Our People
We are educators, philosophers, poets, and dreamers empowering students to be lifelong learners.
Upper School Latin
Abbie Adkerson
Abbie joins us as a recent graduate of New Saint Andrews College, where she earned her B.A. in Liberal Arts and Culture. She has served as a teacher and leader at AHG Camp Narroway, a Latin Tutor and Classroom Assistant at New Saint Andrews College, and former Bible Study Co-Leader for NSA and UofI Students. Abbie is passionate about education and is eager to share her love of learning with our students as our Upper School Latin Teacher.
Guidance/Grammar School Aide
Normandy Barry
Mrs. Barry has been a JECA Parent since 2020 and will have all 3 of her children at JECA this year. She has a B.A. in Business Administration and Marketing, and an MBA in Global Management. Mrs. Barry worked in marketing operations management for 13 years where she developed her passion for career development and mentoring. She briefly lived on the mission field as a child which instilled a life-long love of Global Missions. Today she mentors missionaries and directs missionary care and coordinates teams for her church.
Grammar School Aide
Erika Bimson
The 2023-2024 school year will be Mrs. Bimson's second year as a Grammar School Aide. She is a proud mom of four JECA students.
Head of Grammar School
Josh Boyd
Mr. Boyd joined JECA in the summer of 2022. He was formerly at The Cambridge School (San Diego, CA). He received a B.S. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Liberty University. He finds great joy in playing his part to shape the hearts and minds of students to think well, love rightly, and live wisely. In his free time, he enjoys hikes, exploring Nashville, cycling, reading, theological discussions with friends, and a good cup of coffee. Josh and his wife Natalie live in Goodlettsville with their two children.
Upper School Math
Stefanie Burns
Stefanie comes to us from Aristoi Classical Academy where she spent the last three years as head of the mathematics department while teaching both junior high and high school math. She was introduced to classical education while teaching at Evangelical Christian Academy in Colorado Springs, but really grew to love the model while homeschooling. Stefanie and her husband, Michael, have three children, and she enjoys running, baking, reading, and explaining to her students why they, too, should love math.
Grammar School Aide
Roberta Carlson
Mrs. Carlson taught Second Grade at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis for many years. She graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Roberta and her husband, Stephen have two adult sons, Benjamin Calvin and Timothy Spurgeon who has coached volleyball clinics for JECA. (2021)
HR Coordinator / Events / K-4 Art
Jenn Casterline
Mrs. Casterline has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from APSU and a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of TN. She is a native Middle Tennessean and loves to flower garden and attend to all things green and growing. She loves making up silly songs and devouring great books with her daughter Ellie, who is in 1st grade at JECA. Jenn, her husband Phillip and Ellie worship with Reformed Baptist Church of Nashville and live in Coopertown.
Admissions Director / XC Coach / K-2 P.E.
Jake Conley
Mr. Conley holds a B.A. degree in Public Relations from Harding University. He accepted the position of Admissions Director at JECA in the summer of 2022. He has lived in Hendersonville since 2010 with his wife Rachel, his two sons Luke and Micah, and his dog Rocky. He enjoys hiking, reading, coffee, Liverpool F.C., Nashville S.C., and Nashville Predators hockey. The Conley Family are members of the Northside Church of Christ in Nashville.
Aftercare Coordinator / Theatre Arts
Lauren Cook
Mrs. Cook graduated from Columbia State with an AAS in Veterinary Nursing. Her and her husband John have been married since 2003, and have 4 children. This is their children's 7th year attending JECA, and Mrs. Cook's 3rd year on staff. She established a new Theater Arts program two years ago, and is eager to embark on another exciting season and production. She and her family attend West End Community Church in Nashville. She enjoys cooking, singing, occasionally writing songs, counseling/talking with high school students, but will take a cuddle on the couch with one of her kiddos anytime. She is grateful to the Lord for bringing them to JECA.
Fine Arts Coordinator / K-12 Music
Lauren Cunningham
Ms. Cunningham has been modeling joyful learning with young learners at JECA since 2012. She has a B.A. in Voice Performance and a Master's in Church Music and utilizes her degrees as JECA’s Fine Arts Coordinator. In her free time, she loves reading beautiful stories, eating Mexican food, and cheering on her hometown Houston Astros.
Headmaster
Joshua Drake
Dr. Drake grew up in Goodlettsville and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Union University. He holds both a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. Drake was a Professor of Music and Humanities at Grove City College from 2005-2019 where he was awarded Professor of the Year in 2019. Dr. Drake has also served as a Director of Strategy and Data Marketing for MTA Distributors and later became the Human Resources Director for MTA’s parent company, Thompson Distribution. Dr. Drake and his family attend Union Hill Baptist Church in Goodlettsville.
