Dr. Tom Kiely, NDA president, will call it a career at the conclusion of the 2024-25 school year. He will leave after serving five years as president.
“I turned 65 in December, and my wife is also retiring in April, so the timing was perfect,” said Kiely.
Kiely has served 40 years in Catholic education and 20 years in senior leadership roles.
Kiely told the school board that he had been thinking about retiring for over a year, and the stars aligned this year for that to happen.
“I’ve told the board I’ll still help facilitate,” said Kiely who was a consultant for NDA for three months before officially signing on as president.
One of the things Kiely worked hard to define is “what a president does” and is very pleased that the position and the positions around it have become clearer and more defined.
“Education keeps changing,” said Kiely who has overseen the growth of the audio and video productions course and the personal development program.
Principal Andrea Hearden said, “He is quick to praise others but humble when it comes to his many accomplishments. Personally, I have considered it a great honor to work with Dr. Kiely. I could not have found a better mentor for my first years as the principal.”
Hearden also added, “He is one of the most well-read people I have ever known. My bookshelf and email are filled with suggested reading from him.”
Kiely said that it has not hit him yet that he will be retiring at the end of the year and said, “Graduation will be strange.”
“School is very predictable, but when you’re out of school you have to write your own novel every day,” he added.
There are many things he said he will miss about NDA once he retires, like the sporting events, musicals and addressing the seniors before their retreat.
In addition, one of his favorite things about being president is seeing where all of the graduating seniors end up going to college.
When asked about success, Kiely gave an extremely humble response: “When you talk about excellence, it’s not all about the reward at the end.”
Kiely’s tenure at Notre Dame has been defined by creating a culture that is open and welcoming to all families from all walks of life and a school that will open the door to endless possibilities.
