Perspective: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

from 2020 Landon Magazine

School News

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion How Landon moves forward on Black Lives Landon hired its first-ever Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Matter and in 2018—a role filled by Joe Canty until this summer as he departed to other issues become Head of School at Carolina International School (NC). While a of equitynational search for his replacement is ongoing, a broader group will now oversee this critical work for our community.

The Board of Trustees has established a DEI task force, led by trustee and parent Steve Jones, P’19 ’24, to steer the institution toward the fulfillment of our 2018 Strategic Plan in this area of school life. Additionally, three faculty/ staff members have stepped into new roles of divisional DEI coordinators, serving as leaders and divisional touchpoints, Lower School Art Teacher Megan Rains Mercado, Middle School Math Teacher Addison Hunt and Athletic Facilities Coordinator/Upper School Coach Charles Harley. In addition to helping us with this work on a divisional basis, they will also be participating on the newly formed Diversity and Community Committee, which is comprised of faculty and administrators from across the divisions, and which will serve as a school-wide forum for discussion and planning on DEI-related operational matters such as programming, employee goal setting, and professional development.

The Board of Trustees task force has also retained Dr. Val Wise to serve as our consultant to conduct an equity audit to better understand the school’s current state of DEI and to guide our creation of a DEI action plan. Dr. Wise will collect and analyze data that include but are not limited to: a) the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students; b) school climate; and c) the relationship between DEI goals and the school’s strategic plan. Additionally, her firm will conduct focus group sessions and interviews with key stakeholders (e.g., faculty, staff, students, administrators, trustees, and alumni) in order to better understand key concerns. This project will culminate with a report that identifies a strategic and measurable implementation plan for integrating and synthesizing DEI goals seamlessly throughout the Landon School community.

In addition to Dr. Wise’s work as well as community forums over the summer, curricular work and review by faculty, we continue to hold programming for students and our community during the school year designed to promote understanding of history, the current moment, and find common ground for action steps moving forward. Read more from members of our community devoted to this work.

PERSPECTIVES

As a community built on respect, our call is to condemn any mindset that brings such actions to bear. Our call is to condemn any mindset that deems some persons to be of greater worth or value than others simply because they have a lighter skin color. As a community of respect, our call is to condemn racist thinking and actions not only as false, immoral, and deeply wrong, but also as being without place here. As a community of respect, our call is to affirm meaningfully in word and deed for anyone whose life experience is lessened because of disrespectful mindsets—and in a particular way, Brown and Black members of this and every community—that their lives matter and are important — despite what seems like a relentless string of social evils that would suggest to the contrary. As a community of respect, our call is to seek and demand respect for others, as much as for ourselves.

—Jim Neill, Head

If my spouse comes to me in obvious pain and asks, “Do you love me?” and I answer “I love everyone,” that would be truthful, but also hurtful and cruel in the moment. If a co-worker comes to me upset and says, “My father just died.” and received a response of “Everyone’s parents die,” would be truthful, but hurtful and cruel in the moment. So when a friend speaks up in a time of obvious pain and hurt and says, “Black Lives Matter,” a response of “All Lives Matter” is truthful. But it’s hurtful and cruel in the moment. The summer was very painful and agonizing for me. My youngest son, Chantz ’21, spoke on the National Mall this summer at a peaceful protest. His opening line was profound: “I’m tired.” That sentiment is shared 100 times over in the Black community and others worldwide. We’ve had lots of our friends and fellow Bears far and near speak up in pain. It’s time we listen and at least try to understand. The Upper School DEI Committee is totally committed to helping our diverse student and faculty population to navigate the world we live in today. We will lead meaningful discussions about social injustice and welcome feedback. Our aim is to create a more equitable community where everyone is treated fairly regardless of visible and invisible identities. We will work to create a more inclusive place where welcomeness, respect and belonging are common place. Hopeful all of the above will have created an equitable opportunity for people to show up every day feel known, valued and have an impact.

—Charles Harley, Upper School DEI and Athletic Facilities Coordinator By educating us about diversity, equity, and inclusion, we as students learn about how to better ourselves and the community. By embracing one’s own differences, we can then embrace others’ differences, and everyone ends up supporting each other. Having a community at Landon with a good amount of diversity is great! It is important to understand that every student has diversity of thought, and that everyone’s ideas are to be valued and respected. Once this can happen, equity will be more achievable. Understanding compassion and empathy will allow the Landon community to become a truly equitable place: a goal which we are getting closer to. Inclusion is a big part of this, especially ensuring that all people feel welcomed and feel supported. The feelings of people matter, and that is directly applicable to the Black Lives Matter movement. When there is a group of people feeling oppressed and feeling as though a system of institutional racism is holding them back, then it is the civic duty of everyone else to listen and help. By remaining inactive, anyone who is privileged inherently benefits from the system, and therefore they have the duty and moral obligation to be an agent of change. Landon provides us with the tools to become the people who can make a difference, and who can make any community which we are a part of a better place.

