Downer to Complete Trustee Tenure

John A. Downer ’75 will depart his post as President of the Board of Trustees at the end of this academic year. Throughout his three-year tenure, Downer has overseen many changes in the Exeter community, notably the appointment of Principal William K. Rawson and the creation of a Vision Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The Board of Trustees, which currently consists of 21 alumni volunteers, oversees the Academy’s long-term development as well as its physical and financial resources. While not intimately involved in Exeter’s day-to-day ongoings, the trustees are influential administrators who inform the Academy’s priorities and institutional trajectory.

Downer clarified that the three-year cap on his tenure was dictated in a joint agreement made upon his election in 2017, though this decision was not was publicized at the time. “My departure is neither premature nor unscheduled. The timing of my retirement was identified three years ago, and I will be concluding my service on that timeline,” Downer said.

Downer’s term length is comparable to that of his six predecessors since Byron A. Rose ’59, who served from 1999-2002. Keeping with convention, Downer will simultaneously conclude his 13-year tenure on the Board of Trustees when he retires from his post as President.

The insight and contributions of the President is critical to the Academy’s operations. “The President of the Board leads and manages the board in all its duties, including setting annual goals for its work, maintaining focus on the Board’s top strategic priorities [and] making sure appropriate board policies are in place,” Rawson said, adding that he maintains a close working relationship with Downer through weekly communication.

His endowment of the Downer Family Fitness Center being just one example, Downer has showcased remarkable generosity and commitment to the good of the Academy in his tenure. “Mr. Downer brings a particularly keen eye to financial issues, cares deeply about access and affordability and has been a strong voice on those issues,” Rawson said, describing the trustees’ approval of the Director of Equity and Inclusion position among others as “significant accomplishments” under Downer’s leadership.

Downer has appointed two trustees to lead discussions identifying necessary qualities in the Board’s new leadership. Rawson anticipates that Downer's successor will be elected in October from the current board of sitting trustees—as dictated in the Trustee Bylaws—which will grant Downer’s successor ample time to prepare before officially assuming their duties next July.

Trustees themselves are selected through a meticulous process led by the Committee on Trustees, which maintains a short list of potential candidates to be voted on by the entire board at upcoming meetings. A new trustee will be selected to take Downer’s place after his departure.

The Academy’s priorities when selecting trustees is different from those of its peer institutions. “Unlike other institutions, we do not prioritize development capacity to identify a candidate, but express the desire that Trustees make the Academy a foremost philanthropic priority,” Exeter’s latest governance review reads. “We place a premium on an individual’s level of commitment and capacity to devote significant time and attention to the needs of the school. Trustees are not paid for their service nor given any tuition remission.” Diversity in all areas is also a priority for the Committee on Trustees.

Downer anticipates that commitment will be the primary factor that determines who next serves as President. “The Trustees, I believe, will be seeking candidates who demonstrate a thorough understanding of—and passionate belief in—the school: its values, its goals, its people, its mission, how it is lead and how it is managed,” he said.

Downer has indeed proven such convictions throughout his tenure. Governance Review and Mission Statement, two new trustee task forces recently created under Downer's leadership, serve as another testament to his commitment to affirming the Academy's values and institutional priorities.

The Mission Statement Task Force arose out of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ re-accreditation process. “The feeling was expressed that we have a strong and compelling mission, reflected in our deed of gift and current mission statement, but that we needed a shorter, more concise statement of the mission of our school,” Rawson said. “[This would be] one that could more readily be displayed on campus and in school literature and as a result be more readily kept at the forefront of our minds.”

Rawson currently chairs the Mission Statement Task Force, which consists of Biology Instructor Anne Rankin, Director of Studies Scott Saltman, Director of Exeter Summer Russell Weatherspoon, former trustee Nina Russell and trustees Peter Scocimara and Claudine Gay.

Meanwhile, the Governance Review Task Force will clarify the distribution of responsibilities among trustees, administration and faculty. “The accreditation process identified the fact that nearly 10 years had passed since the Academy undertook an examination of its governance structure, an examination which culminated in the preparation and publication of the attached report,” Downer said. “[It] is a most worthwhile exercise to map out anew that distribution of authority and responsibility so that there is a clear and shared understanding of each stakeholder’s … role in the various spheres of responsibility within the community.”

The Governance Task Group is chaired by trustee Deidre O’Bryne, who will be supported by History Instructor Cameron Brickhouse, Dean of Faculty Ellen Wolff, Assistant Principal Karen Lassey, Music Instructor Rohan Smith, Classics Instructor Paul Langford, Biology Instructor Richard Aaronian, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Stephanie Bramlett, English Instructor Wei-Ling Woo and trustees Claudine Gay, Sally Michaels, Wole Coaxum and Downer.

These task forces are of vital importance to the Academy. “Both the updated Mission Statement and the Governance Task Force’s report will serve as documents vital to the objectives of ensuring that every member of the community … has a clear understanding of the community,” Downer said, “[whether it be] its mission: who we are, what do we stand for, what do we value … [or] a shared understanding of the role, responsibility and authority of the trustees, Principal, administration and faculty in the leadership and management of the school.”

Rawson added, "Mr. Downer and I discussed the membership of each group, to make sure we had good balance and diversity as a whole, but he took primary responsibility for inviting trustee membership, and I took primary responsibility for inviting on-campus membership."

Downer’s retirement will be a significant loss for the Academy, as it parts with a devoted leader who has contributed much to community life in his 13 years of service. “Mr. Downer has worked tirelessly for the school as a trustee, and particularly in recent years as Board President,” Rawson said. “He has been a terrific thought partner for me. Helping the school through a leadership transition requires considerable thought and effort.”