Mr. Charley Butcher

Charley ButcherChief Educational Technology and AI Officer, University of LynchburgCharley Butcher is a visionary leader in higher education with nearly three decades of experience at the intersection of pedagogy and emerging technology. As the Chief Educational Technology and AI Officer at the University of Lynchburg, Charley spearheads the institution’s strategic digital evolution, focusing on the ethical and innovative integration of Generative AI across the curriculum.Throughout his tenure, Charley has successfully overseen several landmark initiatives that have redefined the student and faculty experience. Most notably, he co-chairs the University’s AI Task Force and led the creation of the Teaching and Learning Center for AI Excellence, a hub dedicated to faculty development in prompt engineering and AI literacy. He also architected the "eLevate" initiative, a comprehensive 1:1 device program designed to ensure technological equity for all incoming students.A veteran Google Workspace Administrator and member of the Google Higher Education Community, Charley has a proven track record of driving institutional adoption. He helped scale faculty engagement with the University’s Learning Management System from 17% to over 96% and transitioned the campus to a fully automated, cloud-based infrastructure. His work in designing high-tech active learning classrooms has become a blueprint for student-centered instructional design.Recognized as the 2026 "AI in Higher Education Leader of the Year" by Tech Horizons, Charley is a frequent speaker at EDUCAUSE and Google Education summits. He is finishing a Master of Education in Instructional Design and remains dedicated to building resilient academic environments that prepare students for an AI-augmented future.