DR. THE HON. D. NELETHA BUTTERFIELD, M.B.E., J.P., Ed.D
Dr. the Hon. D. Neletha Butterfield M.B.E., J.P., Ed.D is the founder, owner and director of a computer school and an alternative learning centre called C.A.R.E. which stands for Children and Adults Reaching for Education. She founded the learning centre and computer school in November 1983.
Dr. the Hon. D. Neletha Butterfield M.B.E., J.P., Ed.D represented the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party (PLP) in the Pembroke West Central constituency as a candidate in the 1993 General Election. She was appointed to the Senate by the Progressive Labour Party on 8th October (her birth date) where she was the spokesperson for Education, Community and Cultural Affairs, Youth Development, Sports, Parks and Recreation and Women’s Issues. The general election of 9th November, 1998 she successfully won a seat to the House of Parliament after a decade of work in the constituency of Pembroke West Central.
She served as an opposition senator in the Senatefrom 1993-1998 and as a Government Member of Parliament for Pembroke West Central from 1998-2012. She brought to parliament her expertise, experience and enthusiasm in assisting those in the community and her country Bermuda. She sat in the House of Parliament as a Government “back bencher” from November 1998 – October 2002. She was appointed for the first time in 1998 by the Premier, the Hon. Jennifer Smith, DHumL, JP, MP to the executive board of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association of the Caribbean, the Americas and Atlantis region as Bermuda’s representative, a position she was reappointed to in 2008 by the President of the Senate, the late Hon. Alf Oughton and retired from this executive position in December 2012.
On October 8th, 2002 (her birthday again) she was appointed to the Cabinet by Premier Smith as Minister without Portfolio, spokesperson in the House of Assembly for the Ministry of Housing and a Justice of the Peace.
In the election July 24, 2003 she retained her seat in constituency #18 Pembroke West Central with an overwhelming victory in the new electoral districts. She was re-appointed to the cabinet by the Premier, the Hon. W. Alexander Scott, J.P., M.P. as the Minister of the Environment and on 2ndSeptember, 2006 Premier Scott appointed her as Minister of Education and Development. In the change of the PLP leadership in October 2006, the newly elected Premier, the Hon. Dr. Ewart F. Brown appointed her on 30th October 2006 as the Minister of the Environment, Telecommunications and E-Commerce, a portfolio she held until December 2007. With approximately 20 years of dedicated service, commitment and expertise to the legislature, she proudly returned to the Government back bench from December 2007 –June 2009. She was re-appointed to Cabinet as the Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation on 23rd June, 2009. In another leadership change on 1stNovember, 2010 she was appointed as the Minister of Government Estates and Information Services under the Cox administration until 31st October, 2011. She now has retired from the political arena after 20 years of service to her country and spends some of her time in Jamaica where she finds peace and solace writing her memoirs.
Some of her achievements and accomplishments while serving within seven (7) cabinet ministries are highlighted:
2004 Bermuda Costal Erosion Report (Hurricane Fabian aftermath)
2005 Community Areas Programme (CAPS) – William F. Wilson Park – Pembroke, Ladies Chamber Park – Pembroke, Pig’s Field Park – Pembroke, Harlem HeightsPark – Hamilton Parish and Olive Bank Park – Warwick.
2005 Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) bus
2006 Bermuda’s first State of the Environment Report
2010 Formation of the Women’s Council to focus on Women’s Issues
2011 Cisco Network Academy at the Bermuda College
As a single mother of three whose own pursuit of education as an adult enabled her to provide for her family, she understands the importance of a sound education. She has dedicated her life to educating as many Bermudians as possible. She is a computer education consultant, a former Computer Lecturer for the Government Community School, a former lecturer at The Bermuda College in computers, English and mathematics and a former instructor of mathematics, reading, African studies with the Bermuda Correctional Facilities education department, in addition to teaching the GED programme that she introduced to the prison system for the first time in 1984.
In the thirty-five years since C.A.R.E. started, she has helped more than seven hundred and fiftyadults obtained high school diplomas and assisted over 4,000 young people in computer assisted instruction and training. She has also used her talents to help inmates at the Prison Farm, Casemates Prison, Coed Correctional Facility and Westgate Correctional Facility, where one hundred and fifty inmates received their GED (high school diplomas) and over three hundred received basic education skills and computer training. As the founder of the General Education Development (GED) programme and the computer programmes in the correctional facilities, in 1985 she held the first graduation ceremony in the prisons and through her vision the educational programmes and graduation ceremony continues to be held annually and she currently volunteers her time teaching the G.E.D. Programme to inmates. She has also tutored young men from Reachout Rehabilitation Centre, His House, The Residential Care Centre, Focus Counseling Services, Turning Point, young women from Fair Haven, Teen Services and the Brangman Home and both men and women from Addiction Services. In June 2010, she held the first graduation class for Life Skills Programme to recovering addicts.
