Leadership, Faculty, and Staff

Chad Dirkse came to AACS following a 14-year tenure as the President of Chattanooga Christian School (CCS). While at CCS, he oversaw an overall growth of around 500 students to a current enrollment of 1,475 in kindergarten through 12th grade. His focus on student academic achievement, access to quality co-curriculars, improvements to facilities, and financial stewardship were key to the school's growth.

The school's athletic teams also moved up in classification, from competing in Tennessee's smallest class when Dirkse arrived to competing in the largest private school classification in every sport except football, in which the Chargers play in the league for the state's mid-sized private schools.

Before his time at CCS, Chad served 5 years as the Superintendent of Westminster Christian School in Elgin, Illinois. In addition to his head of school roles, he has served vocationally in Christian schooling as a Middle School and High School teacher and principal, as well as an athletic director and High School basketball and soccer coach.

Chad and his wife Heather have three children. Their oldest daughter, Clara Wolfe, lives in Delaware and is married to Rob. Clara and Rob have three children. Their son Coleman lives in Charlotte and is married to Zoe. Their youngest daughter Kate coaches womens’ soccer at the University of South Alabama. 

Chad is a senior fellow at the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE), where he serves schools across the country primarily through board governance, school operating support, and strategic planning. He is an ordained ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church of America.

Chad holds a bachelor's degree in education from Covenant College and an MBA with a specialization in School Leadership from LeTourneau University.

With over 22 years of leadership experience across industries such as real estate, engineering, bio-med, IT, telecom, law and international finance, Mariamna brings a wealth of expertise that aligns well with our nonprofit mission of fostering educational excellence and community impact.

Mariamna’s background includes serving as lead attorney in an international development firm, where she managed complex legal and financial strategies across Europe and Asia. Her work involved overseeing large-scale development projects and facilitating financial frameworks that supported sustainable growth and development. Her deep understanding of legal and financial structures, especially within a global context, provides her with a unique perspective on managing resources effectively in mission-driven organizations.

Throughout her career, Mariamna has held senior roles where her strategic and fiscal leadership contributed to significant growth, streamlined operations, and improved resource allocation. Her commitment to integrity and community-oriented values aligns seamlessly with the mission of Annapolis Area Christian School, where she will focus on strengthening our financial foundations and exploring new revenue sources that support our programs and initiatives.

She lives in Bowie, Maryland with her family. She has three children that are all IT professionals, graduated from University of Maryland. Her husband works as a Director of Capital planning and IT in the National Archives ( College Park).