The chief press officer of Montgomery County Public Schools is stepping down next month for a job with a national education nonprofit.
Dana Tofig has been the director of the nationally acclaimed school system’s public information office since 2009. He told The Washington Examiner that he will remain in Montgomery while working for Achieve Inc., based in downtown D.C.
Tofig’s last day will be June 17, he said; he’s not aware of anyone else in the press office leaving. Superintendent Jerry Weast is retiring in June after a 12-year tenure with the school system, but has not announced his plans.
Tofig said his new gig was an “amazing opportunity” that he couldn’t pass up. No word yet on who will replace him; MCPS’ press operation is a two-man army that includes Lesli Maxwell, senior communication specialist.
As of January, Tofig’s base salary was $127, 717 and Maxwell’s was $82,288. There are 10 employees listed in the Department of Public Information and Web Services on the MCPS website, which Tofig recently helped redesign.
An article in Monday’s Palm Beach Post, which discussed what lessons the Florida school system could learn from Montgomery’s, included criticism of MCPS’ press arm. Janis Sartucci of the Montgomery Parents’ Coalition called MCPS’ college readiness steps a “public relations invention.”
“We’re all about creating the brand and selling the brand,” Sartucci said. “The brand does not necessarily show what is going on in the schools.”
Nevertheless, Tofig has had the fortunate opportunity to trumpet many MCPS achievements, including the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest presidential honor for performance excellence.
Tofig was previously the communications director for the Georgia Department of Education and an education writer and editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. We at the Examiner wish Tofig luck with this next step in his career.