September 2002, her business C.A.R.E. Learning Centre enrolled for the first time from the Ministry of Education and Development, thirty (students) from CedarBridge Academy and The Berkeley Institute in an alternative education programme called “Project Success” for young teenagers.
She is the President of the Bermuda Business and Professional Women’s Club, member of the Pembroke Community Club, Western Stars Club, the co-founder of Prison Fellowship Bermuda and a founding member of S.T.A.R. (Supportive Therapy for Aids Victims and their Relatives), Past Vice-President of the Orchid Charity Club, a steward and a former coordinator of both the singles and prison ministry and a former trustee at St. Paul A.M.E. church. She was a former chairman of the Treatment of Offenders Board and the Historic Building Advisory Committee, a former commissioner of the Board of Telecommunications and chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Education in the House of Assembly.
She was voted Bermudian of the Year in 1988, in 1989 received the Community Service Awardfrom the Bermuda Business and Professional Women’s Club, in 1993 the Outstanding Service Award for her community involvement from the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton and in March 1994 received The Best of Bermuda Gold Award for her outstanding work as an educator. February 24th, 2002 during Black History celebrations, she received from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Incorporated (Bermuda Club), the highest honour given to a woman, The National Sojourner Truth Meritorious Service Award for her meritorious community service and her deep concern for and participation in all activities advancing the status of women.
Known as “Honey” Butterfield she is an energetic community worker and educator who is much in demand as a public speaker both in Bermuda and internationally. Her overseas speaking engagements have included the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Washington D.C., The Computer Curriculum Corporation, California, The People’s National Party (PNP) Women’s Movement, Jamaica and the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc., Washington D.C., the House of Lords United Kingdom and QKingdom Ministries, New York and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization – Geneva, Switzerland.
In February 2004, the Hon. D. Neletha Butterfieldwas inducted into the International Association of Business Leaders.
The following year February 2005, she was selected out of 7,500 well qualified nominees for the “International Association Business Leader of the Year 2005 Award”. She received this international award on 19th March 2005. The following week 26th March 2005 the Hon. D. Neletha Butterfield received another international award “Women of Great Esteem” from the QKingdom Ministries, New York. On November 26th, 2006 the Grace Methodist Church of Bermuda during the 100 Women in White Service presented her an award in recognition of her outstanding “Community Service”. On February 27th, 2009 she received an award from St. Paul A.M.E. – Hands of Faith Ministry for her “Community Involvement and her support to the Ministry”. In the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours and Awards she was awarded a M.B.E. (Member of the British Empire) for her contribution to community education and her work for over 25 years in Her Majesty’s Prisons. On the 4th September, 2009 by the Women’s Integrated Network presented her with the Bermuda International Women’s Leadership Award and on 5th September the “Lifetime Achievement Award”. On 8th March, 2011, during the 100th anniversary celebration of International Women’s Day she was honoured as one ofBermuda’s 100 Women of Vision. Certificate of Appreciation – West Pembroke Pentecostal Assembly 2013. Chautauqua Award presented on 22nd June, 2018 at the YPD Conference Branch of the African Methodist Episcopal Church iRock Awards. Niyah Publishing Recognition 2019, Dearborn, Michigan on 14th October, 2018. On the 23rd March, 2019 the Rochester Genesee Valley Club of the National Association of Business and Professional Women’s Club recognized her as the International Literary Artist honoured guest. On 7th April, 2019 The Crystal Butterfly Literary Award from the Atlantic Publishing House. This year on 2nd January she was honoured to be a quest on Smile Jamaica TVJ in Kingston, Jamaica where she talked about her role as a Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister in addition to showcasing her books.
As a woman of strength and perseverance, it is through her trials and tribulations that her personal philosophy is based on the scriptural text in Romans 8:28 – “All things work together for good, to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose”. Her belief is that, “If you can give an individual a fish, he has food for a day, but if you teach him how to fish he has food for a lifetime.”
Because her educational foundation was obtained in the Bermuda public school system, she believes strongly that the Bermuda public schools must be kept viable. Many of her interests and skills for what she has accomplished came during her early years and feels honoured by the establishment of C.A.R.E. in 1983 an alternative learning centre and computer school.
She states “To God be the glory great things He has done and to the village that raised me and made me who I am today”.
Hon. Butterfield has recently become an author and has published and released seven books, “Speeches for the Soul”, “Workshops for the Soul,” “Political Beginnings for the Soul”, “The Soul of a Community Leader” , “17 Trailblazers Who Walked with Purpose”, ” Study Skills for the Soul” and “Educating the SOUL behind the Prison Walls.”
She will soon release next year two new books entitled; “The Soul of C.A.R.E.” and “ StudentsEssays for the SOUL.”
She is the mother of three children, Jeffrey, Kirkland and Bry-Letha, grandmother to tengrandchildren, one great-grandson Sai’et and fourgreat grand-daughters Neveah, Navi, Amyah and Rhylee.
Her personal interest is the history and culture of people and country, reading, travelling and in her spare time she dances and performs with the Bermuda African Dance Company.