—Baxter Brew ’21, Student Council President

PERSPECTIVES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Lower School is working in collaboration with the Middle and Upper School faculty and staff to enhance and further develop more diverse, equitable, and inclusive curriculums and community practices that directly address issues of civil justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. We strive to provide the resources, tools, and support to make sure that our faculty, students, and families of all backgrounds are represented in the work we do. Landon is a place where everyone should feel seen, heard, and respected, in a welcoming, and empathetic environment designed to help everyone thrive. We are stronger together united, and our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion only help to strengthen the tenants of our honor code, to be honest, do our best, and help the other fellow.

—Megan Rains Mercado, Lower School Art Teacher and DEI Coordinator This summer was a tumultuous one, my family and I continuing to deal with COVID-19, watched the horrors of the unarmed Black men being killed on city streets and the protests that followed. In reconnecting with many of my older relatives in the past months, we were struck by how similar these events were to the summer of 1968. The core of the Black lives movement has been a part of my life since I can remember my father and many of my relatives were active participants during the civil rights movement of the 60s. It was an awakening and a time of growth in America that was full of tragedies and triumphs. it’s significant in our lives today is more significant than we often realize. In my role as a DEI coordinator, I hope to provide resources, opportunities, and programs to help our Middle Schoolers navigate this important time in our history. In one sense, I hope to help eliminate the noise so that they can hear the music. Civility and honor have always been at the core of Landon’s mission. It is these principles that will help us frame our approach and dialogue on these important matters.

—Addison Hunt, Middle School Math Teacher and DEI Coordinator

Our faculty has led the way with their commitment to having reflective and action-oriented conversations this summer about race and equity. We have had small group conversations about ways Landon can be a more inclusive community, departments have met to detail specific ways they can continue their push to have their curriculum and practices be representative of diverse perspectives, and our newly formed Diversity and Community Committee has led faculty conversations to identify our individual goals for the year with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion. These conversations have been energizing, and I am looking forward to our continued efforts throughout this year.

—Charles Franklin, Assistant Head

A beloved tree becomes an iconic bear

Landon has transformed one of the most beloved trees on campus. The 250-yearold tulip poplar by the Middle School needed to be removed for safety reasons but lives on as a natural carving of a grizzly bear. The school worked with Chainsaw Carving by Paul Waclo on the design, and the project took about three weeks to finish. The students and faculty loved seeing the Bear transform! What was sawed off has been saved for use on campus. The upper smaller branches were ground into mulch and added to campus trails; medium sized branches were split into firewood; the massive trunk pieces will be milled into lumber for use in future campus projects.

Remembering Bob Condit

THIS IS AN EXCERPT OF A LETTER SENT TO THE COMMUNITY BY HEAD JIM NEILL ABOUT LONGTIME LANDON TEACHER AND GUIDANCE COUNSELOR BOB CONDIT, WHO PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 13, 2020 OF COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS.

There has been an outpouring of support and love since Bob’s passing, not only in messages to us here at Landon, but also as we have heard within and among communities of Bob’s friends and colleagues and former students.

As mentioned in The Washington Post, Bob was born on April 15, 1940 in East Orange, NJ. He spent his formative years in New Jersey before moving to the DC area in 1965. He graduated from Duke University in 1959. He interviewed with Landon founder, Paul Banfield, and accepted a job at Landon in 1966 teaching chemistry and biology.

During Bob’s 35-year career at Landon, he was a three-time recipient of the School’s yearbook dedication, in 1973, 1999, and 2001. Bob was also the architect of Landon’s service program that remains an important part of school’s philosophy today for our boys.

Long time faculty member Tom Dixon describes how Condit built the service program at Landon in his history of Landon entitled Courage, Commitment, and Change, calling Condit an “educational pioneer.” Fittingly, the award given each year to honor a member of the Form V class for outstanding leadership in community service is called The Bob Condit Service Award. And it will come as no surprise that the endowed fund named in his honor upon the occasion of his retirement in 2001 supports Landon’s community service program.

Honorary alumnus and Landon teaching icon, Bob Long, and his wife Margaret, shared these thoughts: “Bob Condit’s contribution to the history of Landon School cannot be measured by test scores or college admissions results. But its significance cannot be overlooked. I hope we all can reflect on what this wonderful man did and on the extraordinary life that he lived.”

And from one of our longest-serving Landon staff members and former Athletics Director and coach, Lowell Davis: “Bob cared for everyone. His smile and laughter were ever present. It was a regular source of humor to many of us that Bob’s birthday was April 15 (Tax Day), and yet he filed for a three-month tax extension every year to try to figure out what he owed to whom!

Phil Jacobs ’69, shared similar thoughts: “I remember Bob Condit not just as an excellent teacher, but also as someone who introduced so many Landon boys to the idea of community service. He understood the importance of helping others and giving back to our community, and he inspired those around him to do the same. Knowing Bob had a tremendous influence on me and greatly enriched my Landon experience.”

