ITHACA, N.Y. -- David W. Butler, who has served as dean of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration since 2000 and was associate dean of executive education from 1993 to 2000, has announced that he will not seek reappointment when his term ends June 30, 2005.

Butler has announced he plans to go into "semi-retirement" to enjoy time with his wife and to undertake targeted professional projects.

"What I find most rewarding about my term is the dedication shown to the educational goals of the school and the university by so many people," Butler said. "Students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and university leaders have all made impressive and measurable contributions. Cornell generates an enthusiasm, loyalty and affection unrivaled in my experience."

University Provost Biddy Martin said: "We are indebted to Dean Butler for the vision that he brought to the School of Hotel Administration and for his leadership in the construction of Statler Hall's expansion, the Beck Center, a 36,000-square-foot teaching facility that is planned for completion later this year. Under Dean Butler's helm, the Hotel School continues to excel as a leading research and teaching center for the hospitality industry."

Martin and Vice Provost John Siliciano will co-chair the search committee for a new dean; Michael Matier, Cornell director of Institutional Research and Planning, will serve as the search manager. They plan to have a new dean in place by the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year.

Under Butler's leadership, the Hotel School funded and launched the construction of the Beck Center and made steady progress in pursuing strategic alliances to enhance the global impact of the school in Asia, Europe and the United States. During his tenure, the Center for Hospitality Research, which conducts practical research to enhance industry operating practices, has grown dramatically, and the Statler Hotel has become a stronger component of the school's educational mission and a first-class operating property serving as a gateway to the Cornell community. Before joining the Cornell faculty, Butler served as president of Menlo College in Atherton, Calif., from 1988 to 1992, and as dean of that college's School of Business Administration in 1988. Butler also served as executive director of the Graduate Management Center of the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, Calif., from 1977 to 1986, and as director of undergraduate studies in the Department of English at the University of Kentucky from 1972 to 1977.

A native of San Francisco, Butler earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1972; an MBA from the Claremont Graduate School in 1980; a master of arts degree from California State University at Hayward in 1966; and a bachelor of arts degree from Stanford University in 1965.

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o David W. Butler:http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/directories/faculty/faculty.html?id=9