Leadership Team

Emily Kasof

President/CEO

Emily Kasof, The Academy’s fourth President/ CEO is a committed leader in advancing institutional opportunities in education. Emily was most recently the Chief Advancement Officer for The Madeira School in McLean, Virginia. There, she led all efforts of fundraising and strategic partnerships. She is passionate about ensuring that the institutional vision and mission are aligned to best serve students in furthering community building; creativity; diversity, equity and inclusion.

Previously, Emily spent 13 years at The Dalton School in New York, serving in the Advancement office, where she led initiatives for a $100 million capital campaign and a $5 million annual fund.

Emily holds a Master of Arts degree in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Buffalo.

 

 

Kathy Hannah

Principal

Principal Kathy Hannah brings a wealth of experience in school administration, encompassing curriculum design, project-based learning initiatives, leadership development, and global educational perspectives. With a background in creating inquiry-based, student-centered instructional models and assessing student performance, she has proven herself as a strong leader. Prior to assuming her current role, she served as the Academy’s Assistant Principal and previously as the Dean of Students, accumulating over 20 years in education.

Her teaching experience includes rigorous Advanced Placement courses such as U.S. Government and Politics, World History, Modern History, Comparative Government and Politics, and Psychology. Before joining the Academy, she spent a decade at Sandy Spring Friends School  as History Department Chair, and five years at St. John’s Episcopal School.

Kathy holds a Master of Education in Secondary Education, Curriculum, and Instruction from Loyola University, Maryland, a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies from McGill University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations, with a minor in History, from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. In July, she will complete a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

 

Barbara Murray

Director of Admissions

Barbara Murray received her Master of Science in Education/Administration from Johns Hopkins University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Loyola University. She has over 15 years of admissions experience in Catholic education. For the past eight years she served as the Associate Director of Admissions at St. John’s College High School where she collaborated with the school leadership team on strategic enrollment and marketing initiatives as well as implementing all aspects of the recruitment and admissions process. Previously, Barbara served as the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Connelly School of the Holy Child and Director of Admissions and Development at St. Elizabeth’s School. Barbara is also an alumna of an all-girls high school. We are pleased to have Barbara leading the Academy’s Admissions team.

 

 

 

CASSANDRA HOYE

Director of Advancement

Cassandra Hoye joined The Academy of the Holy Cross in March of 2023.  She has worked over 20 years in the non-profit industry, 16 of which in fundraising. Cassandra, an alumna of the Catholic University of America, was raised in Italy and attended an all-girls Catholic School in a convent in a suburb of Milan. She came to the United States to take care of her ailing grandfather. Among others, she has held positions with Arena Stage, the Asbury Foundation and most recently the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). Cassandra is committed to the mission of the Academy of the Holy Cross to help develop women of courage, compassion and scholarship who responsibly embrace the social, spiritual, and intellectual challenges of the world.