Joe Smolskis Named Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations; Dr. Sandy Stack Named Director of Enrollment Management

Head of School Dr. Elinor Scully announced two new members of the National Cathedral School senior administrative team on Wednesday. Joe Smolskis will join the school as assistant head of school for finance and operations on June 13, and Dr. Sandy Stack will be the next director of enrollment management starting July 11. 

Smolskis will be responsible for managing NCS’s budget and financial operations; developing financial and capital strategies that enhance the long-term value of the school; supporting numerous committees of the Governing Board; helping to manage legal issues; supervising the facilities department, dining services team, rental program, and NCS Store; as well as supporting the head of school and partners at the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation (PECF) in advancing shared strategic priorities. 

"Smolskis’s background as a senior administrator for nonprofits, expertise in financial and budgetary planning, and relevant experience working with the PECF helped him to stand out during the search," Dr. Scully wrote in a message to the NCS community.

Smolskis will be joining NCS from the Democratic National Committee, where he has worked since 2017 as the chief financial officer, overseeing all financial operations of the organization. Prior to the Committee, Smolskis worked as the treasurer and college-wide financial officer for St. John’s College, senior vice president for finance and administration at the Center for American Progress, chief operating officer/executive vice president of the PECF, and vice president for finance and administration at Trinity Washington University.  

Smolskis received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Maryland University College and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Georgetown University. He is also CPA-certified in Virginia.

"As the parent of an alumna, Maureen 'Mo' Smolskis '11, he brings a familiarity with the value of an NCS education and the Close community," wrote Dr. Scully.

As leader of the Office of Admission and Financial Aid, Stack will oversee the student recruitment, enrollment, retention, and financial aid processes. She will also help to create and oversee the school’s enrollment and financial aid budgets and strategies. 

Stack comes to NCS from the co-ed Sonoma Academy High School in Santa Rosa, Calif., where she first served as enrollment and marketing director and then as director of enrollment, financial aid, and institutional research. In these roles, she collaborated with colleagues to increase enrollment by 53 percent, reduce attrition to less than 4 percent, and build a recruitment plan for first-to-college Latinx students.

"As a member of multiple committees and task forces at the school, including strategic initiatives; diversity, equity, and inclusion; academic council; and more, Stack has led initiatives related to social-emotional learning, institutional branding, inclusion and belonging research, and school culture," wrote Dr. Scully.

Prior to Sonoma Academy, Stack was the national vice president of admissions at Argosy Education, a graduate university start-up that merged 18 colleges into one university system.  

Stack received a PhD in education and human resource studies from Colorado State University, a Master of Arts in Education in counseling psychology from Loyola University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from DePaul University. She enjoys hiking, yoga, mixed-media art, and is trained in mindfulness practice and leadership coaching. 

Smolskis will succeed Faye Ferguson, who is retiring after nearly 17 years at NCS, and Stack will succeed Wendy Wilkinson, who has served at the school since 2013. In the announcement, Dr. Scully thanked both Ferguson and Wilkinson for their significant contributions to the school and the broader Close community. She also thanked the members of the advisory committee and all who met with the final candidates.