Get to Know Dr. Toby Travis, The ICS Incoming Head of School for 2026-2027
Back in January, we sat down with Dr. Toby Travis, the incoming Head of School for Intermountain Christian School for the 2026-2027 school year. In the interview with Dr. Travis, it became clear: his heart for Jesus, his passion for Christian education, and the breadth and depth of his experience.
Intermountain Christian School is richer to have him, and we are hopeful for the trajectory of our school community going forward. Read the quotations below, and you’ll quickly get a sense of his passionate heart, impressive background, and gentle countenance.
About Dr. Toby Travis
Dr. Toby A. Travis is an experienced educational leader, author, and consultant with a distinguished career in both Christian and international education. Over the past decades, he has served as Head of School, interim executive, and leadership consultant for numerous Christian schools and organizations across the United States and abroad, guiding institutions toward greater mission alignment, academic excellence, and organizational trust.
Dr. Travis serves as an executive consultant and international trainer, working with schools worldwide. He is the developer of the TrustED framework for school improvement and the TrustED School Leader 360, utilized by schools around the world. The framework is based on his award-winning book, TrustED: The Bridge to School Improvement, and he was recently named one of Elite Education Magazine’s Top 10 Influential Education Leaders for 2025. His work has been widely recognized for helping schools strengthen leadership capacity, improve student achievement, and cultivate cultures of trust and excellence.
A long-standing member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), Dr. Travis has served as a conference speaker, leadership trainer, and accreditation review team member, evaluating Christian schools throughout the Americas. His passion is to see Christian schools thrive as communities where Christ is honored, students are discipled, and excellence is pursued in every dimension of school life.
Toby and his wife, Tannia, have deep roots in both U.S. and international Christian education, having served in leadership roles in schools in Ecuador, Arizona, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia. They are the proud parents of their daughter, Emma (13) and share a calling to equip the next generation of Christian leaders through faith-based education.
Click below to watch the full interview
What is your background, and what drew you into Christian education?
“I’ve really been in some form of ministry nearly my entire adult life… and that transitioned into Christian education a little less than 20 years ago, and it changed my life.”
“I had been in parachurch ministry, had been in international missions, had a short stint in church ministry as an assistant pastor. But the opportunity for discipleship that I see happening in Christian schools is like no other form of ministry.”
“When I got into the classroom situation and I’ve got these kids all day, five days a week… the opportunity for speaking into their lives, walking through life with them — transformational.”
“What makes Christian education so amazing is its opportunity for discipling students for Jesus Christ.”
Where have you served in education?
“My teaching and even admin, and subsequently consulting… all began in international settings. We were missionaries in Ecuador… so it all began in Ecuador as part of our ministry and missions there.”
“From there, I’ve led schools — multiple schools there in Ecuador — but then also in Arizona and North Carolina, most recently in rural western New York.”
What teacher and leadership roles have you held?
“I was a music ed guy… a vocal teacher in the secondary level… and I was a Bible teacher.”
“Roles have included classroom teacher, primarily in the secondary level… middle school coordinator, kind of like a vice principal… secondary school principal… academic director… and then head of school or superintendent.”
“I’ve also been very, very privileged to serve as a mentor to other school leaders and as a consultant for school boards, school administrators, private school owners.”
“You learn through others’ success and mistakes — and it helps you lead your own school.”
What made you choose ICS?
“I was here for this conference last summer and I remember walking the street downtown just admiring the environment and the place and the spirit of it, and I was like, ‘God, you could call me here and I would be very okay with that.’”
“What you have to look at and really pray about is fit. What is the school’s need fit with my competencies, my skill sets?”
“I looked at what are the needs of ICS and what am I skilled and passionate to do? I think there’s a really good fit here.”
“I think I can do a lot to help ICS… develop from being a good school to a great school.”
“There are so many good things happening here already. Let’s just keep supporting what’s good and let’s push us and lead us to great.”
Tell us about your family.
“Tannia is the most brilliant, godliest lady I’ve ever known.”
“Her primary calling and passion is just to love on folks for Jesus, and she does it so well.”
“Emma is the joy of our lives… she has a real gift and skill for art, and she’s funny and she’s beautiful.”
Is there anything you’d like to say to the ICS community?
“Just our gratefulness to God for bringing us here, our anticipation and joy at the opportunity, humbled but also excited.”
“I’m not here to change anything necessarily. I’m not here like I’ve got some alternative plan for ICS. It really is about seeking the Lord about how do we continually move ICS to a place of greater ministry fulfillment.”
“It’s supporting kids well, it’s supporting parents well, it’s supporting our faculty and our staff very well.”
“One of my philosophies is the teachers are the essence of the school, and so you really need to protect and support your teachers well. When you do that kids thrive, and when kids are happy parents are happy.”
“Just thrilled to be here to serve and lead as God provides, and watch and see what God will do.”