About ACIS

ACIS includes thirty-nine schools with a total of over 11,897 students. Members reflect a wide variety of school missions: boarding and day schools, progressive and traditional programs, Montessori and Waldorf schools. They are also geographically diverse, with over half the schools (20) located in Denver or the immediate vicinity, eight in mountain communities or on the Western Slope, and ten members in the Front Range cities of Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo.

Alan Smiley serves as the ACIS Executive Director, with primary responsibility for coordinating ACIS work on accreditations, professional development, and advocacy. Prior to his leadership of ACIS, he spent thirteen years as an independent school head and has over two decades’ additional experience in other capacities (division head, department chair, assistant division head, middle and high school English teacher, coach and advisor) at multiple independent schools in Colorado and around the country. 

Christine Zandstra is the Executive Assistant for ACIS. Her primary responsibilities include accounting, finance, conference planning/registration, website management, and general office assistance. Christine has over 30 years’ experience in operations/office management, public relations and crisis management.

Oakes Hunnewell is the Director of Professional Development and Corporate Sponsorship for ACIS. His primary responsibilities include coordinating professional development activities and events and sponsor relations. Oakes has over 20 years of experience as an educator, coach, and educational consultant.