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
Dr. Gavin Brettenny
Chief Strategy Officer
Kevin Buelke
Chief Finance Officer
Cindy Dodds
Chief of Flourishing Initiatives
Michael Epp
Senior Vice President of Global
Brett Henry, J.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Sevenstar
Vice President, Educational Resources
John Klingstedt
Chief Operating Officer
Christi Lynn
Vice President, Communications & Engagement
Chris Loncar
Vice President, Human Resources
Jerry Nelson
Chief Ministry Officer
Philip Scott, J.D.
Vice President for Legal Affairs
P. George Tryfiates
Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs
Susan Verheul
Vice President, Executive Initiatives
Dr. Cecil Swetland
Vice President for Development
News and Press Releases
ACSI Remains Committed to Strategic Vision for 2030, Expanding Access to Christian Education to Hundreds of Children Globally
Colorado Springs, CO– The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is continuing the course of its strategic plan, casting a vision for 2030. The plan will position ACSI to provide more children with access to Christian education globally while strengthening the organization’s missional partnerships with other top-performing companies to better resource schools worldwide.
ACSI President & CEO Dr. Larry Taylor shared the foundational work that shaped this vision.
“In 2018, ACSI leadership embarked on creating a strategic plan, ultimately resulting in three foundational pillars of Advance, Access and Advocacy,” he said. “We are seeking God's direction on how we could go deeper between now and 2030. We have diligently spent 18 months in prayer and having critical conversations with our senior leaders. These conversations have resulted in the creation of four new growth initiatives to hone this God-sized vision into tangible, Christ-honoring tactics.”
The four new growth initiatives include: New Fields for Ministry—positioning ACSI to serve newly ripened fields of opportunity for children to access Christ-centered education; Missional Partnerships—connecting ACSI with other organizations to leverage resources for a greater missional impact; Educational Resources & Programs—addressing the need for high-quality, biblically based educational resources and programs across the world; and Teacher and Leader Pipeline—addressing the current worldwide teacher shortage, as well as meeting future needs for more credentialed teachers and qualified leaders who are biblically trained for educational ministry.
Taylor also referenced staff organizational changes designed to support Vision 2030.
“We are not only focused on equipping our educators,” he said. “But we are committed to partnering with other leading organizations and ministries who can come alongside our schools with the tools they need to navigate an ever-changing educational terrain.”
ACSI Senior Director of the Eastern Division Chuck Gilliam’s role will expand to oversee strategic alliances. This will allow the organization to align with like-minded entities that are already specialized and established in their respective ministry fields, better serving Christian schools worldwide.
In addition, several staff members will oversee new responsibilities as well.
Susan Verheul, ACSI’s former Director of Finance and Controller, has been named Vice President of Executive Initiatives. In her new role, she will oversee global projects and business development models.
John Shook, ACSI’s former Senior IT Network Administrator, will now serve as Director of IT Infrastructure. Jamie Canterbury, formerly a Division Director of Accreditation, has been named ACSI Director of Accreditation, USA. Gavin Bretteny, ACSI Associate Vice President of Global Strategic Development, will now serve as ACSI Vice President of Global.
“It’s exciting to see what the Lord is doing in and through ACSI,” Taylor said. “We will continue serving our schools to the best of our ability. These organizational changes are key in moving ACSI towards our vision for 2030 as we grow, expand, and serve the diverse needs of our schools.”
To learn more about Vision 2030, visit the website.
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.
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