M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

Meet The Coaches

Faith-Based Board Leadership & Development Program Coaches

Adam Edgerly
Board Coach
Adam Edgerly is the founder and CEO of Culture Consultants, and an interculturalist with Awaken Group. He is an intercultural specialist and gifted communicator who has led transformational workshops for thousands across five continents. With over thirty years of experience in public speaking, Adam has a unique ability to distill complex concepts into memorable principles and actions. His consulting work draws upon the latest technology in the fields of intercultural communication, behavioral science, and the neuroscience of change, along with his twenty plus years of senior executive experience, leading and training diverse teams. Adam loves learning. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Biola University, where he earned his BA and MA in Intercultural Studies, with field research in leadership and language in Mali, West Africa. He also has an MBA from Emory University, with an international exchange at the University of Manchester, and a Certificat de Langue Français from Université Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV). Adam is passionate about integrating biblical principles into life and leadership. He is the Founder of Newsong Los Angeles Covenant Church, a multicultural community committed to reconciliation in Christ. Prior to his twelve years as Lead Pastor of Newsong LA, Adam served the Evangelical Covenant Church Denomination as Associate Director of Global Evangelism, and as the Pacific Southwest Regional Director of Church Planting. He currently resides in Los Angeles, where he loves spending time at the beach with his wife and daughter.
Alec Hill
Board Coach & Faculty
Alec Hill is president emeritus of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA. He has also served as dean of the School of Business and Economics at Seattle Pacific University and as a Regional Director for World Relief. He holds a law degree from the University of Washington and has served on numerous boards, including Christianity Today, the World Affairs Council, and the Union Gospel Mission. Alec teaches part-time at Regent College (Canada), mentors rising leaders, and is the author of two books, Just Business: Christian Ethics in the Marketplace and Living in Bonus Time: Surviving Cancer, Finding New Purpose. He lives with his wife, Mary, in the Seattle area and is the blessed survivor of a bone marrow transplant in 2015.
Dan Wolgemuth
Board Coach
Dan Wolgemuth became the 9th President of Youth For Christ USA in April of 2005. On June 1st, 2021 he officially assumed the role of President Emeritus. Before YFC Dan spent 28 years in for-profit corporate work. His corporate career included roles in financial services, manufacturing, publishing and technology consulting organizations. This included small start-up companies and large multi-national organizations like General Electric where Dan served for 8 years. Dan loves the local church and is a member of Colorado Community Church in Aurora, Colorado. Dan was elected to the Board of Trustees of Taylor University in 2006. In addition, Dan has written extensively. He currently writes a weekly devotional piece called “Friday Fragments”. It is posted on Dan’s blog site: www.FridayFragments.com. Dan has published three books: The Monday Memo.Com in 2000, Fragments in 2010, and Give Life in 2014. Dan was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Huntington University on May 12, 2012. Dan and Mary have three married children and eleven grandchildren, all living in the Denver, CO metro area.
Ed McDowell
Board Coach & Faculty
Ed McDowell is the Executive Director of Warm Beach Camp Ministries. He also coaches and consults in the areas of Board Leadership and Development with the goal of bringing fresh perspective to perplexing situations. Ed is the author of a devotional series titled A Well Planted Faith in an Uprooted Culture. The goal of his writing and speaking is to challenge people to have God’s word inform the way they live. Ed and his wife, Bev live on Camano Island, WA where they live out their life mission statement: To give our lives away for the cause of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. To learn more about Ed’s consulting ministry, or to contact him, visit: https://www.standpoint360.com.
Greg Ligon
Board Coach & Faculty
Greg Ligon serves as CEO for Ligon Group Consulting, a consulting practice dedicated to helping leaders and organizations “discover what’s next and create pathways to get there.” The organization founded by Greg and his wife, Susan, provides customized organizational consulting, leadership coaching, and strategic branding that helps defeat confusion, create focus and maximize kingdom impact. Greg has served church and non-profit leaders for over 30 years including both founding roles and executive roles in multiple organizations. He served with Leadership Network for 22 years completing his tenure there as Chief Innovation Officer and has also provided leadership in both in local church and through university ministry. Greg combines a “what’s next” spirit of innovation and a “get it done” process to his work of coaching and consulting.
Kim Triller
Board Coach
Kim Triller was the Executive Director of Care Net Pregnancy & Family Services of Puget Sound, Washington State, from 1994- 2021. During this time, Kim also served 13 years as Regional Consultant for Care Net National and as National Trainer serving Centers throughout the Pacific Northwest in Board Development, Strategic Planning and Conflict Resolution. For the past 7 years, Kim has served as a Board Coach for the Murdock Charitable Trust’s Board Development Faith Based seminars working with non-profit Board members across the country. Prior to her work at Care Net, Kim served for 16 years as Senior Program Director for Youth at the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties in WA State. While working at the YMCA, Kim served a few years as West Coast Commissioner for Youth Sports for the YMCA of the USA. She collaborated on the production of the YMCA’s Youth Sports Administration Manual and the national skills level curriculum for gymnastics. She is a graduate of Springfield College in Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education.
Kimberly Thornbury
Vice President, Nonprofit Leadership & Development
Dr. Kimberly Thornbury joins the Trust after 26 years of working in private higher education. Her work has focused on college student development, strategic planning, enrollment, new media initiatives, and marketing. She joins us from her most recent work at The King’s College in New York City. Kimberly is a nationally recognized expert in crisis management and college student success, and has spoken widely at national conferences and colleges. Her insights on leadership have been featured in publications such as Christianity Today and Christian Higher Education as well as numerous chapters included in books such as Life as Triage and Christian Leadership Essentials. Kimberly has served on both national and local nonprofit boards and has been a consultant for Christian colleges for almost 15 years. She tweets about organizational development at @kthornbury and can be reached at kimberlyt@murdocktrust.org.
Ron King
Board Coach & Faculty
Ron King is a Senior Fellow at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and has extensive experience in both the business and nonprofit sectors. For twenty years, Ron served as CEO of Western Family Foods. He has also served on several nonprofit boards. He holds degrees from Washington State University and the Stanford Executive Program.
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