Troy Thelen ’03

CEO & Head of School

Phone:  480.705.8888 x224

Troy Thelen is a proud alumnus of Valley Christian Schools (’03). He spent more than a decade in the private sector, leading and managing teams across local organizations and Fortune 100 & 500 companies before beginning to serve at the school in 2013 as the Director of Development. Mr. Thelen holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (English, Communication) degree from ASU. He began serving as the school’s Assistant Head of School in 2020 before stepping in as CEO & Head of School in 2024.

Mr. Thelen led the school’s overall Development and Advancement efforts for more than a decade. Under his leadership, the school established significant long-term sustainability strategies and expanded in scope and size to meet the increasing demands for a Valley Christian education. We are grateful to see many Christian schools experiencing growth in Arizona and across the country, and we are especially grateful that VCS has become the 3rd largest Christian school and 6th largest private school in Arizona.

Mr. Thelen is most passionate about organizational leadership, strategic alignment, and continuous improvement in all areas. He has prioritized the strategy behind the school’s organizational chart, sustainable systems and processes, and opportunities for data-driven decision making and strategy across the entire organization. Mr. Thelen’s personal values well-match the school’s core values: honoring Christ, pursuing excellence, building community, changing culture, all while partnering with parents and the local church. 

Mr. Thelen is married to a fellow alumna (Kimberly, 2005), and together they have three amazing children: Levi (Class of 2032), Hayley (Class of 2033), and Tessa (Class of 2037). Troy and Kimberly are active members at Redeemer Bible Church, where Troy also serves on the worship team. Mr. Thelen is a graduate of the Leadership Institute through the Chandler Chamber of Commerce’s Community Foundation, serves on GCU’s Canyon Christian Schools Consortium advisory committee, is a Van Lunen Center Fellow (Calvin University), and has served on a number of ACSI Accreditation teams. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball, supporting all of the local sports teams, playing music, and building meaningful relationships in the community.

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Arizona State University, Master of Business Administration, 2012

Arizona State University, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2009