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Two presidents are right at home and a principal is making history as three appointments were recently announced at Catholic high schools in the archdiocese.
Lou Tobacco is the president and CEO of Msgr. Farrell High School, effective June 17, and Kathryn Jaenicke was named president of Notre Dame Academy, effective July 1. Both are graduates of the schools they now lead on Staten Island.
Susan Natale will be principal of All Hallows High School in the Bronx for the 2019-2020 school year, becoming the first woman principal at the 110-year-old boys’ high school.
Tobacco, who was student council president as a senior at Msgr. Farrell, is a graduate of the University at Albany and served three terms as a New York State Assemblyman, representing the 62nd district on Staten Island.
His appointment completes the school’s new leadership team. In January, Larry Musanti, a longtime teacher and assistant principal at the school, was named principal. They succeed Msgr. Edmund Whalen, who served as principal since 2010 before becoming vicar for clergy in the archdiocese in January.
“I look forward to all of us—administration, faculty, staff, coaches, students, parents and alumni—working together as one team to bring Farrell, in an exciting way, to new heights,” said Tobacco in a statement.
Ms. Jaenicke, who began her teaching career at Notre Dame Academy in 1991 and has served as principal of the school since 2011, will succeed Sister Patricia Corley, C.N.D., who served as president of Notre Dame Academy for 11 years.
Ms. Jaenicke, who has chaired the Staten Island Catholic High School Principals Council, received a bachelor’s degree in English education from the University at Albany, a master’s in literacy from St. John’s University, Queens, and a master’s in administration and supervision from Fordham University, the Bronx.
Ms. Natale, the dean of academics at Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle since 2006, will succeed Sean Sullivan, who has served the school for 50 years and will be principal emeritus.
Ms. Natale, who taught for 10 years at The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, earned a bachelor’s degree in math from Manhattan College and a master’s in teaching and educational leadership from Iona College. She has supervised the faculty and overseen the curriculum evaluation and enhancements as academic dean of Iona Prep.
All Hallows and Iona Prep were both founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers.
“In a changing educational landscape, my philosophy is to make certain that students and their teachers have all the tools needed to continue to produce graduates who, in the Christian Brothers tradition, are critical thinkers and ethical leaders,” said Ms. Natale in a statement.
