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
Laci Demeter
Director of Europe
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
Dr. Angela Patterson
Director for International Schools
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
Temple Weiss
President, ACSI Education Foundation
News and Press Releases
The ACSI Children's Tuition Fund and The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education at Dordt University Announce Partnership to Expand Educational Opportunities Through Scholarships
Partnership aims to engage contributors, increase scholarship funding, and help more families access educational opportunities.
The ACSI Children's Tuition Fund (CTF) and The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) at Dordt University are glad to announce a partnership to allow greater access to Christian education. Through this collaboration, the organizations will work together to raise awareness, engage prospective contributors, and encourage greater participation in supporting student scholarships.
With the unprecedented Education Freedom Tax Credit launching in January of 2027, students will gain access to Christian education like never before.
The partnership brings together the resources, relationships, and shared commitment of both organizations to help connect contributors with meaningful opportunities to invest in Christian education. By expanding outreach and building awareness, the partnership seeks to grow the pool of available scholarship funding and help more eligible students benefit from educational choice.
“The Education Freedom Tax Credit represents a historic opportunity for Christian education, but realizing its full potential will require organizations across the Christian education community to work together,” explained Temple Weiss, President of the ACSI Education Foundation and Children’s Tuition Fund. “That is why partnerships like this one with Dordt are so important. We have an opportunity to introduce thousands of people to a simple new way to support Christian education through dollars they are already paying in federal taxes. We are incredibly grateful for Dordt’s leadership and willingness to help us seize this opportunity, and we believe this is just the beginning of what this program can mean for Christian education nationwide.”
The ACSI Children's Tuition Fund welcomes the opportunity to build new relationships with individuals, businesses, and community organizations interested in supporting its scholarship mission.
For Dordt, this is a tangible expression of a longstanding partnership between Dordt and ACSI and its dedication to the advancement of Christian education.
“For years, our education department has partnership with ACSI, and we have drawn students from ACSI schools and trained educators and school leaders for ACSI schools,” said Dr. Brandon Huisman, Vice President for Advancement and Marketing at Dordt. “Now the work of CACE, thanks to the generosity of the Sid and Carol Verdoorn Family Foundation, has only enhanced the reach of this partnership.”
An Invitation to Make a Difference
As part of the initiative, the organizations encourage individuals, businesses, and other eligible contributors to learn more about the ACSI Children's Tuition Fund and explore opportunities to support scholarship funding. Contributors are encouraged to visit redirectmytaxes.org to learn about the contribution process, eligibility requirements, and the potential impact of their participation.
By combining outreach efforts and engaging new supporters, CTF and CACE aim to strengthen community involvement and help advance educational opportunities for the students and families they serve.
About CACE:
The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) is a vision of the Sid & Carol Verdoorn Foundation, Dordt University, and Christian school thought leaders from around the world. CACE supports Christian schools who are committed to teaching from a Biblical perspective. CACE is dedicated to facilitating a process of sharing best practices in Christian education – collaborating with Christian school thought leaders, innovative practitioners, and Christian education supporters of all shapes and sizes to promote, innovate, advocate, improve, and sustain Christian education at all levels.
About The ACSI Children’s Tuition Fund (CTF):
Children’s Tuition Fund (CTF), a ministry of The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), exists to advance and resource educational freedom for parents who desire a Christ-centered education for their children.
CTF works in partnership with schools, contributors, and parents to bless students by offering relationship-oriented financial assistance through these programs. CTF is also poised to facilitate the Education Freedom Tax Credit that will launch January 2027. As a Scholarship Granting Organization, CTF works directly with contributors (both individuals and businesses) to process and approve tax credits. We aid schools in raising support and identifying qualified families within their community, and ultimately award scholarships to those families.