COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., -- The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) welcomes Chris Marchand, as its new Vice President of Purposeful Design Publications (PDP), and Jerry Nelson, as Special Assistant to President Dr. Larry Taylor.
Marchand brings several years of experience in education, curriculum development, instructional and e-learning design, curriculum publishing, and product innovation. He has extensive publishing expertise, specifically in diversifying portfolio solutions and moving from print to digital content delivery. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Partner Solutions at Awana Clubs International. Serving on the Executive Leadership Team, he led, equipped, and developed a team that executed all aspects of product and publishing innovation, design, development, and delivery. He was also responsible for the strategic direction of the publishing and solutions division and in charge of the life-cycle management of over 1,500 unique products, serving as the master product owner for the organization.
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| Chris Marchand Bio |
"I am so excited about joining the team at ACSI. With all the shifting landscapes in our world and culture today, there has never been a greater need for Christian education than right now," said Marchand. "I'm looking forward to working alongside the incredible team at ACSI and PDP as we continue to serve our member schools, administrators, educators, and students with excellence."
"Chris has an in-depth understanding of global markets with significant experience in building relationships with indigenous subject matter experts to contextualize U.S. products for use in other countries. His passion is for Christian education and equipping professional educators," Taylor said.
In his role as Special Assistant to the President, Nelson will provide leadership and professional expertise in the planning and implementation of initiatives identified in the ministry's new Strategic Plan. He will work closely with Taylor and the President's Advisory Team (PAT) to collaboratively focus on objectives within each of the three pillars comprising the Strategic Plan: Advancing, Access, and Advocacy.
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| Jerry Nelson Bio |
Nelson most recently served as Head of School at Northwest Christian Academy in Miami, FL for 11 years. He expressed anticipation and desire to contribute in his new role. Among other accomplishments, while at Northwest Nelson created a professional teacher development program, a student Leadership Development Program, a Parent Education Program, and wrote three books and several educational documents specifically for students and parents.
"It's a privilege to be able to work with Larry Taylor in this new paradigm of ACSI," said Nelson. "My role is broad in the sense that I will have the opportunity to speak into each of the three pillars of the Strategic Plan. However, the thread that runs throughout is to help shape a philosophy to undergird our understanding of Culture and Diversity and to develop a framework for implementing it in our daily practices."
"I've known Jerry for several years, and I can't think of anyone who is more suited to carrying out our aim to integrate diversity issues with our new strategic plan. His background as a head of an inner-city school, and experience working with minority students and families, gives him an indispensable understanding of how to achieve this goal," Taylor shared.
In addition to their primary duties, both Marchand and Nelson will serve as members of the ACSI senior leadership team.
"I am thrilled to bring the caliber of leaders such as Jerry and Chris onto our team. They have proven to be successful in their respective fields, are men of high character, and will make immediate and lasting impacts for ACSI, our members, and the cause of Christian Education." Taylor added.
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.
For more information on the ministry, visit www.ACSI.org or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ACSIUSA or on Twitter at @ACSIUSA.