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Ken Smitherman, President of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado will retire from the leadership position of the Association in August 2009. He assumed the position of president of the organization in July, 1996 after serving 12 years on the ACSI Executive Board. |
Prior to coming to ACSI, Smitherman was Superintendent of King’s Schools, Seattle, Washington. In addition to his role as President of ACSI, he serves as President of the ACSI Capital Corporation, an ancillary corporation serving Christian schools through the provision of tax exempt bond financing. He also serves as President of the ACSI Foundation, incorporated to generate contributed support to strengthen and help fund services and programs for Christian schools. On the broader education scene, he serves as President of the Board for the Council of American Private Education, a coalition of private school associations that represent more than 80% of the nation’s private school sector.
At his retirement, Smitherman will have completed 46 years as an educator with 39 years as a Christian school administrator including CEO of the ACSI, and its related entities.
Smitherman noted that, in regard to serving Christian schools, “Christian schooling offers up a venue that will continue to have a significant impact on the world through the development and nurture of students who can impact the world through every vocation; men and women with an emphasis upon high quality academic preparation presented through a framework of diligent Christ-centered spiritual formation and worldview development.”
It is his hope to see Christian schooling more significantly embraced by the Church worldwide, as an opportunity to further the kingdom of God through a strategic and articulate emphasis on young men and women—provided an education that thoroughly integrates faith and learning. He sees ACSI as a critical agent in serving and encouraging its current membership of more than 5,000 Christian schools and school systems in more than 100 countries toward that end.
Regarding his retirement, Chairman of the Board, Beth Elder notes: “Dr. Smitherman has provided ACSI with forward thinking leadership at a time when critical Christian education issues needed to be addressed. He has proven himself to be godly, gifted, and insightful. The announcement of his retirement is met with great appreciation for his contribution and the sincere desire that his voice will continue to be heard in the greater private and public education community.”
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