Jorie Butler Kent

"An astute businesswoman, conservationist and professional photographer, Jorie Butler Kent has travelled the world from the lamaseries of Tibet to the rainforests of Uganda and turned her travels into the continued worldwide expansion of the luxury travel firm Abercrombie & Kent with co-owner and business partner Geoffrey Kent. Born in Chicago, Jorie is the daughter of Paul and Marjorie Stresenreuter Butler, who founded the village of Oak Brook, Illinois, in 1964...

"Her great loves are sports and travel--two passions she has been able to combine successfully throughout her life. Jorie's parents had her on a horse before she could even walk, leading to championships in numerous horse shows and jumping events including timber and flat races by the time she was 17. She hunted with her mother, father and two brothers, swam competitively and played tennis and polo....

"Out of regard for other lands, peoples and wildlife evolved yet another passion, wildlife and community conservation. In 1982 Jorie Butler Kent and Geoffrey Kent founded Friends of Conservation (FOC), an organization formed to preserve and enhance the ecology of the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya. Very results-oriented, FOC has successfully involved the local Masai people in conservation and education projects, creating a model for sustainable tourism. HRH The Prince of Wales recognized this pioneering effort by becoming FOC’s Patron in 1988.

"In 1999, Jorie Butler Kent received the Chevron Conservation Award for her efforts to preserve Kenya’s and Tanzania’s wildlife and habitat through global outreach initiatives and for setting the standard for cooperation between environmental preservation and responsible capitalism in the tourism industry.

"Today A&K’s worldwide conservation efforts are coordinated by Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy, guided by Jorie Butler Kent...

"Integral involvement in her family's businesses developed this sense--a licensed pilot, she served, among other responsibilities, as controller for Butler Aviation, a company her father started as a hobby, which grew into the nation’s largest fixed-base operator. She also served as Executive Vice-President for Butler Overseas, a company she owns today.

"As director of the Butler's Sports Core, she built and managed the Oak Brook Bath and Tennis Club and Oak Brook Polo Club from 1967 to 1979. Jorie continued her interest in polo and became the first woman member of the United States Polo Association (USPA). She organized the USPA Polo Pony Championship and helped to establish the rules & registry. Jorie's equestrian interests extended to coaching the Rolex/Abercrombie & Kent Polo Team, as well as owning and operating horse breeding ranches in Montana and South Carolina.

"In 1972 Jorie bought an interest in Abercrombie & Kent, helping to expand the business worldwide...

"Her interest in photography led Jorie to establish, in 1986, her own commercial slide bank, International Geographic Images (IGI). ...

"She is a Trustee of the Indian River County Environmental Learning Center located in Vero Beach, Florida and is on the Advisory Board of the International Center for Tropical Ecology (ICTE) located in St. Louis, Missouri. Additionally, she has served on the Environment Committee of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). She was a founding Director of The Green Globe, a World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) subsidiary, and of the World Travel and Tourism Ecological Research Center (WTTERC). Furthermore, she is a Member of The Explorer's Club, New York, and a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society, London.

"Jorie has one daughter, Reute Butler, who is a published photographer and serves as President of Friends of Conservation."