“I’ve always remembered that the high school I attended put such a major emphasis on community service long before it was fashionable,” said Rick Buckingham ’82. “And we all knew the selfless engine behind all those outreach efforts was Bob, consistent, encouraging, practical/ pragmatic, never one for the limelight. Bob’s consistent call for service was only equaled by his constant acts of service. Bob, as with so many other Landon teachers, led by example. I, for one, learned so much from Landon teachers like him who ‘practiced what they preached,’ the most powerful lesson, lessons that last a lifetime.”

Jesse O’Neal ’73, shared movingly about Bob the following: “I got to know Bob Condit as my chemistry teacher and impromptu counselor... Whenever I got to school early, I would go by Bob’s classroom to get a few minutes with him. I have precious memories of these brief before-school conversations. I would round into his room with “Mr. C!” and he would respond “Mr. O, how are you doing?” I can still remember the earnest kindness in his question, that he always had time for me. With his welcome, his warmth and his gentle sense of humor he grounded me. By the grace of God, I saw him about a year ago. We had dinner in Alexandria, down by the river. He was the same: warm, interested, kind, and always turning the conversation back toward me.”

Remembering Mac Jacoby

THIS IS AN EXCERPT OF A LETTER SENT TO THE COMMUNITY BY HEAD JIM NEILL ABOUT MACLEAR “MAC” JACOBY JR., WHO WORKED AT THE SCHOOL FOR 65 YEARS. JACOBY PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 11, 2020 OF COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, he spent part of his youth in Westport, CT and was a loyal and active alumnus of Holderness School in New Hampshire and Trinity College in Connecticut. His full life was in many ways defined by service and dedication. He served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II and in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. As a member of the Air Force Reserves, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He joined St. Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, MD in the late 1950’s and was the church’s longestserving parishioner. And as noted, Mac’s tenure at Landon spanned seven decades, making him, not surprisingly, our longestserving staff member.

After arriving at Landon in 1955, Mac served as a Middle School math teacher for 23 years, Head of Middle School for 20 years, and coached varsity tennis as an assistant or head coach for most of his time at Landon. Most recently, he was helping out in athletics and still attending tennis practice most days. Of note, the Landon tennis program has produced more than 20 national individual champions and team titles, and Mac helped lead the team to 42 of its 50 IAC titles. Landon earned the most recent of those titles in 2018. Fittingly, our tennis courts are named in his honor as is our annual alumni tennis tournament. The Landon yearbook was dedicated to him in 1962,1996, and 2017, reflecting the ongoing appreciation for him from the student body.

It is an honor for any faculty member to have an endowed fund created in his or her honor. Mac has two! One was established by Leslie and Bruce McNair ’73 to honor Mac’s legacy by supporting our tennis program and Athletics Department, and the other was established by Ann and Knight Kiplinger ’65, The Kiplinger Foundation, Robert Fogarty ’69, and Pierce Smith ’62 to create a Chair of Mathematics in Mac’s honor.

Current Head Tennis Coach and Upper School French teacher WT Miller ’86 put it well in saying: “Mac Jacoby is Landon’s Cal Ripken, Jr. For more than 60 years, he has graced our campus with his welcoming smile and humor. Much like Cal Ripken, we cannot let his longevity obscure his greatness. Mac’s dedication and love for the school will go unmatched in our history. Six decades of boys have been impacted and inspired by Mac Jacoby...From his western safaris to his chalkinfested algebra sessions, we all carry a little bit of Mac Jacoby with us.”

Former Head of Lower School and honorary alumnus Jim Weiss shared, “Maria and I lost a truly close friend of more than 50 years. He was part of our family, to the extent that we always included him in our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. To our children he became “Uncle Mac,” and our grandchildren also felt that he was indeed part of the family. Clearly, however, we are not alone in remembering Mac in a special way. His was a rich and impressive life that touched so many of us in so many ways!”

Fred ’69 and Bruce ’73 McNair shared that “Mac often expressed his deep appreciation for Landon, for the boys, for the families, and for the lifetime of experiences. He was a humble man and felt blessed—an incredibly thoughtful person, always offering to help others. He was enormously patient, the perfect man to lead teenage boys through Algebra and serve as Head of the Middle School. Mac was very forgiving, rarely prone to judge, and always welcoming of friendship. Mac’s sense of humor was infectious, and his laugh and smile will never be forgotten.”

And from Knight Kiplinger ’65: “Mac told me in recent years that, when he retired, he just missed by one year teaching a First Form boy who was the son and grandson of Landon alumni he had taught many years before. What a career! And in those early, simpler years at Landon, he taught a full course load while also serving as Head of Middle School. Mac was a man of such integrity and kindness that several of us adoring former students endowed a chair of mathematics in his honor. A great Landon man in every respect.”

In Appreciation of Board Chair Scott Harris

He leads by example and embodies the highest personal standards of honesty, reliability and commitment.

Scott Harris ’84 was known to his classmates as exceptionally humble, but in the years since graduation he has gained every reason to put his self-effacing behavior behind him.

