Calvin Edwards founded Calvin Edwards & Company (now part of Blue Trust) in 2001. This venture builds on his 20+ years of executive leadership experience in the nonprofit world and financial services sector. From 1996 to 2000, he was a member of the senior management team and a principal at Ronald Blue & Co. (now Blue Trust). Calvin worked closely with Ron Blue (founder) on the company’s growth and strategic direction. During this period, Edwards recognized that affluent donors could benefit from wise professional counsel regarding strategic giving.
Previously, Calvin was the chief operating officer for Peter Lowe International (PLI) in Tampa, Florida, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting time-proven values that help make great people and communities. PLI convened business, mega seminars (10,000+ attendees per event) featuring prominent, high-profile celebrities from government, business, sports, religion, science, and the media.
Prior to PLI, Calvin was executive vice president of Walk Thru the Bible Ministries (WTB) in Atlanta, where he managed its four revenue centers, international outreach, and business operations. He joined WTB in 1985 and led an expanding publishing division for over five years before assuming leadership of the entire company’s operations in 1991.
Earlier, Calvin was president of Good News Unlimited, a rapidly growing interdenominational ministry in Auburn, California. He developed a nationally syndicated radio program there, published a magazine, and convened frequent weekend conferences.
Calvin has served on the board of 17 nonprofit organizations and helped to found seven. He has written and lectured extensively on nonprofit management, effective philanthropy, and various related technical topics. As an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University, he taught a Principles of Effective Philanthropy course and lectured on nonprofit program evaluation at Georgia State University and national conferences.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in literature and religion from Pacific Union College and a diploma in education from Avondale College. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Andrews University, where he graduated summa cum laude, and a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Articles authored by Calvin have been published in various magazines, and he has often been quoted in the Wall Street Journal. He was the general editor for the Family Walk series of books and senior editor for the Youthwalk Devotional Bible (finalist for a Gold Medallion award). In 2001, Andrews University Press published his Seeker After Light, the biography of theologian Albion Fox Ballenger, which Professor Gary Land co-authored. He has contributed to the publication of over 30 books.
Calvin came to the U.S. from Australia in 1979 and is a naturalized American. He is married with two adult children and enjoys reading, snow skiing, and running 10K road races.
*Calvin Edwards is an independent contractor.
