“I’ve always loved teaching,” said Dr. Thomas Kiely, president at NDA. This is his fifth year being the president, and he has many great plans for the school.

 His journey started in New York. He was born in Manhattan and lived nearby until he was 18. He then went to Washington D. C. for college, graduating from Georgetown University. 

After graduating he taught different English subjects including public speaking. While teaching he worked as a bartender which led him to work up to a cook position. His job then sent him to culinary school.

He followed this passion for twelve years, cooking professionally, volunteering at soup kitchens and catering for ten years.

“I got interested in cooking when my housemates moved into a house, and the meals were not good,” said the chef. He remembered how there were not many good meals in college, so he decided to get into cooking to make something better. 

After a few years, he went back to college to get a masters in religion and culture at Catholic University. He met his wife in D.C.  and they later moved to New Jersey to teach in a Catholic school eventually attended by his own children. He soon became the principal of that Catholic school for the next 16 years. 

Along with being principal, he taught the IB Theory of Knowledge class and world religions. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Saint Mary’s during his time in New Jersey. 

Marquette University reached out to him to start a Catholic Institute, which brought his family to Wisconsin. After eight years, however, the program lost funding.

While looking for a new job, a friend in Green Bay told him about NDA’s search for a president. This location was also beneficial for him because his children were both attending Wisconsin colleges.

In his current position, he manages all the working parts of the school and is focusing on major renovation projects.

“I work very closely with the financial department,” said the president. He often works with many people to make strategic plans that are often updated to gradually renovate the school. 

The current capital campaign, for example, is focused on school safety, renovation of classrooms and upgrades to the track and other athletic facilities.  An alumni center is also in the plan.

“We just reached eight million dollars,” said Dr.Kiely. The school is now hoping to reach ten million by April 2025.

Today Dr. Kiely’s biggest challenge is “keeping everything together.” He is a busy man averaging four to five meetings every day.