A graduate of Yale University, he studied law at the University of Virginia and for nine years practiced in fields of both public and private interest before ultimately coming to serve the Supreme Court of the United States in 2002. Harris was the court’s legal counsel for eleven years before becoming its clerk, an honor and responsibility held by only nineteen others in our nation’s history. Nevertheless, despite his many other responsibilities, over the past three years he volunteered countless hours as the chair of Landon’s Board of Trustees.

Harris acknowledges through his service that he owes a great debt to his alma mater which, in his words, taught him “to think and act with character.” As Vice Chair of the Board Kathy Wellington, P ’11,’13 ’15 ’18 commented, Harris brought those lessons learned at Landon and developed over a life-time to bear on his tenure: “He leads by example and embodies the highest personal standards of honesty, reliability and commitment.” While Harris’s term as chair is now complete, he will leave an enduring imprint on the school.

Under his leadership the Board developed a Schoolwide Strategic Plan and a Campus Master Plan. Head Jim Neill commended Harris for engaging in “generational thinking” about the campus, and Jeff Freed, P ’11 ’13,’18, treasurer and chair of the executive committee of the Board, noted Harris’s “tireless commitment to Landon’s long-term welfare.”

The manner in which Harris served as a steward of the school is just as integral to his legacy as these fundamentally important contributions. Director of Development Peter J. Gallo, Ph.D, said that Harris was “calm at the helm, steering with a steady hand,” and that he was “graceful and tactful in his management, treating people with dignity. He was always moving the ball forward but building consensus along the way.”

Wellington disclosed that Harris’ knowledgeable guidance “[made] us all better trustees.” Numerous trustees confessed to looking up to Harris as a role model, and the Board drew on his understanding of effective governance when it revised its bylaws to ensure that its basic structures conduced to best practices.

Unsurprisingly, though he was exceedingly qualified and widely revered, Harris was never high-handed as a leader and preferred to draw out the talents of his team. Wellington described him as “a great listener who asks tough questions and pushes board members to think strategically and thoughtfully.” Harris himself took special pride in the work of others on the Board, saying, “We have a very talented group of people who give so much energy

and expertise to the school. My biggest achievement [as Chair] may have been just letting them do what they do.”

Harris’ humility is not a matter of words alone. It was on full display during the 2019 Azalea Festival when, though it was a particularly rainy weekend, he donned a fluorescent yellow safety vest and directed visitors to their parking spaces. Recounting this story, Neill called Harris “a model servant-leader. He is a person of great strength and moral courage who is willing to step up to challenges, large or small.”

Joe Kenary ’82, a former hockey teammate of Harris’ and the board chair who directly preceded him, added that Harris has always been a man of character: “He was 50 at age 15. He was steady, mature, and thoughtful.”

“We aren’t changing who we are. Scott is pushing us to better articulate who we are in a way that is inspiring,” said Neill. Though his leadership as Chair will be missed, Harris will serve on the Board for one more year during which he intends to help “keep our eyes directly on what it is that makes Landon great.”

We welcome the following new board members for 2020-21.

Dr. John Botti, Head of School, Browning School (NY), former Assistant Head at Landon. Burnell Holland ’01, Landon Alumni Board member Jeff Ansary ’92, P ’28, Finance Committee member and current parent Kristen Best, P ’23 ’25, Azalea Festival leader and current parent

Baldwin Selected as Board Chair

ALEX BALDWIN HAS SERVED IN MANY ROLES AT LANDON, AND NOW HE HAS BEEN CHOSEN BY HIS PEERS ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO SERVE AS CHAIR. Baldwin, father to Tommy ’18, is the General Counsel and Secretary at Digital Intelligence Systems, a global staffing, technology consulting and managed services firm with more than 33 offices worldwide. He handles all legal and regulatory matters at DISYS and advises the CEO and Board on strategic matters, all skill sets that will be helpful in his leadership of Landon.

Baldwin is not only an alumni parent, he also served in several leadership roles in the Landon Fathers Club, including as Chair from 2015-16. Baldwin has been a member of the Executive, Finance, and Trustee and Governance Committees as well as Chair of the Financial Aid and Sustainability Task Force of the Landon Board over the last three years. Baldwin will continue to lead the school toward the implementation of the 2019 Campus Master Plan and the 2018 Strategic Plan.

Thank You FOR YOUR SERVICE

THE FOLLOWING LANDON FACULTY AND STAFF ARE DEPARTING AFTER THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR. WE WISH THEM WELL IN THE NEXT STAGE OF THEIR JOURNEY!

