Staff

Calvin W. Edwards is founder and CEO of Calvin Edwards & Company. After 20 years in executive leadership of nonprofits and faith-based organizations, Edwards created the firm to help high-capacity donors make wise giving decisions. His experience in the business operations and governance of charitable organizations provides insight and sound judgment to guide evaluations and offer prudent client recommendations. Click here for Calvin W. Edwards' biography.

 

 

Jerry Regier—Chief Operating Officer/Senior Consultant

Dr. Regier has a distinguished career in nonprofit management and public service. He served more than a decade with Campus Crusade for Christ in a variety of leadership positions with the campus ministry and the Christian Embassy in the nation’s capital. In 1983 Dr. Regier founded Family Research Council, an independent public policy research and educational organization, and one of Washington’s most prominent think tanks.

He has served as secretary in the cabinet of two Governors, and as a policy leader for three U.S. Presidents. His most recent position in the federal government was Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), where he provided leadership for policy analysis & development, and evaluation research.

Dr. Regier graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in history and from Grace University with a diploma in Bible. His post-graduate work includes a master of public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, in addition to a master in biblical studies from International School of Theology, and an honorary doctorate of divinity from Grace University.

Amy Roush—Senior Research Analyst & Project Manager
Amy Roush researches and analyzes nonprofit organizations, prepares business-quality reports on client's grantees, and conducts highly specialized research on nonprofit issues. She joined Calvin Edwards & Company in 2007.

Ms. Roush is a Certified Public Accountant and has over 16 years of professional experience in the financial service industry. She began her career in banking, first with Bank One in Ohio and then worked with Barnett Bank in Florida. For ten years prior to joining the firm, she provided tax compliance and consulting services to individuals and business entities in various public accounting firms. She transitioned to Calvin Edwards & Company from a position as a Tax Manager with Ronald Blue & Co. in Atlanta, GA.

Ms. Roush earned her BS in business administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and did post-graduate work at the University of South Florida. She obtained her CPA designation in 2001. 

Mark Amerman—Consultant
Mark Amerman researches and analyzes nonprofit organizations, focusing on governance, operations, strategy, and tactics. He joined Calvin Edwards & Company as a consultant in November 2010 as a consultant. 

Mr. Amerman has over 23 years of experience in business management, most recently as an executive at CNL Financial Group, one of the nation's largest privately held real estate/financial services firms. He has also been a partner at Gammon & Grange, a Washington, DC law firm that specializes in nonprofit law. He has managed two charitable foundations and has served as a board member of both national and local nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Amerman graduated from the University of Virginia, earning a BA in English, then his JD.

Lisa Hazlett—Consultant
Lisa Hazlett joined Calvin Edwards & Company as a consultant to serve nonprofit clients with design of development plans that build upon CEC organizational analytical products.

Ms. Hazlett has a twenty year career in the nonprofit world, driven by a desire to help nonprofit organizations make a lasting impact in the communities they serve. She has served nonprofit organizations as founder, executive staff, board member, and as a volunteer. Her experience includes founding and securing funding for two start-up organizations, annual campaign management and growth, capital campaigns, special events, major gifts prospecting and cultivation, direct mail, organizational capacity assessments, long and short term strategic planning, and marketing and communications. In addition to her fundraising expertise, Ms. Hazlett has worked in the public policy arena with state and federal legislators to improve educational choice opportunities for youth with disabilities, and developed and launched two national program models. She has led two state policy organizations, presented educational advocacy at international and national conferences, and is an advisor to members in the State Policy Network.

Ms. Hazlett graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA from the University of North Florida, received a fellowship in recognition for her work in the nonprofit community from Jacksonville University where she earned an MBA, and is an alumnus of the School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Note: Calvin Edwards & Company provides development consulting
to nonprofits, but does not raise funds, nor does it provide names
of its donor clients to nonprofit organizations.

James “Reg” Rhodes—Senoir Analyst
Reg Rhodes joined Calvin Edwards & Company in November 2010. He has extensive knowledge in survey design and supports CEC with designing precise surveys that yield valuable and valid insights into program performance.

