Senior Leadership

Association of Christian Schools International / ACSI / About ACSI / Senior Leadership

Larry TaylorI am inspired by the faith, courage, and reverence for God by Christian educators around the world! It reminds me of the story recounted in I Samuel 17 about David defeating Goliath. In verse 29, David’s response to the inaction of his elder brothers and the Israelites especially encourages me. He boldly and nobly answers the call to action by asking, "Is there not a cause?”

I can think of no greater cause than to partner with you as you advance Kingdom education. We fully believe that authentic devotion to the Christian faith and academic excellence are mutually reinforcing. There are not two or three forms of excellence, but rather an ethos that is cultivated throughout every facet of our schools. Faith is not separated from learning but rather integrated intentionally, resulting in a distinctive Christian worldview.

Scholarship and learning become an integral component to the maturation process known as discipleship. Thus, becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, the ultimate objective of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20), is the prize for which we strive; it is the highest form of excellence! It is certainly conceivable that we could produce students with the spiritual depth needed to enter our pluralistic society and not fall prey to empty philosophies. Rather, they would be equipped to saturate the marketplace to which God has called them with confidence, purpose, and an eternal perspective.

ACSI’s ongoing mission is to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We want to serve you as you continue to cultivate and sustain a flourishing school. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you—thank you for your obedience to God’s call on your life—you are indeed making a difference.

Dr. Larry Taylor, President & CEO, ACSI
larry_taylor@acsi.org
719-867-0200

 

ACSI Senior Leadership

 

David Balik

Dr. David Balik

Vice President USA / Director for North America

 

Gavin Brettenny

Dr. Gavin Brettenny

Chief Strategy Officer

 

Kevin Buelke

Kevin Buelke

Chief Finance Officer

 

Juan Cabrera

Juan Cabrera

Vice President of Information Technology

Roger Cressey

Roger Cressey

Chief Information & Technology Officer

Stephen Deck

Stephen Deck

Vice President of Education Standards

Laci Demeter

Laci Demeter

Director of Europe


Cindy Dodds

Cindy Dodds

Chief School Improvement Officer


Michael Epp

Michael Epp

Senior Vice President of Global Development

Chuck Gilliam

Chuck Gilliam

Vice President of Membership and Strategic Alliances,
Senior Director, Eastern Division

Brett Henry

Brett Henry, J.D.

Chief Operating Officer


John Klingstedt

John Klingstedt

Chief of Staff


Peter Lee

Peter Lee

Director of East Asia

Chris Loncar

Chris Loncar

Vice President, Human Resources

Christi Lynn

Christi Lynn

Vice President, Communications & Engagement

Sosthene Maletoungou

Dr. Sosthene Maletoungou

Director of Africa

Jerry Nelson

Jerry Nelson

Chief Ministry Officer

Emily Pigott

Emily Pigott

Vice President of Educational Resources & Student Programs

Stuart Salazar

Stuart Salazar

Director of Latin America

Philip Scott

Philip Scott, J.D.

Vice President for Legal Affairs

Rajeev Shaw

Rajeev Shaw

 Vice President of Sales

Agus Susanto

Dr. Agus Susanto

Director of Asia Pacific

Cecil Swetland

Dr. Cecil Swetland

Vice President for Development

Mark T.

Dr. Mark T

Director of South Asia

George Tryfiates

P. George Tryfiates

Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs

Susan Verheul

Susan Verheul

Vice President, Executive Initiatives

News and Press Releases

ACSI Partners with the Herzog Foundation, Helping Fund Christian Educators to Attend the Flourishing Schools Institute and Launch New Schools

Jul 30, 2025, 08:10 by Brittany Steward

 

 

The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is glad to announce a new partnership with the Herzog Foundation. Through this partnership, ACSI and the Herzog Foundation will invest in each other’s training events. This will include the Herzog Foundation covering the cost for Christian educators to attend ACSI’s Flourishing Schools Institute (FSi), and both organizations collaborating to provide ACSI member schools with access to the Foundation's existing best-in-class trainings. Together, ACSI and the Herzog Foundation will work to equip and launch new Christian schools.  

 

ACSI has experienced great momentum as the organization moves forward with its Vision 2030 strategic growth initiatives. One of those initiatives is missional partnerships to amplify ACSI’s services to members.  

 

ACSI President & CEO Dr. Larry Taylor said, “ACSI is committed to grounding our schools and educators on the philosophy of Christian education. Our objective is to provide high-quality, ongoing training for administrators, teachers, board members, operational staff, and parents so that the philosophy is deeply embedded into every part and practice of a school.” 

 

 

The Herzog Foundation will invest into the ACSI training model by covering the cost for educators to attend the annual Flourishing Schools Institute in Dallas 

 

 

ACSI provides an annual in-person conference, the Flourishing Schools Institute (FSi), that trains all school stakeholders. This includes a very specific ‘whole-part-whole’ training paradigm. Without this holistic approach, Christian schools will have some ‘parts’ of the school at the flourishing level but be at risk of having some parts of the school void of a Christ-centered philosophy and practice. 

 

The Herzog Foundation will invest in the ACSI training model by covering the cost (registration fee, hotel, and food) for Christian school educators to attend the FSi. This significant contribution will help to equip Christian schools across the country. 

 

The Foundation’s President, Darrell Jones, said, “This partnership with ACSI reflects our shared commitment to strengthening and expanding Christian education across the country. By combining the Foundation’s training resources with ACSI’s proven leadership, we can equip educators and launch new schools with greater impact than ever before. Together, we’re not just supporting schools—we’re building a movement.” 

 

Another intersection between ACSI and the Herzog Foundation will be ACSI’s current Flourish Deeper events, which dig deeper into specific areas of a school, such as strategic planning, curriculum design, operations, and more. Using the ‘whole-part-whole’ for context, the Herzog Foundation hosts its own professional development events which focus on the ‘part,’ thus leaders from both organizations believe in reducing duplication by utilizing the Foundation’s training options.  

 

ACSI will collaborate with the Herzog Foundation to align both organization’s top objectives during these professional development offerings. ACSI schools will be able to take advantage of Herzog's best-in-class trainings by applying to attend the events free of charge. 

 

Launching Christian Schools 

 

 

The Herzog Foundation owns an IT platform, SchoolBox, which is designed to support emerging and new schools. ACSI also supports new school leaders with valuable materials and processes for starting a Christian school.  

 

Leaders from both organizations will leverage their existing resources by integrating ACSI content with SchoolBox. Combined with ACSI mentors assigned to each school, this collaboration has the potential to revolutionize and streamline the startup process for new Christian schools. 

 

ACSI values its 47-year-long mission of equipping and strengthening Christian schools and educators. This partnership with the Herzog Foundation will amplify services to truly advance the mission of Christ-centered education. 

 

 

About ACSI:   
 

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, ACSI exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. ACSI advances excellence in Christian schools by enhancing the professional and personal development of Christian educators and providing vital support functions for Christian schools through multiple services including teacher and administrator certification, school accreditation, legal/legislative assistance, and curriculum publishing. Serving more than 25,000 schools in 108 countries, ACSI helps more than 5.5 million students worldwide connect to Christian education.  
 

Follow ACSI on our social channels: Facebook | LinkedIn | XInstagram  

 

About the Herzog Foundation:  
 

The Herzog Foundation seeks to identify areas of growth and gaps in the Christian education space in order to catalyze effective and scalable programs across the nation. Their mission is lived out by providing programs such as online content, up-to-date news, training and events, grants, and hands-on organizational improvement initiatives. 

Follow Herzog on their social channels: Facebook | LinkedIn | X | Instagram