Andrew Baer, Lower School Substitute Teacher Joe Canty, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matt Carberry ’83, Admissions Officer James Cherokee, Security Guard Victor Cruz, Buildings and Grounds Staff Member Ombretta di Massa, Raiser’s Edge & Systems Administrator Jack Duquette, Middle School Science Teacher Hunter Gillin, Grade 4 Teacher Lisa Goenner, Registrar Earl Jackson, Performing Arts Department Chair Jean Jeffress, Upper School Library Assistant Jim Kreger, Middle School and Upper School Handbells Teacher Jeremy Kugel, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Jill McGarrity, Buildings and Grounds Coordinator Sonija Parson, Middle School Spanish Teacher Adam Reed, Upper School Humanities and English Teacher Margaret Sopher, Upper School Humanities and English Teacher Max Webber, Director of Buildings and Grounds

WELCOME!

WE WELCOME THE FOLLOWING NEW STAFF MEMBERS TO THE LANDON FAMILY.

Fenton Blake, Middle School Science Teacher

Adam Diaz, Lower School and Middle School Counselor

Jen Dunfee, Ethics, Service and Leadership Coordinator for the Lower and Middle Schools

Danisa Ferrada, Communications Associate

Christopher Hughes, Grade 4 Teacher Steve King, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Amy Schneider, Assistant Director of Communications

Brian Seemann, Middle School and Upper School Interim Handbells Teacher Garrett Settles, Security Guard

CONGRATULATIONS! WE CONGRATULATE THESE LANDON FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS ON REACHING SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES IN YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL.

50 YEARS ROB BORDLEY Alumni Ambassador / Former TCM Mentor & Community Ambassador

40 LISA GOENNER YEARS Registrar

30 YEARS BETH HUGHES Lower School Science Teacher

25 YEARS ANDY KATZ Form VI Dean & Upper School Math Teacher

20 CESAR CHAVEZ YEARS Buildings & Grounds Staff Member

20 YEARS MIKE COOKE Middle School Science Teacher & Middle School Athletics Coordinator

NEW YEAR, NEW ROLES

THE FOLLOWING FACULTY WILL HAVE NEW ROLES IN 2019-20.

Rob Bordley, Alumni Ambassador

Donato Bucci, Student Billing Specialist

Maria Femiano, Buildings and Grounds Support

Charles Harley, Upper School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator

Monica Harrison, Registrar

Addison Hunt, Middle School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator

Loretta Menzen, Executive Assistant to the Director of Development

Megan Rains Mercado, Lower School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator

Justin Roman, Middle School Spanish Teacher

In Appreciation of Jack Duquette

Since the day Jack Duquette joined Landon in 1978, he has been a wearer of many hats and a true Renaissance man. He has impacted school life as a beloved teacher, a legendary coach, a trusted mentor, an accomplished painter (he had his own solo show in Landow Gallery in 2015), a cherished friend, and a talented handyman who generously helped his colleagues with everything from fixing broken toilets to renovating kitchens.

When the school year ended in June, Jack retired from his 46-year career as an educator, and he and his wife Meredith moved to Tennessee to be close to their children and grandchildren. Landon faculty, staff, and students feted him with a drive-by parade outside his house (COVID-19 prohibited Landon’s usual retirement party) that he called the “perfect” sendoff.

“I love teaching, I love coaching, and I love working with the kids,” he says. “So that is what drew me to Landon—and why I stayed so long. It was great to stand outside and see so many people who have meant so much to me.”

Jack began his career inside the White Rocks as the assistant athletic director, the varsity wrestling coach, the varsity track and field coach, the defensive coordinator of the varsity football team, and the Lower School physical education teacher. Back then, all boys had to play football, lacrosse was a fledgling sport, the hockey program didn’t exist, and—as Jack’s friend, colleague, and former student, Middle School Spanish teacher Jeremy Norman ’92, laughingly remembers— Jack’s domain extended to sex education class where he taught the boys about “the birds and the bees” with a video that literally incorporated both creatures.

Much has changed in the 42 years since, and Jack’s hats have changed too. In 1986, the D.C.-area native and Sidwell Friends graduate earned his master’s degree in education (M.Ed.) from Johns Hopkins University. The following year, he added teaching a section of Middle School science to his repertoire. He loved it, and in 1988 left the athletics department to join the Landon faculty as a full-time sixthgrade science teacher.

Jack notes that a highlight of his 32 years as a science teacher was introducing robotics into the sixthgrade science curriculum: the boys learned to build and program robots they would then enter in competitions. His sixth graders also completed an “innovative solutions” project using a hands-on, research-based approach to science to come up with their own invention. “I tell the kids that every two years, a new car comes out, an improved Honda, and what have they changed? They’ve changed a couple little things in the car and maybe it even looks the same, but it’s new and improved,” Jack says. “If you can find something out there now and just tweak it and make it a little better, well, you have a new invention.”

Norman—who had Duquette as a coach or physical education teacher for all 10 years he was a Landon student, and who for nearly the past two decades has called Jack his colleague and friend—says “He has a great sense of humor, is respected by all, and was a great mentor not just to the students but to faculty as well. Students, parents, his colleagues, and his friends love him. He’s a legend.”

That “legend” status encompasses Jack’s career as head coach of Landon’s varsity golf team. He took the reins in 1988 and in 29 years as head led the program to 15 Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) titles and four Metros championships, won two Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year awards, and prepared numerous boys for college golf careers.

