COURTESY / THE LANDING SCHOOL
Sean Fawcett will take over as president of the Landing School on July 1. He succeeds Richard Downs-Honey.
June 7, 2021
The Landing School will have a new president
Courtesy / The Landing School Facebook Page
Students remove a boat from its mold in the Landing School’s composites shop.
The Landing School, an Arundel boatbuilding school founded in 1978, said Monday it will have a new president on July 1.
Sean Fawcett, who is a senior yacht design instructor who has been dean of education since 2018, will take over the post.
He succeeds Richard Downs-Honey, an energetic New Zealander who raised the profile of the Arundel school in his three years as president and navigated through the pandemic changes. Downs-Honey plans to return to his native New Zealand, but maintain a role as a guest lecturer and mentor.
“I am honored to have been chosen to lead such a well-respected and storied institution,” said Fawcett. “The Landing School is a very special place and I have seen it change lives. I am very proud of the students who graduate here and go on to rewarding careers and important positions in the marine industry. Every president of the school is entrusted with the responsibility of keeping the school relevant, and it is a special privilege to have the opportunity to lead this school and our students into the future.”
The Landing School is a considered a key training ground for students entering various fields of boat building, including wooden boat building, yacht design, marine systems and composite boat building.
Fawcett, who joined the Landing School in 2013 as an instructor, lives in Cape Elizabeth and grew up sailing on Penobscot Bay and racing out of Marblehead, Mass.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he began his yacht design career with Pedrick Yacht Designs in Newport, R.I., where he was involved in the design of America’s Cup Yachts, most notably Stars and Stripes ’87. Fawcett’s career spans a number of industries and disciplines including yacht design, yacht construction, yacht charter and CAD/CAM software education.
Downs-Honey “managed the school through the turbulent waters of a global pandemic, increased enrollments, expanded our network of supporters, and steered more than 150 students through learning and into their careers,” the school said in a press release on Monday.
“I learned, as the students do, it’s not about the boat. We all come excited to design or build a favored boat, to work on engines, or explore the world of composites. But the Landing School is about the boatbuilders, not the boats,” said Downs-Honey. “It is truly a transformational experience for many who attend, whether fresh out of high school or switching careers. My three years here have certainly transformed me, and I leave grateful for having had the opportunity to give our students a wonderful set of rewarding opportunities in the marine industry.”
Current board Chair Haven Ladd welcomed incoming president Fawcett and praised Downs-Honey for his passion for students and the industry. “While Richard is off to foreign waters, we are grateful that he will not be far from the hearts and minds of the Landing School,” said Ladd. “And as we move forward, I know that Sean’s experience and passion will continue to build upon our mission and help propel our school into the future.”
Founded in 1978 by John Burgess and Cricket Tupper, the school remains committed to its mission to effectively prepare men and women for careers in the marine industry. The Landing School is the first school of its type to be accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges and today offers four programs of study: wooden boat building, yacht design, marine systems and composite boat building.
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