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 of USA
770-985-5840
Email
Dr. Gavin Brettenny
Associate Vice President of Global Strategic Development for Christian Education
719-867-0259
Email
![Buelke Buelke](/images/default-source/uploadedimages/buelke.jpg?sfvrsn=199dcdfd_0)
Kevin Buelke
Chief Finance Officer
719-867-0114
Email
Juan Cabrera
Chief Information Officer
719-867-0116
Email
Cindy Dodds
Chief of Flourishing Initiatives
719-867-6191
Email
Michael Epp
Senior Vice President of Global
719-867-0223
Email
Brett Henry, J.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Sevenstar
Vice President, Educational Resources
513-622-9608
Email
John Klingstedt
Chief Operating Officer
719-867-0255
Email
Christi Lynn
Vice President, Communications & Engagement
719-867-0202
Email
Chris Loncar
Vice President, Human Resources
719-867-0113
Email
Jerry Nelson
Chief Ministry Officer
719-867-5261
Email
Philip Scott, J.D.
Vice President for Legal Affairs
202-573-7776
Email
P. George Tryfiates
Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs
202-497-9521
Email
Susan Verheul
Vice President, Executive Initiatives
719-867-0250
Email
Dr. Cecil Swetland
Vice President for Development
719-867-5289
Email
News and Press Releases
ACSI Announces Changes to Senior Leadership Team, Eastern Division
![Vice President USA/Senior Director, Eastern Division Vice President of USA](/images/default-source/about/balik.tmb-medium.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=5613df7e_1)
ACSI is concluding a strategic planning process under President Dr. Larry Taylor. Part of the reimagining of organizational goals included transitioning from serving Christian schools through an eight-region model to a more streamlined and efficient divisional model that relies on the strategic deployment of field directors and trained volunteers across the country. According to Taylor, “The Western, Central, and Eastern Divisions will allow us to make staff who belonged to regional teams available to members outside those regions. It will help us address much of the redundancies and duplication of effort that characterized the old regional set-up, which will lead to better stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to us.”
Balik added that, “God is doing great things at ACSI these days through our strategic planning process. It is a privilege to have an expanded role going forward, as adaptive, meaningful change is underway. I am also excited and honored to be able to serve more closely with our President, Dr. Larry Taylor.”
![pr_chuck_gilliam pr_chuck_gilliam](/images/default-source/about/pr_chuck_gilliam.tmb-medium.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=7c4df44b_1)
“This is a great time to be a part of ACSI,” Gilliam explained. “I’ve seen the personal impact of being educated in an ACSI school and working in one, also. I’m thankful to be a part of ACSI’s strategic vision and looking forward to seeing how God works through this new divisional model. It’s a transition for ACSI, but it creates a stronger model that will be able to serve member schools more effectively.”
“I’ve known Dr. Balik for several years,” said Taylor. “He possesses tremendous leadership skills, and the transition to a divisional model will be seamless under his guidance. Both he and Chuck are proven leaders with outstanding character, and I think our member schools will be thrilled to work with them.”
About ACSI:
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., 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 by offering 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.