Anniversary Worth Celebrating
Executive Director's Message
Over the summer, I celebrated my fifth anniversary as the executive director of ATLIS. This marked a meaningful anniversary to me not only because it’s been an exciting and satisfying five years but also because it means I’ve been ATLIS’s leader for half of its existence. Next spring at our Annual Conference in Atlanta, we’ll be celebrating ATLIS’s 10th anniversary — an important milestone in what’s sure to become a much longer journey.
When I started in the summer of 2019, ATLIS had found its momentum among tech teams across the United States as being their go-to source for community, resources, and in-person events. Since then, we’ve expanded to offer technology expertise to school leadership teams and the associations serving the independent school community. We’ve weathered the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic and jumped into the deep end when AI became mainstream conversation. Our goal is to help ATLIS members stay on the leading edge of the ways technology affects independent school education, and we remain steadfast to serve more schools as we grow.
Some significant milestones have marked the past five years. Together, we have grown membership 88% and increased participation in our Annual Conference by more than 77%. We’ve strengthened our financial position, allowing us to invest in more member resources. With committed ATLIS volunteers, we’ve launched benchmarking resources and climbed the mountain of standing up the Technology Leader in Independent Schools (TLIS) certification program.
The true heart and soul of our success come from our members. Your commitment, enthusiasm, and feedback have been invaluable. With each initiative we’ve undertaken and every new program, you’ve been generous with your engagement. Your hopes for what ATLIS will become is what fuels us to do better and more as the years unfold.
Our volunteers deserve special recognition for the success of the past few years. The ATLIS board of directors is always looking at what comes next, and members spent a significant portion of their in-person retreat this summer working on what the next few years look like for our association. We appreciate their guidance and partnership as they provide the steady hand of leadership through a period of change and growth.
We also have volunteers who serve on committees, lead educational sessions, mentor leaders, and promote ATLIS to schools that might not have heard of us or access the community that comes with membership. Though there are too many to name, please know your contributions have made a lasting impact.
As we approach our 10th anniversary celebration at our 2025 Annual Conference in Atlanta, we are not just celebrating a decade of existence but of progress and impact. Our association has come a long way since our founders stood it up, and there’s more we can achieve to advance technology leadership in independent schools.
There’s much work to do, and we’re always looking for leaders to help us shape the future. We recognize the importance of preparing the next generation of technology leaders. We also understand many technologists need support in growing their leadership abilities.
The cybersecurity and AI landscapes are shifting fast, and we need to evolve our resources to help tech teams keep up and keep their schools safe. We’ll need help to carry the load, so reach out to ATLIS’s team (membership@theATLIS.org) if you’re interested in getting involved.
On a personal note, I’d like to end with my heartfelt thanks for your trust and support. Serving as your executive director has been a highlight of my career — and I feel like we’re just getting started! I’m inspired by this community’s willingness to help each other and step up when we need support such as when we launched the TLIS certification. We’ve achieved remarkable things, and we continue to make a difference.
Be sure to mark your calendars for our 10th anniversary celebration, April 27–30, 2025. I’m certain it’ll be a tribute to our past achievements, current successes, and the endlessly bright future that lies ahead!
Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE
ATLIS Executive Director