ROBB SASSER III ’82 CHAIR OF THE BOARD

The gavel has officially passed, and Robb Sasser is the new chair of Blue Ridge School’s Board of Trustees. Robb has been a member of the Board since 2014 and served on the Executive and Finance committees. He lives in Florence, South Carolina, with his wife Daryn and their two children. Robb is an active member of his local community and has been a leading financial advisor for nearly 25 years.

Robb says his experience as a Blue Ridge student was wonderful and it gave him the self confidence he needed to succeed in college and in life. He is grateful for the effort so many people have made in the school and feels obligated to do his part. “I believe it is now my time to ‘pay it forward’ to current and future students - and their families. I enjoy seeing firsthand all that is required to operate a successful boarding school. I also enjoy the entire Blue Ridge team and being back on campus frequently. As my wife says, it is one of my ‘happy places’.”

As Board Chair, Robb will be working closely with Head of School Trip Darrin and the administration to ensure that Blue Ridge School keeps its mission, is financially sound, and is prepared for the future. His list of goals for his term reflect those responsibilities:

• Increase net tuition revenue by continuing the post-COVID enrollment momentum with mission appropriate boys

• Continue to grow the School’s endowment through annual contributions and planned giving

• Complete a market study to see what other opportunities there may be for our campus assets and resources

• Complete the campus master plan that is underway, including a thorough study of our dorm and student gathering space needs

• Continue to support and collaborate with Head of School Trip Darrin and the leadership team that is second-to-none

• To have fun serving!

Robb says, “Blue Ridge is a special place with special people working to help young men thrive. The volunteer work of our Board is important but we will have fun serving, all while advancing the mission of our School.”

New Trustees for 2022

Rick Jones P’18 of Vienna, Virginia, is the father of Myles Jones ’18 and the principal and co-founder of Zeneth Technology Partners, a cybersecurity consulting firm. He has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in business development, sales, and client management across multiple industries. Mr. Jones has a business degree from Syracuse University.

Dr. Paul Simko of Charlottesville, Virginia, is the Frank M. Sands Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He teaches both accounting and financial statement analysis; he has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Florida and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

Lee Shore ’90 lives in Carrollton, Texas, with his wife Melissa. He is president of United Salvage Associates, which provides salvage and inventory services after natural disasters and catastrophes to clients around the world. Mr. Shore has served on the BRS Alumni Leadership Council and is a graduate of Texas Tech.

Hope Tate of New York, New York, is a veteran banker and retired as partner at Emigrant Bank Fine Art Finance. She has supported many charitable organizations and served on the Board of the New York Chapter of the Fund for UNICEF and the DH Hill Library at North Carolina State University. She is a previous member of the Board of Blue Ridge School and twice served as president of the New York Auxiliary of Blue Ridge School. She has a bachelor’s degree from Meredith College and an MBA from Fordham University.