Trustees Elect New Leadership
By LILY RAMPE, MARVIN SHIM and CHENGYUE ZHANG
The Trustees have elected Krysten Van Ostern ’96 and Suzi Kwon Cohen ’88 as president and vice president, respectively, of the Board of Trustees, which announced the decision in October 2023. They assumed responsibility from current President Morgan Sze ’83 and Vice President Deidre O’Byrne ’84. Van Ostern and Cohen’s four-year tenure will commence on July 1, 2024.
Sze quoted Principal Rawson as he explained the importance of this turnover. “Principal Rawson likes to say, ‘Exeter never remains excellent by staying the same.’ I am confident that, with the leadership of President Van Ostern and Vice President Cohen working together with Principal Rawson and his team, our school will continue to help lead the future of secondary education while remaining grounded in the timeless values of our Deed of Gift,” Sze said.
O’Byrne added, “We are so fortunate that Ms. Van Ostern and Ms. Cohen have been willing to take on this leadership role.” All members of the Board of Trustees dedicate a significant amount of time to serve the Academy. Taking on leadership duties requires them to undertake additional responsibilities. Assuming these roles, therefore, is a clear demonstration of their commitment to the school.
During much of Sze’s and O’Byrne’s term since July 2020, the Academy faced the Covid pandemic. Sze stated, “The pandemic was an enormous challenge, but [Exeter’s] faculty and staff responded with outstanding teamwork and resourcefulness to weather the crisis.”
However, as their term comes to a close, O’Byrne said, “It [was] wonderful to see things get back to normal and for students to have an Exeter experience without having to cope with challenges around the pandemic.”
While managing the Covid crisis, the board was able to start or expand long-term initiatives, most notably a climate action plan, which outlined three goals to ensure that every student receives proper education on climate change, achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, and integrate sustainability into all of Exeter’s programs. Sze stated that the Academy was “now engaging in long-term financial planning.”
As a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School, Exeter has increased its use of sustainable construction, including solar panels on the roof of William Boyce Thompson Field House and nearly fifty geothermal wells beneath the Academy lawn. “I am very proud of the adoption of the Academy’s first sustainability and climate action plan,” O’Byrne said.
Sze also mentioned the landmark change made to Exeter’s admissions process during his term as president. “We have been able to progress many long-term initiatives important to the future of our school, including finally enabling Exeter to declare our admissions need-blind,” Sze said.
Starting with the class of ’26, Exeter’s admissions decisions disregarded whether a student could pay full tuition, in order to adhere to the Academy’s commitment in their Deed of Gift: “All students, regardless of economic students, [must] not only be able to attend but also know they belong at Exeter. Financial aid makes it possible for students from every quarter to join the Academy.”
As for Van Ostern, she has served as the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee since 2019, two years after she joined the Trustees. Her tenure as board president begins in the summer after the 2023-2024 school year.
Krysten Van Ostern ‘96, incoming President of the Board of Trustees
Van Ostern first attended Phillips Exeter as a day student in 1992, playing the flute, participating on the ski-team, and leading as student head of ESSO during her four years at the Academy. She described her favorite experience at Exeter as the Washington Intern Program. “It changed the way I thought about politics, government, and cities in general,” Van Ostern said.
Van Ostern also highlighted the different experiences students today have compared to her own Exeter experience. “During my time, cell phones, the internet, email, and social media were either rare or nonexistent on campus. We relied on letters, payphones, print media, and in person interaction to communicate and learn.”
Nonetheless, Van Ostern described her time at Exeter as “transformational” and inspiring. Eventually, the experiences she had at Exeter served as an impetus to return as an alumni into the Board of Trustees in 2017.
“While Exeter has evolved significantly since my graduation in 1996, it remains an institution of academic excellence, rooted in the values outlined in the Deed of Gift,” Van Ostern said.
Van Ostern, as a result of a vote in October 2023, was named the president of the Board of Trustees. She expressed her commitment to leading the board and preserving the Academy’s values while navigating fiscal changes. “I look forward to working with Principal Bill Rawson, Vice President Suzi Kwon Cohen and our Board of Trustees to ensure Exeter continues to inspire youth from every quarter,” Van Ostern said.
Van Ostern looks forward to an important milestone coming up in the near future, Exeter’s 250th anniversary. As president, she and the Trustees will use this special landmark to contemplate the values of the Academy and adapt to the challenges this century heralds. “I am committed to leading the Trustees in ensuring sound governance as we navigate these changes, all while staying aligned with our mission and values,” Van Ostern said.
Suzi Kwon Cohen ‘88, incoming Vice President of the Board of Trustees
Cohen first came to Exeter as a lower in Dunbar Hall and got involved in the community through varsity squash, junior varsity tennis, the Asian Students Society, and the piano. She also served as the Features Editor for The Exonian. When asked to detail her favorite part of her Exeter experience, Cohen said, “The friendships I made during those formative years of my life that are even more meaningful to me today.”
Cohen returned to Exeter in 2014 serving as a non-trustee member on the Investment Committee. In 2017, Cohen became a Trustee and has continued her service as the Chair of the Investment Committee since 2020.
Cohen looks forward to serving as the Vice President of the Board of Trustees. “Trustees need to be willing to serve in a leadership role over time so that we can be effective and organized as a group. I look forward to partnering with the next President of the Trustees and Principal Bill Rawson.” She was elected through a formal process where candidates for leadership were identified, reviewed, then voted on.
Over the years since Cohen was a student, Exeter has changed. “The formal dress code policy that existed then is the biggest difference — no sweatpants! In addition, back in 1985, students did not have cell phones/email/intern so imagine having to call home,” Cohen said.
Cohen now looks toward the future and is excited for this new position. “My three years at Exeter set the foundation for who I am today, and I am grateful,” she said. “Being able to serve as a Trustee and now as Vice President is personally a high priority and honor, allowing me to give back to our alma mater that gave me so much. Being a Trustee has also afforded me the opportunity to reconnect with this wonderful school and community as an adult and to ‘re-appreciate’ my time as an Exeter student.”