In Appreciation of Lisa Goenner

Her quick wit, renowned mastery of the English language, and keen observations of colleague quirks inspired the faculty to name her the “Queen of Roast.”

BY ALFREDO BENAVIDES Lisa Goenner, our long-time registrar, stepped away in 2020 because of lingering effects from a car accident suffered earlier in the year. Lisa has been here for some 35 years over a 40-year period. A jack of all trades if ever there were one, she has been a steward of academic records, the calendar guru, assistant on Upper School admissions, and advisor to many a student, teacher, and administrator. She is a colleague of character and commitment to Landon, from which both of her sons graduated. Former faculty member Alfredo Benavides wrote this appreciation:

“Her sense of humor is legendary. That may have been one of the primary reasons that students, faculty, administrators, parents, and other staff members flocked to her door. Lisa had a way of putting everyone at ease with an infectious smile, even while uttering a teasing sentence like, “You again!”

Her quick wit, renowned mastery of the English language, and keen observations of colleague quirks inspired the faculty to name her the “Queen of Roast.” Every retiring faculty member, administrator, or staff member felt especially honored if Lisa spoke at their farewell party. As all of us know, Landon is not only about work. Indeed, there are parties, and long ago it was Lisa Goenner who was chosen to be the Queen of the Fun Committee, established by our former Headmaster David Armstrong.

For her perfect processing and distribution of student grades, comments, and files, Lisa also came to be known as the Queen Registrar. Lisa’s fourth title as queen arrived every Halloween. October will never be the same without Lisa on campus, for she was also known as the Queen of Halloween. Her costumes confounded even the most astute examiners, especially noted when she managed to appear dressed as a copy machine repairman. Four Queens embodied in one person? Fred Mora, a recently retired English teacher, pointed out that in poker four queens outrank a full house.

My wife Martha and I have known and greatly admired Lisa ever since she arrived at Landon some 40 years ago. It is not possible to even imagine a more welcoming, dedicated, and helpful person on the Landon campus. Her office door was always open to help anxious faculty members who needed just one more copy of a student transcript in order to complete a college recommendation. For many years, it appeared that senior projects could not take place without Lisa’s guidance. She evaluated many proposals, made recommendations for their improvement, monitored their progress, and even joined faculty members for the final evaluation when the projects were completed. Reminded that she was loved by Landon’s students, parents, faculty, and staff, Lisa’s laughing response was, “Who wouldn’t?”

In Appreciation of Earl Jackson

By the time Earl Jackson joined the Landon music faculty as a saxophone instructor in 1986, he had already shared the stage with industry legends Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Temptations, The Commodores, Lionel Richie, Lou Rawls, and the Mills Brothers. The Indiana native even supported comedian Bob Hope during a USO tour in Vietnam, where his plane came under Vietcong fire. During Earl’s 34 years at Landon, the school reaped the rewards— and awards—of his experience.

This spring, non-COVIDrelated health problems led Earl to the tough decision to retire from teaching at Landon, where he had served as the director of bands, as performing arts department chair since 1998, and as artistic director of the Landon Symphonette since 2003. He also saw his son Chris graduate from the school in 2002. During his tenure, Earl showed the boys the places music could take them, often quite literally: his Bear bands played on the famed Kennedy Center main stage in D.C. and in the hallowed Apollo Theatre in New York. They played in front of World War II battleships, before professional hockey games, and in 2008 even at the Great Wall of China.

“The hardest thing in retiring during [the pandemic] has been not being able to say goodbye to the boys,” says Earl, who got to say farewell to faculty during a drive-by parade this spring. “The awards are great, but the best part of my career is the relationships with the faculty and with the boys, seeing the boys grow into men, and knowing that I helped steer them on their course.”

“[Earl] taught thousands of Landon boys to love music and to embrace the hard work necessary to creating great ensembles,” Head Jim Neill wrote in a letter to the community June 9. “Earl is a central player in having brought the performing arts to the place where it is now, namely, a defining aspect of the Landon experience for our boys. His balance of a warm personality and firm hand has helped them live up not only to Earl’s appropriately high standards but also to their own potential, and his (and their) work has not gone unnoticed regionally, nationally, and internationally.”

The hard proof of this success is in the hundreds of awards that line the band room walls: trophies from the Middle and Lower School musicians’ perennial first-place finishes at the Music in the Parks Festival in Pennsylvania and the Upper School ensembles’ dominance at the OrlandoFest competition at Universal Studios in Florida, as well as at contests in New York and at home in Maryland. In addition, Earl earned the Washington Post’s Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year Award in 2000 and the Council of Private Education Teacher of the Year Award, also in 2000, the only music teacher to receive either honor.

According to longtime Assistant Director of Bands Lenny Robinson, who will assume the director of bands role for the 2020–21 school year, the trophies and honors are but a small part of

Earl’s Landon legacy. Lenny met Earl in 2001 when he received a fateful call to sub on a music gig with Earl; the two hit it off, and Earl soon hired Lenny as a percussion instructor.

