Monique Lopez is the first to serve as both Poly Prep’s Chief Finance and Operations Officer. Since taking the position in July 2025, Lopez has brought a significant presence and a sense of happiness to Poly’s campus, creating a positive work culture.
Then Interim Head of School John Rankin and current Head of School Noni Thomas López announced Lopez’s hiring in a school-wide email in May 2025. Before working at Poly, Lopez held many roles in finance, including as Managing Director and Industry Executive at J.P. Morgan, according to an article on Poly’s website. She worked at Wells Fargo, an American finance company, for 11 years before that. Lopez also founded the non-profit organization, OMNI Breakthrough, “a New York-based career coaching consultancy that believes everyone deserves a fair shot at success and that success is meant to be shared,” as described on their website.
Since Lopez serves as both the school’s Chief Finance and Operations Officer, her work often varies. Still, each month there is a series of both financial and operational tasks, such as sending out employment contracts and meeting with the Head of Facility Management & Capital Projects, Matthew Stelluto, to ensure Poly’s grounds are well-kept. Lopez also mentioned that she works on larger, long-term tasks. “It could be talking through strategies for how to compensate teachers on stipend levels, it could be creating protocols and systems and infrastructure in place for things from furniture ordering to design, to long term planning on financial aid.” She also manages unexpected issues, such as clearing snow after the January and February storms. “So it really ranges,” she said.
Lopez’s financial background has supported her work at Poly. “To some extent, her work is invisible because she does it so well,” said Michal Hershkovitz, Assistant Head of School, Academics. However, her love for Poly and her desire to be part of the community influence her work as a leader.
Upon joining Poly, Lopez immediately felt welcomed into the community. “That transition felt pretty seamless, honestly, and that has a lot to do with the business office and how they embraced me.” Since then, she formed personal relationships with much of Poly’s faculty and staff, making them feel that they can speak with her if they have any concerns. During her first weeks at Poly, Lopez met with a variety of stakeholders. “My ask to each and every one of them [was], what’s going right? What should we stop? And if money were no object, what would you like? In that way, I was able to gauge where the gaps were, what was working, what wasn’t.”
Moreover, Lopez has a consistent presence on campus. “One of the interesting things that she does, that is unique, is she will do these walk throughs. So, she’ll walk through campus spaces and say ‘hi’ to people,” said Kristen Denaver, Poly’s Controller.
Besides bettering Poly by actively engaging with the community, Lopez has a genuine love for the school and her job. “I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I do…I’m having a blast,” said Lopez. This positive mindset improves her work and, by extension, Poly as a whole. “Any ideas we bring to her, the answer is, always, ‘let’s see if we can have this happen,’” said Hershkovitz.
Director of Service Learning and History Faculty Elijah Sivin agrees with this sentiment, describing how Lopez has immensely supported service-learning initiatives. Specifically, she agreed to increase the budget for Poly’s fundraising program, Poly For Good. “The first two years we ran it at a $5,000 budget…she said, ‘I’ll double it,’” said Sivin. He also mentioned that she agreed to supply materials for Food Rescue Fridays, a service initiative in which students donate leftover lunch food to Friendly Fridges and the One Love Community Fridge. “I think she’s actively trying to take the really nice words in our mission statement and turn them into realities,” said Sivin.
Lopez’s joy has also created a more enjoyable work environment for many members of her team. “I’m actually happy to come to work…It’s insane how, with a positive change, this is brought to our community,” said Denaver. “We feel heard, we feel valued, but we also feel change happening in a positive direction, because she really cares,” she said.
Ultimately, Lopez prioritizes making a positive impact on Poly in any way she can. “Every day I walk in and my goal is to get at least two or three things done that’ll help the school move in the right direction,” she said. “It’s a gift to Poly that she’s here,” as Hershkovitz put it.
