MRS. JENNY CRETIN
“Brentwood Academy has been a central part of my life for 17 years, as an educator and as a parent.
I am grateful for the trust placed in me and honored to continue serving the Brentwood Academy community and mission.”
INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL
MRS. JENNY CRETIN
Mrs. Jenny Cretin currently serves as Interim Head of School. She was named Associate Head of School during the 2025–2026 school year while continuing in her role as Middle School Director. Mrs. Cretin held this position since 2020 following the retirement of longtime administrator and alumna Nancy Brasher ’73 after 32 years at BA.
Mrs. Cretin has been part of the Brentwood Academy community for 17 years as a parent, educator, and administrator. Prior to joining BA, she taught at Nashville’s St. Paul School for ten years. She holds a master’s degree in education from Concordia University.
A trusted and respected leader, Mrs. Cretin brings deep institutional knowledge and a steady, mission-driven approach. Her understanding of Brentwood Academy and her heart for its mission uniquely position her to guide the school forward while continuing to support and invest in the middle school community.
Mrs. Cretin and her husband, Stephen, have been married for 30 years. They have a son, Jacob ’15, who is married to Maddy, and a much-loved dog, Sugar.
HEADMASTER EMERITUS
CURTIS G. MASTERS
In the Spring of 2000, Curt Masters became headmaster at Brentwood Academy. During the installation service, he received three symbolic gifts to cheer and guide his leadership: a living tree represented the nurture and care essential for the growth of the dynamic Brentwood Academy community; a clay pot—partly finished, partly marred—was given as a reminder that each member of the Brentwood Academy family is a work of God in progress; and a track baton, which Bill Brown—headmaster, teacher, and coach—passed on, signifying the end of his leg of the race.
Taking up that baton, Curt Masters was proven to be a godly leader for Brentwood Academy. Mr. Masters was mainly raised in Indonesia with his missionary parents. He attended Wheaton College, where he met his wife, Cindy, who also grew up on the mission field, and there he earned a bachelor of arts in psychology. Later, he earned a master of education in administration from the University of Puget Sound and completed all coursework toward a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Miami. Before coming to Brentwood Academy, Mr. Masters was the headmaster and upper school principal of Dade Christian School in Miami, Florida; the dean of students at The Stony Brook School, Stony Brook, New York; and assistant principal at Life Christian School in Tacoma, Washington.
Though known and revered primarily for his academic and spiritual leadership, Mr. Masters has also gained notoriety for coining a phrase he frequently delivers with energy and enthusiasm at BA events: It's another GREAT day at BA! This phrase means more than just having a positive outlook on life. The underlying message is that students and faculty help determine the outcome of their day by the choices they make and how those choices can affect others.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MR. MASTERS' LEGACY
HEADMASTER EMERITUS
WILLIAM B. BROWN
William Bailey Brown, Jr. was born on May 3, 1935, and is the oldest of six boys. He grew up on a sixty-acre farm off Dickerson Road in East Nashville where he and his brothers helped with the chores. He went to Schwab Elementary School through the eighth grade and then enrolled at Montgomery Bell Academy where he was president of the Student Council and played varsity baseball and football.
After high school, Mr. Brown attended Vanderbilt University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a minor in mathematics. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduation and was stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina. On March 28, 1959, he married Vanderbilt alumna Beth Barnes. Mr. Brown began his teaching and coaching career in inner-city Savannah, Georgia, and later went on to work in the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia; Battle Ground Academy in Franklin; and the Oak Hill School in Nashville.
In early 1969, businessman Dick Cole brought together Mr. Brown and architect Randall Yearwood, who had also attended MBA, to discuss starting an independent school in the Nashville area. Plans developed slowly, and Mr. Brown, Mr. Yearwood, and Jimmy French hosted meetings in churches and homes to share the dream of Brentwood Academy. The official charter for BA was signed on November 20, 1969, and on September 8, 1970, 110 students in grades seven through ten arrived for the first day of classes.
WILLIAM B. BROWN
"People often ask me what Brentwood Academy is all about. My response is always a quick one: Brentwood Academy is about changed lives. God is constantly remaking and remolding us as we take risks and go deep with each other in the process of relationships. At the times when we step into the darkness, He gives us something solid to stand on and He also teaches us to fly. What a blessing it has been to witness all that He has done in my life, in the lives of my family members, and in the lives of all who have been a part of BA through the years."
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES
The Brentwood Academy Board of Trustees is a self-perpetuating, independent board whose purpose is to protect, perpetuate, and provide for the mission of Brentwood Academy. As such, the Board sets policy, provides for financial security, and selects the headmaster. In addition, the Board delegates authority for operational issues.
BOARD OF TRUSTEESNathan Brandon; Chair |
HONORARY TRUSTEESCharles Dan Brown |
FOUNDING TRUSTEESWilliam B. Brown, Jr. |
