Elmore County Public Schools CTO Barbara Burchard to retire after three decades of service.

Amanda Pevey

Elmore Autauga News

Barbara Burchard serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Elmore County Public Schools and has dedicated herself to the district since 1995. In December 2009, she assumed the leadership role of the district’s IT strategy, operations, and service delivery. Throughout her tenure, she has been a passionate advocate for advancing educational technology, supporting both instructional and administrative teams, and ensuring the district’s technology infrastructure remains robust, secure, and responsive to evolving needs. On December 19, 2025, Burchard will retire from her role as Chief Technology Officer.

“Barbara is one of those kinds of people, when I would be working, and I needed something I could always go to her office because I knew she was going to be there. She has worked a lot of late hours and has always been a go to person. I can always rely on her in all my career in education, and she is such a good person. I cannot say enough nice things about her. I know I am going to truly miss Barbara, and she has been a huge asset for Elmore County. She has always given everything for Elmore County Public Schools, and I have always considered her one of my best friends,” said Superintendent Richard Dennis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Burchard saw the community come together in incredible ways. Many families did not have reliable internet, and the district was not set up for every student to have their own device. Thanks to the Elmore County Commission, Central Access and the Board of Education, their team rolled out outreach efforts, placing hot spots in key locations to help families get online. Central Access extended their grant to reach even more households, which was a game changer. At that time, the schools only had limited supply of Chromebooks. That summer, their team worked tirelessly to prepare and tag more than 8,000 devices, and the schools managed to distribute over 11,000 Chromebooks to students. It was truly inspiring to be a part of such a collaborative effort, Burchard shared.

“Without a doubt, I am going to miss the daily connections with so many wonderful people. Working together, brainstorming, and finding solutions made every day enjoyable and kept things lively around here,” said Burchard.

Before working for Elmore County Public Schools in Alabama, Burchard served in the USAF Reserves for eight years and received an Honorable Discharge as a TSgt. In Colorado, she has worked as a SPED Paraprofessional in Multiple Disability Classroom. She went back to school to finish her Bachelor of Arts in History and Teacher Education from University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, graduating in 1994. She then moved to Alabama and worked as a Wetumpka Middle School Teacher long term sub from January through May 1995 and was hired on full-time in September 1995 through 2005. She received her master’s degree in Collaborative Education from AUM in 2001. She became the District Tech integration Specialist from 2005 to 2009. In 2009, she took on the District Technology Leadership role from 2009 until present. She earned her CETL International Certification in Oct. 2016 and received her State Chief Technology Officer Certification in February 2017.

Burchard’s advice for the next successor who takes on the position as the Chief Technology Officer: Prioritize the wellbeing of your new team, they are essential and should be treated like family. Build trust, empower every member, maintain open communication, and collaborate closely. Ultimately, remember that the students in the classroom and the teachers guiding their learning are at the heart of it all.

A retirement celebration will take place for Burchard tomorrow afternoon from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. at the Elmore County Office of Technology at 809 West Micanopy Street. Please feel free to drop by during that time and offer her well wishes.