Leadership Butler County
Butler County Clerk Sherry Johnson visits with business leaders before the luncheon begins.
The Morgantown-Butler County Chamber of Commerce and the Butler County Extension made a big announcement during the Chamber Luncheon on Feb. 28. Both are partnering together to off Leadership Butler County. The four-session program will begin on April 17. For a minimal fee, participants can get a better look at what it takes to improve their community.
The class schedule is as follows
April 17 – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Butler County Extension Office
May 1 – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Butler County Extension Office
May 22 – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Morgantown Bank and Trust Data Center
June 5 – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Butler County Extension Office
Space is limited. Only the first 15 applicants will be accepted. The deadline to apply is March 22. Butler County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Greg Drake, spoke about the purpose of this new program. It will focus on communication and leadership skills.
Drake also gave some interesting information about the community and economic data. According to the 2010 Census, there are 12,690 people who live in Butler County. The county was founded in 1810. There are 431 square miles of land area. A study done in May 2018 showed the county had a 4.6 percent unemployment rate. Owner-occupied housing is at 72.8 percent. The average value of the homes in Butler County is $90,000. The percentage of individuals who are a high school graduate or higher is at 78 percent. The median household income is $39,362. The state standard is at $44,811, while the standard for the U.S. is at $55,322.
There are 933 microenterprises with zero to five employees in the county. Employment for these is 1,139. Microenterprise share of non-farm employment is 33 percent. Microenterprise share of total businesses in the county is 93.1 percent. The labor force is 5,490. Total jobs were 2,936 in 2006 and are expected to grow to 3,212 in 2026. According to the 2016 personal income, labor was 55.6 percent and non-labor was 44.4 percent.
Monthly sponsors for the luncheon were Chad’s Self Storage and Billboard, Corvac Composites LLC, Green River Feed Mill, Hamilton-Ryker, Jones Funeral Chapel INC, McDonald’s, and Morgantown Utilities. Catering was by Green River Catering.
