Dominican Principal Foy Appointed Superintendent of Schools

Archbishop Jerome Listecki has appointed Edward Foy as the next Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Foy — the principal of Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay — will begin Aug. 1, succeeding Dr. Kathleen Cepelka, who held the position for 12 years before retiring.

In his role with the archdiocese, Foy will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies that promote and enhance quality Catholic education.

“We have one of the strongest systems of Catholic schools in the nation,” Archbishop Listecki said. “Mr. Foy is well-equipped to build on that foundation, established by Dr. Kathleen Cepelka, so we can continue to effectively educate and form disciples of Christ. I look forward to working with Mr. Foy and maintaining our goal of keeping Catholic schools affordable and accessible.”

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee includes 27,000 students enrolled at 85 elementary schools and 16 high schools located throughout 10 counties in southeastern Wisconsin.

Foy brings more than 20 years of experience as a Catholic school administrator and educator to the position. His past roles at Dominican include dean of academics, vice principal, director of admissions and enrollment, and teacher.

“Our schools are thriving throughout urban, suburban and rural communities,” Foy said. “I’m honored to be chosen to champion the archdiocese’s work of Catholic education, which shapes the hearts, minds and souls of our next generation.”

Foy holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Marquette University in addition to two degrees from University of Notre Dame — a master’s in education and a bachelor’s in business administration.

Catholic schools advocacy and leadership efforts by Foy while principal of Dominican include serving from 2018-20 as an executive coach with a Notre Dame University leadership program as part of its Alliance for Catholic Education and taking part in 2017-18 in a yearlong Reform Leaders Summit organized by the alliance.

Locally, Cepelka appointed Foy to the Archdiocese Superintendent’s Advisory Council from 2021-23, and he also served with the Archdiocese Social Responsibility for Catholic Schools Task Force in 2021-22.

The Archdiocese Superintendent of Catholic Schools leads the Office for Schools. The office participates in the evangelizing mission of the Church by providing service, support and professional resources to the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to ensure their long-term viability and excellence in faith development, academics and formation of the whole student.

Foy is a member of St. Francis Borgia Parish, Cedarburg.