MDC
Calvin Allen has extensive experience in the field of community development and environmental management. Calvin currently serves as the Vice President for Partnerships and Programs at MDC, where they have been since 2014. Prior to that, they held the position of Senior Director for Rural Forward Programming at MDC, working towards building healthier and more thriving rural communities in North Carolina.
Before joining MDC, Calvin worked as a Co-Instructor at Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, focusing on community-based environmental management. Calvin also served as a Program Officer at The Golden LEAF Foundation, where they awarded grants to nonprofits and governmental entities with a focus on agriculture, job creation, and workforce preparedness.
In addition, Calvin has held leadership roles at The Conservation Fund and Southern Rural Development Initiative, where they worked on initiatives related to community forestry and rural economic development. Calvin also served as the Executive Director of Public Allies North Carolina and held the position of Associate Director/Director of Youth Programs at the Dispute Settlement Center, Inc.
Throughout their career, Calvin has demonstrated a strong commitment to empowering communities, promoting sustainability, and addressing economic disparities in rural areas.
Calvin Allen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Literature from Duke University, which they attended from 1988 to 1992. Calvin later obtained a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the same university, completing the program in 2005.
MDC
MDC is a nonprofit founded in 1967 and based in Durham, N.C., that equips Southern leaders, institutions, and communities to improve economic mobility and advance equity. We bring together foundations, nonprofits, and leaders from government, business, and the grassroots to illuminate data that highlight deeply rooted Southern challenges and help them find systemic, community solutions. Our approach uses research, consensus-building, and programs that connect education, employment, and economic security to help communities foster prosperity by creating an “infrastructure of opportunity”—the aligned systems and supports that can boost everyone, particularly those who’ve been left behind, to higher rungs on the economic ladder. Since 1996, MDC’s landmark State of the South reports have shaped the economic agenda of the region, shining a spotlight on historic trends, deep-rooted inequities, and solutions that offer rural and urban communities a path forward. MDC is supported by grants and contracts from foundations, governments, and the private sector. Learn more at www.mdcinc.org.