Senior Leadership
I 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
Dr. David Balik
Vice President USA / Director for North America
Dr. Gavin Brettenny
Chief Strategy Officer
Kevin Buelke
Chief Finance Officer
Roger Cressey
Chief Information & Technology Officer
Stephen Deck
Vice President of Education Standards
Cindy Dodds
Chief School Improvement Officer
Michael Epp
Senior Vice President of Global Development
Chuck Gilliam
Vice President of Membership and Strategic Alliances,
Senior Director, Eastern Division
Brett Henry, J.D.
Chief Operating Officer
John Klingstedt
Chief of Staff
Peter Lee
Director of East Asia
Chris Loncar
Vice President, Human Resources
Christi Lynn
Vice President, Communications & Engagement
Dr. Sosthene Maletoungou
Director of Africa
Jerry Nelson
Chief Ministry Officer
Emily Pigott
Vice President of Educational Resources & Student Programs
Stuart Salazar
Director of Latin America
Philip Scott, J.D.
Vice President for Legal Affairs
Rajeev Shaw
Vice President of Sales
Dr. Agus Susanto
Director of Asia Pacific
Dr. Cecil Swetland
Vice President for Development
Dr. Mark T
Director of South Asia
P. George Tryfiates
Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs
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
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.
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.