Hacker Burr - President and Managing Director

7 Years as Head of School

10 Years as Development Director and Major Gifts Officer

7 Years as Admission Director

MBA (The Citadel)

B.A. English Literature (Roanoke College)

Independent School Graduate (Fessenden School and Holderness School)

Former President of the Charleston Tri-County Admission Council

2012 South Carolina Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year

Innovative leadership featured in What Schools Could Be (Ted Dintersmith, 2014)

Hacker Burr is a people person and a connector. Coming from a long line of independent school educators (St. Marks, Webb School, St. Andrews, Westminster, Nobles, McCallie, GPS), and having started his advancement career at the age of 14--giving tours at Holderness School--he found a natural fit in the advancement world, eventually making him one of the youngest Heads in the country.

Hacker deeply believes that "fit" is everything. He is passionate about leveraging his years of experience to help client schools and the talent we place (in these top-notch institutions) find this "right fit". Ultimately, when placement work is done right, both the people and the organizations we serve will grow stronger.

Over two years working closely with Big Back Pack's Founder Steve Mandell, Hacker has been inspired by the BBP approach and plans to carry Steve's vision forward into the future, building on the tremendous brand that he established over the early years of the company and continuing to deliver the same level of service and care that Steve embodied throughout his career.

Steve had a very simple approach: show-up early, work hard, and care compassionately for others. With a positive, wellness-based approach to employment and operations, schools can truly be great places to teach and learn. This was Steve Mandell's mission when he founded Big Back Pack in 2017. Upon Steve's passing (in May of 2022), after a long and courageous battle with cancer, Hacker acquired Big Back Pack in December of 2022.

Visit Hacker's LinkedIn profile to learn more about his background and outlook.

Email Hacker at hacker@bigbackpack.org.

Paul Baly - Senior Search Consultant

15 Years as a Division Head (at K-8 and K-12 Schools)

South Carolina Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee (as a Coach)

BA in English from Roanoke College

MEd in English Education from the University of South Carolina

MA in Private School Leadership from Columbia University (Klingenstein Center)

Paul came from a family of educational leaders where the dinner table conversations throughout his childhood involved long debates about the joys and challenges of teaching and leading. When Paul landed his first job at a Boarding School, he was inspired by the way in which Independent Schools invest in student’s overall development, utilizing relationships to help children thrive. Serving in senior leadership and teaching roles in

day, boarding, rural, suburban, and metropolitan schools ranging from 200 to 1300 students, Paul has worked for the past 25 years in Independent Schools.

Most recently, Paul served as the Middle School Director at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan, and prior to that he served in the same role at The Elisabeth Morrow School, a 3’s-eighth grade school in Englewood, NJ. Paul began his career teaching high school English at the Storm King School, a small boarding school in the Hudson Valley of New York and moved on to become the Dean of Students and a

championship lacrosse coach at Heathwood Hall in Columbia, SC. He prides himself on building sustainable teams and rich, student-centered educational programs. Regardless of the school, market, or challenge, Paul has worked closely with advancement teams to measurably improve enrollment and advancement outcomes through increased marketing, branding, and communications strategies and partnered with Boards to lead

effective strategic planning processes.

Paul was a three sport high school athlete, and he played attack for four years on Roanoke College’s lacrosse team. Early in his career, Paul taught middle and high school English and coached varsity football, wrestling, and lacrosse. He helped found and was the Head coach at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School’s varsity lacrosse team, coached several All-Americans, and led the team to the State Finals. He was inducted into the South Carolina Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2008. Paul holds an undergraduate degree from Roanoke College, a Masters in English from the University of South Carolina, and a Masters Degree in Private School Leadership from Columbia University. Paul's three children have all attended Independent Schools.

Visit Paul's LinkedIn profile to learn more about his background and outlook.

Email Paul at paul@bigbackpack.org

Joe Ryan - School Safety and Technology Instructor

4 Years as Education Coordinator with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at the South Carolina Attorney General's Office

5 Years in Law Enforcement, with 3 years of experience as a School Resource Officer

Associate Instructor at the National Criminal Justice Training Center

Designed and Developed "Protecting Children in a Digital Age" professional development course

Authorized Facilitator, Darkness to Light "Stewards of Children" Training

United Way of the Midlands "Blueprint for Leadership" Graduate

B.A. in Anthropology (University of South Carolina)

Joe is a big believer in being both positive and proactive. He's dedicated his professional life to serving his community, and he found his calling in educating others about how to best serve those around them. With a passion for instructional excellence, design, and community building, Joe focuses on building bridges between people through understanding and empathy. Recognizing that actions speak louder than words, he works to produce results and tangible outcomes in addition to meeting learning objectives. Joe's areas of expertise include Digital Citizenship, Social Media, School Security, and Child Safety, but he's a lifelong learner who eagerly seeks to add more to the list.

Sharon L. Sellers - Human Resources Consultant

30 years of experience in Human Resources and Management

Certified Senior HR Professional through SHRM (SHRM-SCP)

Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

Certified Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)

M.A. in Management (Webster University)

B.S. in Psychology (College of Charleston)

Adjunct faculty member at Trident Technical College

In addition to being on the Big Back Pack team, Sharon has led her own consulting firm since 2004. She is a business executive with thirty years experience in the human resources and management field. An effective trainer and motivational speaker, Sharon is a recognized author and subject matter expert in the areas of employee staffing, anti-harassment training and investigations, employee development, employee relations, strategic planning and risk management. A life-long community leader and SHRM advocate, Sharon Sellers can help schools with a world of issues.