Edwin R. Harlin was born in Detroit. He grew up on the east side where he graduated from Southeastern High School at the age of sixteen. Immediately entering Wayne State University, his father passed while he was in his first semester. Being the oldest child still living at home, Edwin temporarily placed his academics on hold and went to work for the Burroughs Corporation. Over the next seven years, Edwin R. Harlin was introduced to the world of business, computers, and commerce. While at Burroughs, he continued to support his mother, brother, and sister. He obtained his associate degree from Wayne County Community College graduating with honors. When the Burroughs Corporation would not promote him into sales or a management position as promised, Edwin quit and registered full time at the University of Michigan. He majored in business and received his BSA degree inÏ1977. While attending U of M, during his senior year the IBM Corporation hired him. Over the next twenty years, he held a number of positions in marketing, business and the finance arena. As business manager for Christ Presbyterian Church, he was called to God‘s ministry on the very day that the church closed on its loan, August 30, 1995. Two weeks later he found himself in seminary school at Ashland Theological Seminary. He received his Master of Arts in 1997 and was licensed to preach in 1998. He was the Associated Pastor under the esteem Milton R. Henry at Christ Presbyterian Church. He was ordained by an esteem committee of men of God, chaired by the late Frederick G. Samson in 1999. Edwin continued his seminary training and received his Master of Divinity degree from Ashland in the spring of 2003. Before joining State Government, Mr. Harlin was the Senior Executive VP and Secretary of a Development Company. He then began his career in Public Sector as the Director of Marketing with the Broadband Development Authority for the State of Michigan. He continues to work outside of the church with the State of Michigan as a Director for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, an agency charged with ensuring that there is affordable housing for all Michigan residents. Finally, he is married to Janice Harlin whom he met in elementary school. They have two children, a son Johnathan and a daughter ERH-Rachele.