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.

Valerie Moore - School Safety and Security Analyst

17 Years as Independent School Director for Extended Care, Summer Programs and Extracurricular Programming

8 Years as Co-Director of An Independent School Early Childhood Program

B.S. in Psychology with an emphasis on Employment Counseling/Personnel Management (Appalachian State University)

Education for Ministry (EfM) graduate

Master Gardener

Valerie believes that an ideal education partners teachers who are well-prepared with families of the children they serve. She enjoys building teams and encouraging people to use their skills and interests to enhance their work. Valerie's special interest in architecture and design helps her see how that affects the way we work and play. A safe and healthy environment boosts learning exponentially. Children learn best when they can be creative, approach a subject from many angles and feel free to express themselves. In her spare time Valerie enjoys gardening, reading, playing the harmonica and piano, and hiking.

Visit Valerie's LinkedIn profile to learn more about her background and outlook.

Email Valerie at valerie@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.