Trustees Visit Exeter for Fall Trimester Meetings, Discuss Strategic Planning

Academy trustees arrived on campus for their annual fall term meetings last week. Their  discussions consisted of recent developments at Exeter, including the latest progress in Principal Lisa MacFarlane’s strategic planning.During the visit, the trustees were given an update on the topics discussed during the Oct. 14 faculty strategic planning as well as those of regular faculty meetings. “We used our time to hear about the strategic planning process [MacFarlane] will be leading and to hear from faculty and staff about current issues, including innovative teaching approaches, sexual respect initiatives, college counseling, and the new E-Cubed program for incoming preps,” President of the Trustees Nicie Panetta ‘84 said.The trustees will be involved with the entire strategic planning process and will collaborate with the faculty committees currently working on the proposal. According to Panetta, the trustees are “all energized by the opportunity to be part of imagining the Exeter of the future,” and look forward to hearing everyone’s ideas in the coming year.

“We met some really amazing and articulate preps who got up really early to have breakfast with us.”

MacFarlane appreciated the opportunity to become more personally acquainted with the trustees during the first of what will likely be many meetings during her tenure. “I really enjoyed getting to know the trustees better, individually and as a group. They are an incredibly accomplished and dedicated group, and their thoughtful stewardship of the Academy is inspiring,” MacFarlane said.The trustees likewise enjoyed celebrating the collaboration with MacFarlane and look forward to the time ahead.For the beginning of this year, the trustees will be focused mainly on aiding MacFarlane’s transition into leadership.“As trustees we are very focused right now on supporting Principal MacFarlane and helping her launch her leadership both now and in the future as she gets to know our wonderful community both on campus and around the country and the world. We all have so many classmates and friends we can't wait for her to meet,” Panetta said.The trustees also heard reports on a variety of different aspects of Exeter life including the progress on the new center for theater and dance and the range of activities and travels faculty and students engaged in this past summer.Amidst their many meetings, the trustees not only learned about campus activities, but also found time to take part in Exeter life themselves, catching up with the community and conversing with students. “We met some really amazing and articulate preps who got up really early to have breakfast with us. We also had the opportunity to meet with [other] students [as well],” Panetta said.Trustees David Goel ‘89, Morgan Sze ‘83 and Eiichiro Kuwana ‘82, for instance, met with the student group, Exeter Investment Association (EIA) during lunch Friday. The three trustees shared important lessons and advice they learned during their careers. Students who attended were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness and ready enthusiasm of the trustees during their time with the students.“I think that there’s a notion on campus that they are separate, but you have to remember they were students like us at one point, too. Once you go in with that mindset, it becomes very easy to talk to the trustees,” senior and EIA co-head Hiro Kuwana said.While experiencing the Exeter community again, the trustees also toured the Academy’s new and renovated facilities, such as Wheelwright Hall, and even worked out at the recently opened Downer Family Fitness Center. They attended the John Phillips Award Assembly celebrating Dr. Eric Rosenthal ‘81, who Panetta described as “truly inspiring.”Additionally, trustee Dr. Mitchell Bradbury ‘78 shared a meditation with the Exeter community Thursday. In his meditation, Bradbury, a psychologist, explored the concept of fear through the lives of his family, friends, patients and his own, searching ultimately for “the opposite of fear.” In the end, Bradbury shared that the answer was love. Through his mediation, Bradbury hoped to inspire the community “to seek to become more able to give and receive love as a means to help self and others overcome life's obstacles, from the most mundane to the most catastrophic,” Bradbury said.Overall, the trustee meetings, as MacFarlane described, were “very successful.” In a packed week, the trustees gained insight on the latest progressions and issues of the school as well as attempted to assimilate with the new student body. The trustees will be returning to campus in January and May to continue the discussions on strategic planning and Academy life commenced by faculty last week.