Public Policy & Legal Affairs

P. George Tryfiates is ACSI’s Vice President for Public Policy & Legal Affairs in Washington, DC. He has filled multiple roles in public policy throughout his career in D.C., including one as executive director for over 13 years of a national Christian public policy organization and, earlier, as the first full-time executive director of a state-level Christian public policy organization. The latter he helped to transition from its volunteer base in one part of the state to the state capital. George has participated in all aspects of public policy, including nonprofit governance and policy, advocacy, and media. He holds an M.A. in public policy from Regent University. George enjoys history and lives with his wife in historic Fredericksburg where Jefferson crafted his Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom. They have been married for 33 years and have four adult children who all graduated from Christian high school. 

Email          Phone: 202.558.7040

Philip Scott has worked with ACSI since 2011 and currently serves as the Vice President for Legal Affairs in the Washington, DC office. While he has held multiple roles at ACSI, his current focus is on state advocacy and helping to organize state Christian school voices. Philip’s background is a blend of education, religion, and law. Philip is the editor of the Legal Legislative Update and does consultation with schools on legal, legislative and HR issues. He also oversees and administers the LDRP program. He has taught U.S. Government and Civics to middle and high school students in Christian schools. Most recently, he has been a lecturer in undergraduate and graduate programs teaching ethics, nonprofit law and education law. He is twice a graduate of Liberty University with an undergraduate degree in Education and a Juris Doctorate degree from Liberty University School of Law. He has studied theology and law at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is admitted to the bar of Colorado. Philip and his wife, Heather, are outnumbered as they have three children, a dog, and a cat. Heather and Philip met in fifth grade in the Christian school they attended.

Email          Phone  202.573.7776

LinkedIn

Dr. Jay McCurry currently serves as ACSI's Director for State Advocacy, a position in which he works with educational leaders across the United States promoting school choice, religious liberty, regulations, and the common good. He has served in administrative leadership at ACSI accredited schools since 2004. He holds a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Oakland City University, a Doctorate in Christian Education from Pillsbury College and Seminary, a Master of Arts degree in Education from Oral Roberts University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Relations from Southern Nazarene University. Dr. McCurry is a Paul Harris Fellow through Rotary International and he is the author of Lead Like a King: Leadership Secrets of One of the World's Greatest Rulers. Jay and his wife Kelly have been married for 23 years, have four daughters, and reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You can follow Jay on LinkedIn, Truth Social, and Instagram. 

Email Phone: 719.867.0182

Rebecca VanDeMark currently serves as ACSI's Public Policy and Legal Affairs Specialist. She has served as a High School History and Government teacher for nearly ten years with several ACSI accredited schools. Rebecca is passionate about raising up High School students to be leaders in their generations, specifically in the areas of Public Policy and Law. Rebecca holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Regent University, a graduate law certificate from American University's Washington College of Law, a Bachelors of Arts from Cedarville University and has also completed additional graduate coursework in the Master of Legal Studies program from West Virginia University. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Public Policy and Law at Liberty University. Rebecca is the author of seven books including, Praying through Lyme Disease, which has been translated into ten different languages. You can connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Email Phone: 719.867.0138

Sarah Murray currently serves as the Public Policy and Legal Affairs Assistant at ACSI. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Central Florida. She is passionate about Kingdom Education; she spent ten years homeschooling four daughters, who all graduated from Christian schools. She is also an avid proofreader and wishes she could be the Apostrophizer from Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Prior to coming to ACSI, Sarah worked in a Christian school in Texas, running the Help Desk and then serving as the Administrative Assistant to the Middle School Principals. Sarah has been married to her husband, Steve, for too many years to count, and they have a dog named Scout. Their daughters have given them nine wonderful grandchildren, who are their pride and joy.

Email Phone: 719.867.0201