Mr. Rhodes held a successful career as a partner and division president in Booz-Allen & Hamilton’s marketing services group. After six years, he and three partners formed Burke Marketing Services, Inc. He served as president of two divisions and was personally involved in developing market research surveys for major consumer product companies. Mr. Rhodes then took a position as senior vice president and general manager of two divisions at Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, based in Atlanta, GA. While at WTB, he developed a scanner-based survey that measured attendees’ satisfaction at hundreds of WTB seminars each year. Subsequently, Mr. Rhodes has consulted with businesses and nonprofits regarding new product design and consumer research. He has been an invited guest lecturer at Wharton, Dartmouth, Harvard, and the University of Georgia business schools.

Mr. Rhodes graduated from Stanford University with a BA in political science.

Darcy Phillips—Statistician & Research Analyst
Darcy Phillips performs program evaluation that is both quantitative and qualitative. She does statistical analysis and reporting for the firm, using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Ms. Phillipsjoined Calvin Edwards & Company in August 2007.

Ms. Phillips has over ten years of professional experience as a statistician. She began her career working at Yankelovich Partners in the analytical department performing survey data analysis. She later worked for Abacus, a database marketing company performing data analysis for catalog marketers. Ms. Phillips’ nonprofit experience includes extensive work as a volunteer in the U.S. and internationally.

Ms. Phillips graduated with a BA in sociology with minors in statistics and Spanish from Central Connecticut State University. She later earned a master's degree in nonprofit management from Regis University in Denver, CO.

Alyson Cantey—Statistician & Research Analyst

Mrs. Cantey has four years of professional experience. She spent a year with Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Systems performing statistical evaluations of education programs in support of standards established by the government’s No Child Left Behind policy. She also works as a research analyst in the healthcare industry.

She graduated from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte as Outstanding Student in psychology in 1999. She then earned a master’s degree in experimental psychology from Georgia Southern University, completing her degree in 2003.

Megan Denton—Associate Research Analyst
Megan Denton provides support to senior level analysts, writing and editing client reports and performing research and analysis on charitable organizations. Mrs. Denton also writes and edits a number of reports for internal company use. She joined Calvin Edwards & Company in September 2008.

Her experience includes three years of human resources management for AFL Network Services and a two-year internship in editing and publishing with Brazos Press. When she is not preparing documents for Calvin Edwards & Company, she provides freelance editing services for Westminster John Knox Press.

Mrs. Denton earned a BA in biblical studies from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee and an MA in historical and systematic theology from Wheaton College.

Luci Nellums—Executive Assistant
Luci Nellums joined Calvin Edwards & Company in August 2006. Ms. Nellums works directly for founder and CEO, Calvin Edwards, providing administrative and research support, including scheduling, booking travel arrangements, and preparing monthly invoices. She assists Mr. Edwards on numerous client projects including research of nonprofit organizations using the internet and other sources. She  designs, reviews, and publishes final versions of most CEC products.

 

Partners

CapinCrouse is a leading national nonprofit accounting firm. Calvin Edwards & Company and CapinCrouse share expertise in their respective fields— nonprofit accounting and philanthropic consulting and Mr. Edwards regularly speaks at CapinCrouse national training seminars.

National Christian Foundation (NCF) is a community foundation offering donor-advised funds to its clients. We recommend that our clients avail themselves of the services of NCF, and it refers clients to our firm. Many of our clients have donor-advised funds at NCF and pay our fees through their account.

QEV Analytics is a full service public opinion firm that conducts both quantitative and qualitative research. When the needs of a client require large scale research beyond a specific demographic, QEV assists with gathering and analyzing data.

Ronald Blue & Company is a national financial planning and investment management firm. When RB&C's clients require significant philanthropic research and advise, the client is referred to our firm. Our services are routinely included as a component of their offerings to ultra-high net worth clients.

Media Research International (MRI) is a research institute, headed by Robert Fortner, that studies the role and application of media and emerging communication technologies in post-conflict and extreme poverty environments.

The Legacy Group serves the social sector by accelerating results and developing client resources. It is donor-centric in its approach. We use it's staff to expand our capacity when work demands require.