Katherine Smith is associate dean for strategic initiatives at Duke Divinity School, where she develops and supports programs and initiatives to advance the school’s mission, sustainability, and institutional effectiveness. Dr. Smith brings two decades of higher education leadership experience including enrollment management, vocational formation, sponsored programs, student affairs, communications, and accreditation. She is a regular consultant to theological schools and undergraduate colleges in the United States on matters of higher education policy and practice.

An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Dr. Smith serves on the Committee on Theological Education for the General Assembly and chairs the Theological Education Fund Advisory Committee. Prior to Duke, she served as assistant dean for admissions, vocation, and stewardship at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn., overseeing the school’s enrollment management and career services teams. She previously served as director of the Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation at Duke Divinity School and as managing director of Princeton Project 55, Inc., a nationwide nonprofit organization that seeks to mobilize civic leadership for the public good.

ksmith@div.duke.edu

kspencer@div.duke.edu

As director of special projects for the Office of the Dean at Duke Divinity School, Kristi Spencer oversees the execution and evaluation of high-profile events in-person, online and hybrid, ensuring that each event reflects the school’s commitment to excellence. She serves as liaison to Divinity houses of study, centers, and initiatives which offer in-person conferences and events, seeking opportunities for collaboration and digital engagement.

Spencer is a seasoned communication, marketing, and graphic design professional with over 20 years’ experience working with churches, non-profits, and the corporate sector. Her role at the Divinity School has recently expanded to include development and implementation of the marketing and communications strategy for lifelong learning events, courses, and certifications through Divinity+, the school’s new online learning platform.

She earned a mass communication degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and recently completed Duke University’s Digital Media & Marketing Certificate.

kmcmanamy@div.duke.edu

As the Director of Strategic Projects in the Dean’s Office, Kyle McManamy leads the design of work, including the Traditioned Innovation Project, strategic to the mission of the Divinity School. Over the last decade, his various roles in launching ministry start-ups, higher education, and branding have grown his love for the work of resourcing Christians for their public work and witness. 

McManamy has actively led in the intersection of theology and the professions on both the national and local levels. In 2015, while working full-time as a college pastor, he founded and led a faith-inspired, executive education program for professionals (Triangle Fellows) and a region-wide network for pastors ⁠— each connected to a national network. McManamy has since written, designed, and taught on the undergraduate and graduate levels (Baylor, Duke, UNC, and Southeastern University) and created extensive resources around faith and work. Since coming to Duke, he has worked on training communities to help their cities and towns come alive and on creating executive education resources for Christians leading at the executive level in a variety of institutions.

McManamy earned an M.Div. and an M.A. in philosophy at Southern Evangelical Seminary and a B.A. in sociology at Clemson University. More recently, he has become a certified facilitator and workshopper (AJ & Smart), utilizing design thinking tools to help teams innovate.