Calvin H. Elam, ChFC, CLU, MSFS, MBA
Managing Advisor with LPL
Calvin H. Elam is CEO and Managing Advisor of EFinancial Advisors in Columbia, SC. He began his career in the wealth management and insurance industries in 1992 after spending five years as a successful commercial and retail banker with Bank of America, (formerly Nations Bank). He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business in Columbia, SC, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the LSU-Shreveport, E.J. Ourso College of Business, Shreveport Louisiana. He earned a Master of Science Degree in Financial Services (MSFS), his Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations from the American College in Bryn Mawr, PA. In addition, he is a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Air War College. Calvin is a retired and highly decorated United States Air Force Brigadier General with over 33.5 years of military service to our state and nation and holds the distinction of being the first African American Brigadier General in the history of the SC National Guard Army or Air.
He is a Registered Principal and holds FINRA securities registrations 7, 6, 63 and 24 with LPL Financial. He currently serves on the Boards of Trustees of the following organizations: Prisma Health System, SC Pension and Employee Benefits Authority (PEBA), the University of South Carolina Education Foundation, and the Optus Bank Community Capital board. Past Board of Trustee service includes Claflin University, SC Children’s Trust Fund, Columbia Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Midlands, Central Carolina Community Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Columbia.
Most recently, he was recognized by the United Way of the Midlands in 2025 for high long term and dedicated service to community, in 2019, he was recognized by the Columbia Urban League for Outstanding Community Leadership. In 2013, he was recognized in the US Black Engineers and Information Technology magazine as one of the Top Blacks in the Military and was named Distinguished Hospital Board Trustee of the Year by the SC Hospital Association. In 2012, he was awarded the Whitney M. Young Leadership Award by the Indian Water Council of the Boy Scouts of America and in 2011, he and his wife were recognized for outstanding community service by the SC March of Dimes.
He is author of the book, "Self Reliance: What Do You Mean You Didn't Know?" which is available on Amazon.com
Calvin is a member Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia, SC, where he serves as Vice Chair of the Governing Council. He and his wife Mary have three grown children and one grandchild.