The Washington Youth ChalleNGe Academy has promoted three longtime staff members into senior leadership positions, elevating decades of combined experience to help lead a program that provides education, leadership development and life-skills training for at-risk youth across Washington.
Academy Director Amy Steinhilber announced that Christopher Acuña has been promoted to deputy director after previously serving as commandant. Steve Wood, formerly the academy’s operations officer, has been named the academy’s new commandant, while longtime platoon leader Ayesha Willis has been promoted to operations officer.
Operated by the Washington Military Department and the National Guard, the Washington Youth ChalleNGe Academy is a voluntary program for Washington residents ages 15½ to 18 who are at risk of dropping out of high school or have already left school. The program combines a 22-week residential phase emphasizing academics, leadership, job readiness and personal responsibility with a two-year post-residential mentoring program designed to help cadets continue their education, find employment or pursue other career goals.
Steinhilber said Acuña’s broad experience across nearly every aspect of the academy made him the ideal choice to serve as deputy director.
“Chris demonstrated the most diverse knowledge and experience in all WYCA functional areas of the program and the most expansive knowledge and ability in building and protecting relationships of trust whether nationally, within state leadership, with parents or with each of you,” Steinhilber wrote in an email announcing the promotions.
Acuña has spent more than 17 years with the academy, serving as a cadre team member, cadre master sergeant, program operations officer and commandant. He also serves as a certified National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program trainer and has been a member of the program’s National Training Committee. During his career, he served five years on the Washington Military Department’s Ethics Advisory Board and helped shape national drug-testing policies for the Youth ChalleNGe Program.
Wood becomes only the sixth commandant in the academy’s history after serving 13 years as a line cadre, team leader, platoon leader and operations officer. He also serves on the National Training Committee as a subject matter expert for cadre training.
“Our organization is blessed to have so many who are dedicated to the ChalleNGe mission,” Acuña wrote in a message to staff. “The selection process for the commandant really showed how truly fortunate we are. The applicants have the leadership experience, unique skills and most importantly the heart of ChalleNGe.”
Willis steps into the operations officer role after 17 years with the academy, where she has served as a line cadre, team leader and platoon leader. In 2024, she was selected to attend the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program’s advanced Cadet Pro leadership training for experienced senior leaders.
“Together with Commandant Wood, they bring a combined 30 years of experience at WYCA to take Residential Operations into the future,” Acuña said. “It is exciting to think about the possibilities their partnership creates for our organization.”
Although the academy uses a structured, quasi-military environment that emphasizes discipline, leadership and teamwork, officials note the program is not a military academy or boot camp and carries no military service obligation. Instead, its focus is helping young people reclaim their educational goals, build life skills and return to their communities prepared for future success.
