Cinnamon Butler
U.S. Department of Agriculture
2024 fellow
Cinnamon Butler serves as a Division Director within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. She leads the Program Adjudication Division, which has the mission of making final civil rights discrimination determinations.
Ms. Butler’s guiding leadership principle is to encourage authenticity when tackling challenges. Raised on a family farm in western Kentucky, her areas of interest are domestic policy making and implementation of priorities regarding racial equity and civil rights, generational wealth building, and land retention for small, socially disadvantaged landowners with limited resources.
Ms. Butler’s passion for public service and results-driven executive competency has led her to the position of Equity Advisor for the Office of Management and Budget. As a White House Leadership Development Program Fellow, she plans to work collaboratively across the federal government to institutionalize accountability regarding equity and inclusion in programs, services, and benefits; to effectively negotiate polarizing issues and improve persuasiveness through data and metrics; and build stronger institutions through shared professional and personal experiences with her cohort participants. Upon completion of this program, she plans to pursue a position within the Senior Executive Service Corps.
Prior to the federal government, Ms. Butler worked at Perdue Farms, Kentucky Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Butler received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. She recently completed the Senior Executive Fellowship Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
She has also received numerous awards, recognitions and appointments including a feature in Black Enterprise magazine entitled “Bountiful Careers in Agriculture,” Brandeis Young Alumna Award, National Bar Association’s 40 Under 40 Award and Chair of the Outstanding Division Award, American Association of University Women Fellowship, and Presidential Management Council’s Interagency Rotation Program Selected Fellow.
In her civic engagement, Ms. Butler serves as the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) Public Safety Committee Resident Member for ANC 6B08. She is an avid traveler and dog lover.
