“This community has tremendous bones, rely on them and flourish,” said Notre Dame President Dr. Tom Kiely.
On June 30, the final chapter in the book of Dr. Kiely’s academic career will be written. He started his tenure as NDA president in 2020, and this next month and a half will officially end his long, illustrious career.
That does not mean that there still is not work to be done, as the school is now beginning to use the money raised from the Capital Campaign to help renovate the football field, the Triton Center bleachers, the floor in the commons and the entryway to the school.
Dr. Kiely will have no problem keeping busy after his time as president has ended either, especially with another grandchild on the way July 4th weekend.
“I’m still figuring out what’s next,” said Kiely. “There’s some consulting that will happen, and I want to teach cooking. I have a different life in food service.”
Dr. Kiely has loved his time as president, and everything has come full circle for him. At the last President’s Dinner, which took place on May 7, there was a frame that highlighted some moments from the previous years. He commented about how amazing it was to see the interior look of when he started to the exterior look of how he is concluding his time at NDA.
“We started with the pandemic, and everyone’s in masks and not everyone is here, and now you see stories and pictures of little Green Bay hosting over 600,000 people for the (NFL) Draft,” said Kiely.
He has learned a lot about NDA and the community over the last five years.
“People have a deep affinity for their high school, and people care very deeply about the academic life of this place,” remarked Kiely.
He also got to come in contact with a multitude of people within the community.
“Because I had a particular set of things I was supposed to do, I could float and talk to people,” explained Kiely.
The Kielys will be staying in the De Pere area after moving their Milwaukee apartment into their De Pere house and will continue to be a part of the community and the NDA family.
“It was a wonderful way to finish a long career because you got to speak with people at the beginning of the academic process and those deeper in the process,” reflected Kiely. “There’s a deep-centered spirituality here, and people can see God’s presence here.”
Adviser’s Note: Check out the article written by Ally Paprocki in December 2024 to learn Dr. Kiely’s academic and professional background, how he fell in love with cooking, and the reason we call him “Doctor” Kiely. The link is https://ndatritonian.com/features/2024/12/08/how-did-tom-kiely-end-up-at-notre-dame-academy/
