(ORLANDO, Fla.) – The ANNIKA Foundation – golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam’s charitable organization – announces the addition of Calvin G. Butler, Jr. senior executive vice president of Exelon and CEO of Exelon Utilities, to its board of directors.
Butler oversees Exelon’s six local electric and natural gas companies – Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco. Together, they form the nation’s largest utility company by customer count, serving approximately 10 million electric and gas customers in New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, respectively. Butler serves as vice chairman of each utility’s board and is a member of Exelon’s executive committee.
Before joining Exelon in 2008, Butler held senior leadership roles in external affairs as well as manufacturing with the print, digital and supply chain solutions company RR Donnelley. He spent his early career with CILCORP (Central Illinois Light Co.), where he held positions in government affairs, legal and strategy.
“We’re honored to welcome Calvin to our board,” says Annika, who created the ANNIKA Foundation to provide opportunities for girls and young women in golf. “His track record of professional success, combined with his passion for civic leadership and the game of golf, will make him an invaluable resource as we seek to make an even greater impact.”
Butler has been recognized by several organizations for his leadership and community commitment. In 2020, he was named among Black Enterprise Magazine’s “Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America.” Three times The Daily Record named Butler one of Maryland’s “Most Admired CEOs” and one of its top 35 Influential Marylanders, while Baltimore Magazine named him as one of its “Top Ten Baltimoreans.”
“I’m excited to join the ANNIKA Foundation board of directors and to have the opportunity to help shape an organization that’s making a difference in the lives of girls and young women,” says Butler. “Annika’s ability to inspire is something I’ve always admired, and I look forward to working with her and the rest of the board to further the Foundation’s impressive legacy.”
The ANNIKA Foundation is devoted to growing the game of golf around the world. It hosts six girls-only invitational tournaments on five continents: the Diamond Resorts ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex (United States), ANNIKA Invitational Europe and ANNIKA Cup (Sweden), ANNIKA Invitational Mission Hills (China), ANNIKA Invitational Australasia (New Zealand) and the Women’s Amateur Latin America Championship presented by The R&A and ANNIKA Foundation (Argentina). They are complemented by the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M, a 12-team college tournament, and the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, which is annually bestowed to the most outstanding female NCAA Division I golfer.
To make an impact on girls just getting introduced to the game, the Foundation created the “Share My Passion” series in 2018. Girls between the ages of six and 12 are invited to send Annika a letter telling her why they love golf. Those writing the best notes are then invited to attend a skills clinic and meet Annika in-person.