Spark

Interim President Greg Elzinga was among the first generation of his family to graduate from college. When he donned his cap and gown in 1990, he hadn’t yet formed a clear sense of vocational calling, something many of his peers seemed to easily name. What he did possess, however, was a deep love of connecting with people. That love has shaped each chapter of Elzinga’s career in corporate sales, nonprofit leadership, and higher education. 

The vice president of advancement says stepping in as interim university president after President Wiebe Boer’s February resignation felt like an act of faith. But over the years, he and his wife, Jacqui, have both made career decisions that required their family of five to boldly embrace the unknown, and God has been faithful. 

Elzinga’s leadership style is often described as pastoral, a particular strength while guiding the university through its current period of transition. When community members wonder about Calvin’s future, he reminds them that “Calvin has always been more than whoever is serving the office of president.” 

“We have always educated and equipped young men and women to go out into an ever-changing world to live, work, and serve as Christ’s agents of renewal,” Elzinga says. He believes “you can judge a tree by the fruit that it bears,” and looks to students, faculty, staff, and alumni as evidence of this fruit. 

Elzinga especially appreciates Calvin’s “diverse and gifted student body.” As interim president, he has interacted with more students in the last six months than in his previous six years at Calvin. “I see them challenge and encourage each other to wrestle with what it practically looks like to be a follower of Christ in today’s culture. I believe our students are wired to be ambassadors of reconciliation, and our world needs both reconciliation and renewal.” 

In Elzinga’s view, the 65,000 Calvin alumni working and serving worldwide also represent a tangible indicator of “the fruit Calvin has been part of bearing, developing, and nurturing for the last 148 years.” When alumni share stories, Elzinga hears them speak of the friendships they formed and the professors who mentored them through challenging life decisions. An alumnus himself, he too has a story to share about the “powerful ways” Calvin prepared him to step into his current position, a role he is committed to fulfilling for however long God calls him to it.