“Landon’s music program is almost conservatory-level thanks to Earl,” Lenny says. “It’s on the same level as all the other academic offerings at Landon in terms of its level of excellence, accomplishment, and work ethic, and all those things we want to instill in the boys. I like to say that the music program at Landon is a unicorn, that thing you know can happen but have never seen before.”

Lenny finds Earl’s lasting impact on the boys to be remarkable. “So many of the kids Earl has taught and mentored have gone farther in music and in life than they would have had they not had Earl as a teacher and mentor because he shows them the value of consistency and hard work. I have seen Earl be one of the great forces at Landon in getting the boys he knows past self-doubt.”

Earl’s wife Cathie also notes her husband’s ability to nurture lasting relationships with the boys.

“Former students always come back and see Earl. He has such dedication from the boys because they know he has always supported them and been there for them,” Cathie says. “Before they get married, they’ll bring a girl to meet him before they propose.”

Adjunct music faculty member Joseph Cunliffe notes that Earl’s “epic contributions” to Landon also include starting the Upper School music program’s once-every-fouryears trip to Universal Studios in Orlando and the annual Faculty Jazz Concert, originally conceived of as a fundraiser for the Orlando trip. “These concerts quickly became an event we all look forward to and after about 23 years of performances I hope we can keep them going as a celebration of Earl’s tenure at and contributions to Landon,” Joseph says. “And the Orlando trip is a part of the fabric of the Landon musical experience. We all have had so much fun with Earl and the students at Universal Studios and Orlando competing with other schools from around the U.S.”

Although Earl and his colleagues like to joke that he’s not one for brevity, he sums up his 34 years as a Bear with five words that linger, like a soothing song stuck in his head: “I had a good time.”

Jim Kreger Retires

Although longtime handbells teacher Jim Kreger had planned on the 2020-21 school year to be his last, he decided in July that his retirement would come now. In a letter to fellow faculty, Kreger cited the challenges of teaching his discipline from a distance for the foreseeable future.

“This decision pains me greatly, but it is the right thing for me at this point in my life,” Kreger said. “For the past 26 years, Landon has treated me most graciously and generously. It has been a second home and has afforded me many opportunities for growth, development, and creativity. For this I am most grateful.”

Kreger also penned a note to his current students, saying thanks for making every day at Landon joy-filled and showing his appreciation to them for laughing at his “really bad jokes.”

Jim Neill called Kreger “a humble and student-centered exemplar of good teaching. I’ve always been impressed by the way he inspires the boys and gets them to take ownership of their art and understand the real value of teamwork, and in such self-effacing ways.”

Kreger added he now looks forward not to “retiring” but “rewiring” his life. He is continuing his work with the Thomas Circle Singers and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Olney, MD. He added, “(My husband) Thom and I took a trip to Lake Placid for a week in October. I can’t believe I can go away in October now!”

Kreger also taught AP Music Theory at Landon.

Fall Sports Water Polo beats Gonzaga for First Time in 11 Years

CROSS COUNTRY The Bears kicked off the season with a boatload of personal records at the Bullis Invitational and Hood College Invitational. The team took seventh in our own Landon Invitational, which drew a record 700 runners to campus. The team also won the inaugural Landon Homecoming meet over Avalon. The Bears finished fourth at the IAC Championships and third in the Montgomery County Private School Championships, where senior Michael Gilbert placed first overall in a personal best of 17:12 for a 5K. Gilbert followed up that win with seventh place in the Maryland State Private School Championships, where the Bears finished sixth in team scoring. Gilbert earned All-IAC, All-County (private), and AllState (private) honors. This is the second straight year he has earned all three. Asim HakimFlorian ’23 earned All-County (Private) honors.

FOOTBALL The varsity football team finished with an overall record of 6-3, an IAC record of 3-2, and third place in the league’s final standings. Six of the team’s nine games were decided in the fourth quarter, and in four of them, they overcame fourth quarter deficits to win the contest. There were also overtime victories over Woodberry Forest and St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes. The team rushed for more than 2,200 yards and held opponents to under 900

(top) Logan Kalish ’21, (bottom left to right) Michael Gilbert ’20, Tyler Smith ’20, Issa Mudashiru ’21.

yards, and scored 24 rushing touchdowns, while opponents only scored five on the ground. Landon was ranked in The Washington Post All-Mets until the seventh week of the season. Zayd DeLane ’20 (LB), Gregory Johnson ’21 (OL), Tommy Kenary ’20 (DL), and Tyler Smith ’20 (RB) all earned All-IAC First Team honors. DeAngelo Dickerson ’22 (DB), Eric Ford ’21 (LB), Tejon Ford ’20 (DB), Chantz Harley ’21 (DB), and Graham Hertzberg ’21 (LB) earned All-IAC Second Team honors. SOCCER The varsity soccer team finished 4-12-3 overall with a 3-7 record and fifth place in the IAC. The Bears advanced to the league semi-finals, earning a 3-2 win at Bullis in the IAC quarterfinals. A 5-1 win over St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes was a big victory at home. Kris Fletcher ’23 and Issa Mudashiru ’21 earned AllIAC honors. WATER POLO Landon’s varsity water polo team beat Gonzaga, 12-11, for the first time in 11 years. The team finished with a 9-5 overall record and fifth place at the Easterns Tournament. The Bears also won their homecoming game against Whitman’s “all-star” team 11-4. Logan Kalish ’21 and Alex Kapelina ’20 earned Academic All-American honors. Logan also finished with Second Team All-Easterns recognition.

