Our Team

Kayon Swaby
Vice President

Lee Swaby
President

Lee is a seasoned welding engineer and entrepreneur with decades of experience in the welding industry. His formal welding career began in the Netherlands at Aval Lasinstituut in Rotterdam, where he earned an impressive range of welding credentials across multiple processes, including certifications from Lloyd’s Register and Det Norske Veritas. Additionally, he is also a well‑trained fireman, having completed rigorous emergency‑response instruction in the Netherlands while living there.

He relocated to the United States in 2009 and quickly established himself as a respected welding contractor. Over the years, he has contributed his expertise to major projects throughout Northern Virginia and the greater DMV metro area — including work at the White House, Dulles Airport, Dulles Metrorail Project, National Park at Great Falls, the Smithsonian Institution, several correctional centers in both Virginia and Maryland, and numerous other high‑profile government projects. He has consistently undergone and passed the rigorous background checks required for these high‑profile government projects, further underscoring his credibility, reliability, and trustworthiness as a welding professional.

In 2016, Lee expanded his impact by launching a welding supply store in Fauquier County, meeting a critical need for welders in the region. In 2023, he pioneered the welding program at Laurel Ridge Community College (Fauquier Campus), serving as the first Welding Instructor on the Fauquier Campus. In 2026, he fully activated Swaby Academy in Orange County, Virginia, a vocational school dedicated to training the next generation of skilled trades professionals. Yet if you met him in person, you would never sense the full weight of his journey, as his humility and quiet demeanor is what stands out the most about him.

Lee’s journey is both inspirational and impressive, marked by unwavering determination, technical mastery, and a legacy of meaningful impact across the welding industry. His path reflects the true meaning of perseverance, vision, and resilience, a powerful example of what success looks like, even when life’s challenges rise and fall like a seesaw. His work continues to shape communities, empower learners, and elevate the welding profession.
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Kayon, the son of Lee Swaby, is an emerging professional whose academic foundation in Civil Engineering Technology positions him as a critical thinker and strategic asset to Swaby Academy. As he approaches graduation from Old Dominion University, he brings with him a wealth of technical knowledge, analytical skill, and modern engineering concepts to the table, that translate seamlessly into business strategy, operational planning, and institutional development.

Raised by Dutch and Caribbean parents, Kayon has been immersed in his father’s entrepreneurial world from a young age, shadowing him on numerous projects and gaining firsthand exposure to the demands of the skilled trades industry. Yet his contributions extend far beyond inherited experience. He has introduced fresh ideas to Swaby Academy. His approach is innovative. He possesses a forward‑thinking mindset that reflect both his academic training and his natural leadership abilities.

Now serving as Vice-President of Swaby Academy, Kayon is fully engaged in elevating every dimension of the institution. He applies learned principles to problem‑solving, the design of the welding programs, class scheduling, and workflow efficiency — bringing clarity, structure, and strategic insight to the Academy’s growth. His approach is grounded in excellence, innovation, and integrity, and he plays a pivotal role in shaping the Academy’s future. Kayon represents the next generation of leadership. He is intellectually sharp, professionally disciplined, deeply committed to advancing Swaby Academy’s mission, and is Ready-to-Lead.