President and VP of Trustees To Step Down

President of the Trustees Eunice ‘Nicie’ Johnson Panetta ‘84 and Vice President of the Trustees Marc C. de La Bruyère ‘77 will step down from their respective positions on June 30 this year.

“Our recent time in leadership of our beloved school has been a difficult time for Exeter, but also a time of learning and an opportunity to set the stage for the Academy’s next chapter.”

Panetta initially planned to retire in 2015 when she still held the title of Vice President of the Trustees; however, to prevent Principal Lisa MacFarlane from starting her first year with a new President and Vice President of the Trustees, Panetta’s colleagues urged her to stay for an additional two years to facilitate the transition.

Panetta will be replaced by John A. “Tony” Downer ‘75. Downer and his wife, Amy Chan Downer ‘75, have three children who graduated Exeter as members of the class of 2006 and 2007.

The Downers endowed the Academy’s newly-constructed Downer Family Fitness Center in 2015. Panetta said that Downer will lead the Trustees well, as evident from his generosity towards the Academy. “Mr. Downer has served the school with great skill and dedication for many years, and I am confident he will continue to do so in this new role,” she said.

Wole C. Coaxum ’88, who became a Trustee in 2012, will succeed de La Bruyère as Vice President of the Trustees. Coaxum is currently the President of the General Alumni Association.

In an email to all Exeter employees, Panetta and de La Bruyère complimented both Coaxum and Downer. “They are both exemplary Exonians, and we are thrilled to be leaving the Trustee leadership in such good hands,” Panetta and de La Bruyère wrote.

De La Bruyère plans to work in conjunction with Chief of Planning & Facilities, Roger Wakeman, to lead a campus-wide master plan for future building projects. He will assume the role of Chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee to do so.

Once Panetta steps down, she will retire from the Trustees entirely. “What I love most about serving as a trustee is spending time with students, faculty, staff and alums, making intergenerational connections,” Panetta said. “The good news for me is I can still do that as an alum.”

She reflected on the opportunities that have been afforded to her in her time working for the Trustees. “I am so grateful to have had the chance to serve the Academy. I am hopeful that I will find new opportunities to keep practicing Harkness in other settings and keep infusing non sibi in my future work,” she said.

Panetta and de La Bruyère hope to make the transition as smooth as possible. “Our recent time in leadership of our beloved school has been a difficult time for Exeter, but also a time of learning and an opportunity to set the stage for the Academy’s next chapter,” they wrote, adding that they both enjoyed their respective tenures. “Serving this vibrant and caring community has been a profound honor, and we have strived to live up to our responsibilities.”