support from the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, who served as the Honorary Chair.

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During the pandemic, he launched the Together We Test and Together We Vaccinate programs to help address the lack of COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in low-income communities. Combined, these programs tested and vaccinated over 10,000 individuals. In2021, he co-launched the Together We Can initiative to address the “what can I do” question people began to ask in response to the death of George Floyd. The Together We Can program has attracted Fortune 500 companies, universities, foundations, and grassroot organizations as partners.

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Richie’s current board appointments include Southern Methodist University Board of Trustees, Communities Foundation of Texas Board of Trustees-Chairman, Texas Methodist Foundation Board of Trustees, and an Independent Board of Director of Brookshire Grocery Company.

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He is a recipient of the 2021 Dallas Business Journal’s Leaders in Diversity Award and the 2021Collin County Business Alliance Leadership Award. He is also a past recipient of the SMU Distinguished Alumni Emerging Leader Award, the Minority Business Leader award from the Dallas Business Journal and a Dallas Bar Association Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Award recipient.

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Richie holds degrees from Southern Methodist University and Harvard University with extended studies in Urban Planning at MIT.

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Richie is married to Neisha Strambler-Butler. They have two young adults, Emily and Ford.