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 Hosts First-Ever National Math Olympics with 11,000 Students
ACSI's Student Leadership and Learning Department hosted the first-ever ACSI National Math Olympics Competition from April 30-May 2. The competition took place in an online testing environment with nearly 11,000 students competing to earn a spot in the national competition. A total of 434 students from 31 states and Taiwan participated in the national competition.
The competition was organized into two categories: Reasoning and Computation.
For the reasoning competition, winners for each grade level included: 3rd grade- Abigail Chu from Eastside Christian, WA; 4th grade- Lucas Forrey from Tri-City Christian, CA; 5th grade- William Li from Los Altos Christian, CA; 6th grade- JJ Liang from Providence Christian, GA; 7th grade- Clark Hartman from Grace Christian, OH; 8th grade- Jaden Huang from Veritas Chrisitan, MA, Zhiqian Wang from Prestonwood Christian-Plano, TX.
For the computation competition, winners for each grade level included: 3rd grade-Donovan Chen from Olive Branch Christian, CA, Leona Jiao from Valley Christian Elementary, CA, Olivia Zamora from Round Rock Christian, TX; 4th grade- Madalyn Tan from Eastside Christian, WA; 5th grade- Gabriela Valencia from Weston Christian, FL; 6th grade- Tanya Chiang from Trinity Christian, TX; 7th grade- Caleb Cho from New Covenant, CA; 8th grade- Calista Tjandra from California Crosspoint, CA.
Emily Pigott, ACSI’s Director of Student Leadership and Learning, shared about this new program and her hopes for the following year.
“The National Math Olympics competition is a testament to the dedication of our young mathematicians and those that educate them,” she said. “Students from across the country, as well as one international school, showcased their mathematical abilities through problem-solving and critical thinking. We celebrate the culmination of their hard work and perseverance. We look forward to expanding this competition for the 2024-25 school year as we implement our International Math Competition and engage schools globally.”
There are many new and innovative programs in the upcoming 2024-2025 school year that will continue ACSI’s commitment to fostering student leadership, engagement, and cultural impact. These include experiential leadership conferences and immersive learning experiences that are crafted to empower students to utilize their God-given abilities in impacting their culture for Christ.
Pigott shared what she is passionate about regarding new programs this upcoming school year.
“The focus on servant leadership and the integration of biblical worldview development into every component of our programs will equip students to discover and hone their God-given talents and increase their cultural influence for Jesus,” she said. “There is nothing more exciting than watching students understand their capacity and worth in Jesus and use their influence to make Him known. This is why we do what we do…creating experiences to develop servant leaders that exemplify Matthew 20:26-28.”
Learn more about Student Leadership and Learning opportunities at https://www.acsi.org/studentleadership.