Trident Academy Board of Trustees announces change in school leadership

Hacker Burr appointed to serve as Interim Head of School as Betsy Fanning retires

After 11 years as Head of School at Trident Academy, Betsy Fanning is stepping down to retire. On Wednesday, the school’s Board of Trustees announced Hacker Burr as Interim Head of School. He and Betsy will work together over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Burr, a Trident Academy parent, brings extensive experience in education and nonprofit leadership, along with a strong record of community engagement and organizational stewardship. The change in leadership comes after more than a year of strategic planning between the board and Betsy.

Burr currently serves as the president and managing director of Big Back Pack, a national search firm that helps independent schools hire and place school leadership. Previously, he served in various roles at Charleston Collegiate School for 17 years, including seven years as the Head of School.

Betsy has played a meaningful role in shaping Trident Academy’s mission and supporting hundreds of students and families. Her leadership has helped guide the school through important seasons of growth, and her care for this community has left a lasting mark on Trident Academy.

“We are deeply grateful for Betsy’s years of service, her commitment to our students and families, and the many contributions she has made to the life of the school,” said Diane Tausig, president of the Board of Trustees, who shared the announcement with the school’s faculty and staff, parents and family members on Wednesday afternoon. “Her impact will continue to be felt in the strong foundation she helped build.”

Burr will continue the important work of Trident Academy’s mission to transform the lives of cognitively capable K–12 students with language-based learning differences through individualized, multi-sensory and research-based teaching.

“As I step into this role for the foreseeable future, I will work closely with our faculty, staff, parents, students and greater community to maintain a consistent, stable environment to support the incredible work happening in our classrooms,” Burr said.

“Our priority is, and will continue to be, the success and well-being of our students and the confidence of our families,” Tausig said. “We have exciting goals for our school and we look forward to what the future holds. We’re ready to continue building upon the strong foundation we have built since we opened our doors to this community more than 50 years ago.”

The Board will initiate a comprehensive search for a permanent Head of School later this year.