A State Hockey Title and a 1,000-point Milestone Landon’s winter sports teams accomplished quite a bit in 2019-20, including a state hockey title, a 1,000-point milestone times two, and a first-ever four-time I.A.C champion. Winter Sports

Canin Reynolds ’20

BASKETBALL The Varsity Basketball team led by Head Coach Hajj Turner finished 9-17 (1-9 I.A.C.). The Bears were led by captains Tejon Ford ’20, Canin Reynolds ’20, and Evan Schwartz ’20. Reynolds was selected as all-I.A.C. and scored 1,000 career points this season. Kino Lilly ’21 reached 1,000 points as well. The team earned the Governor’s Challenge Bracket Championship with wins over Gilman (MD) and Lake Nona (FL). HOCKEY The Varsity Hockey team led by Head Coach David Erickson won both the MAPHL and I.A.C. titles in 2020. The Bears finished with an overall record of 16-2-2, 4-1 (I.A.C) 6-2-2 (MAPHL), and were led by senior captains, Joey Graham (C), Ryan Giles (A), and Tommy Kenary (A). The team’s leading scorer was Will Lawrence ’22 (24 goals and 11 assists equals 35 points in 19 games). Lawrence was named First Team All-MAPHL. All-I.A.C. honorees include Matthew Brille ’21 (2nd Team), Giles (Player of the Year), Graham (Honorable Mention), Jacob Hookman-Vassa ’22 (2nd Team), Lawrence (2nd Team) and Max Weinstein ’20 (Honorable Mention). Coach Erickson says one of the highlights of the season was the final playoff run when “all three games ended with us coughing up a lead in the third period before winning 3-2 in overtime.” Erickson was also named Metro Hockey Coach of the Year. INDOOR TRACK The Indoor Track team led by Head Coach Ryan Callahan and captain Kaleb Starks ’21 finished second in the Montgomery County Private School Championships. The following athletes receiving medals for top three finishes: Kevin Bai ’21, Deon Johnson ’22, T.J. Kim ’22, Carter Phillips ’22.

RIFELRY The riflery season was an exciting and eventful one full of pleasant surprises and impressive performances by our rookies, according to Head Coach David Eusse ’10. Jeff Duong ’22 was selected as most valuable player because of his impressive improvement and pivotal role during matches. Co-captain Matt Knutson ’21 improved his season average by more than six points, and Vincent Barahona ’25 earned the most improved player award for his coachability and applaudable improvement throughout the season. SQUASH The squash team finished the season with a 3-8 overall record and a 2-3 league record. Eight Form III students joined the team with zero experience who were eager to learn, said Coach WT Miller ’86. Two highlights to note: Andrew Gray ’21 finished second at a league individual tournament, and the team beat The Heights 6-1, a big rival over the last five years.

SWIMMING Landon finishing third only behind St. Albans and Georgetown Prep at the IAC Championships. Landon then finished in fifth place overall in a much larger and more competitive field at the Washington Metropolitan Prep School Swim and Dive League (WMPSSDL) Championships. Jacob Rosner ’20, who was recruited to swim at Northwestern University, came in first in both the 200- and 500-men’s freestyle events. Also helping score points for Landon was Michael Gilbert ’20, the team’s lone diver. Finally, three swimmers (Rosner, Ethan Tun ’21, and Harrison Tun ’23) qualified for and traveled to Franklin and Marshall College for the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championship. Rosner came in third overall in the 200 individual medley and second in the 500-men’s freestyle. It was the leadership of the senior squad (Ford Bruggen, Nate Farrington, Ben Freeman, Gilbert, Alex Kapelina, Jamie Martin, Will Nussbaum, and Rosner), that helped to make the season as successful as it was.

WRESTLING The Varsity Wrestling team led by Head Coach Andy Katz finished with a 7-14 record overall and 4-1 in I.A.C. play for a second-place finish. Seniors Matt Amitay, Patrick Kielb, and Lorenzo Lopez led the effort, with Amitay (138) and Lopez (132) earning All-I.A.C. honors. Lopez now holds the record for the second most wins at Landon (165 victories in his career), and he was the school’s first four-time I.A.C champion. He also placed third at the Maryland state competition. Amitay finished his career with 107 victories (8th overall) and placed seventh at states. He also earned a first team selection to the MSWA AllAcademic Team (state of Maryland).