President David L. Barnett, Ph.D.
Higher education is a tapestry woven together from threads of personal ambition, community investment and collective achievement. Brenau is a learning community that is personally transformative and intellectually expansive. Brenau has the enviable position afforded private higher education of providing the intellectual freedom to discern and articulate the most effective ways to remain mission focused.
With a mission that challenges students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment, Brenau encourages the exploration of timeless truths amidst an urgency for pragmatic outcomes in a context that prepares students for a lifetime of intellectual accomplishment and appreciation of artistic expression through a curriculum enriched by the liberal arts, scientific inquiry and global awareness.
As the university embarks on the next chapter of its already remarkable history, I am grateful for the support of our faculty, staff, alumni and the community in ensuring the success of our students.
Presidential Staff
![](https://www.brenau.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Barnett_David_0163-1-683x1024.jpg)
President
dlbarnett@brenau.edu
+1-770-534-6110
A native of Georgia, Barnett earned a doctorate in educational leadership and organizational development and a Specialist in Education from the University of Louisville. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from Mercer University. He is also a member of the academic honor society Phi Kappa Phi and received many academic awards and honors during his educational pursuits.
![](https://www.brenau.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/jody_wall-photo-2018-683x1024.jpg)
Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to the President
jwall@brenau.edu
+1-770-534-6110
Jody Wall is the Brenau University chief of staff, a title she assumed in 2010. Wall serves as executive assistant to the president and addresses day-to-day university operational details. She joined the university in 2001 as assistant to then-President John S. Burd and is a key member of the executive team. Before coming to Brenau she held a corporate communications position at Georgia Power Co. and was assistant to the dean of off-campus academic affairs and later the associate dean of academic affairs at Truett-McConnell College. She earned a master’s degree in education from North Georgia College, where she also received a bachelor’s degree in social science secondary education.