Second Grade
Hope Flowers
Mrs. Flowers is a lifelong Tennessee resident and graduated from The University of Tennessee at Martin with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She is returning to the classroom after spending several years in home education. She resides in Nashville with her husband, Mark, and their 5 children. She enjoys coffee, spending time in the garden, and tending to her goats or other animals on the family farm. Mrs. Flowers and her family attend Friendship FWB Church where they are actively involved in several ministries.
Bookkeeper
Kimberly Gambill
Mrs. Gambill graduated from Indiana University with degrees in Business Administration (B.S) and Computer Science (A.S.). She is happily married to Stephen, a pastor at Reformed Baptist Church of Nashville. They live in Madison with their two children, Hannah and Joshua. She has been with JECA since 2009.
5th Grade
Jason Galea
Mr. Galea was born in Orange County, California and moved to Tennessee in 2004. He graduated with his master's from Lee University in December of 2021 where he studied Bible and Theological Studies. Mr. Galea continues to stay active in serving his church by teaching Sunday school classes and working as a youth pastor assistant. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, reading, and partaking in theological conversations. He currently lives in Gallatin.
3rd Grade
James Gilbert
The son of Christian missionaries, James Gilbert spent the majority of his childhood in Central Asia. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with Christian Studies and Global History from North Greenville University where he met his beautiful wife, Emilie. Following a unique set of circumstances, James then pursued a Master's degree in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Biblical Studies at Lipscomb University in Nashville with the intention of continuing in their doctoral program in archaeology. James joined JECA's faculty in 2021 and he currently lives in Hendersonville with his wife and their daughter, Eleanor. He enjoys reading, philosophy, music, and studying the world of the Bible.
Upper School Modern Language
Debbie Hutchison
Debbie Hutchison and her husband Jake live in Whites Creek with their five children. They have been friends and fans of JECA and its mission since its beginning. After growing up a barefoot and carefree missionary kid in the jungles of Bolivia and Peru, Debbie earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from Bryan College. She has delighted in educating her children (and herself) at home for the past 8 years, and began teaching Spanish at JECA in 2021. She is an enthusiastic traveler and adventurer, optimistic gardener, a foodie and reader, and grateful servant of Christ.
Upper School Math and Science Teacher
Wendy Ingram
Mrs. Ingram has a Bachelors in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from MTSU. She worked in an environmental laboratory for 15 years after college. In 2006, she began teaching at Pioneer Christian Academy, teaching science and Spanish. When PCA closed, she taught science, computer science, coding and math at Pleasant View Christian School over the last 13 years. She and her husband, Mark, chaperoned student trips to Europe in 2015, 2017, and 2019 to the British Isles, France, Spain and Italy. Her love to travel started with the student exchange program in high school, hosting a girl from Peru and then spending her summer with the Peruvian family. The Ingrams have two adult children and three grandchildren.
School Librarian
Caroline Jantz
Mrs. Jantz joined JECA in 2018. She has degrees from Furman in political science and Latin and a Master's Degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Library Science. She lives in Nashville with her husband John and their two young children. The Jantzes are members of Midtown Fellowship.
School Custodian
Christal Johnson
Originally from North Carolina, Christal has lived in TN since 2011. She is a homeschool mom of three sons and attends Redemption Baptist Church of Nashville with her husband of 20-plus years. Some of her favorite things are baking, studying health and nutrition, and reading a good mystery.
Upper School Bible / JV Volleyball Coach
David King
Mr. King began at JECA in 2011. After earning BA and MA in Bible from BJU, he taught and administrated in several different Christian schools before settling with his family in Tennessee. He is married to Jill and delights in spending time with her and their three children. He enjoys cooking, barbequing, reading, gardening, and is a devoted fan of the Cleveland Browns.
Kindergarten / Testing Coordinator
Jill King
Mrs. King holds a degree in Elementary Education and has been behind the podium for 20 years, with 11 of those years in Kindergarten. The Kings have been with JECA since our inaugural year (2009), and Jill has been serving as the lead Kindergarten teacher (MWF) at JECA since 2010. Mrs. King enjoys thrift/bargain shopping, reading, Golly G's ice cream, and all things related to baseball in St. Louis.
Grammar and Logic School Math and Science
Debby Layman
Mrs. Layman graduated from Bob Jones University with a B.S. in education. She and her husband Carl live in Old Hickory and have three children. She began teaching part-time at JECA in 2010 and went full-time in 2019.
2nd Grade
Evy Litchford
Evy comes to JECA as a former graduate of Pioneer Christian Academy. She later worked as a Graduate Assistant at Tennessee State University, earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Bob Jones University, and achieved a Master of Science in Music Education from Tennessee State University. She enjoys playing and teaching piano, hiking to beautiful views of God's creation, and exploring new areas of study. Her family of three loves spending time at home playing games and snuggling with their two dogs.
Upper School Humanities
Clint Lum
Joining us in 2021, Mr. Lum teaches humanities, liberal arts, and theology in the upper school. He earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree at Texas A&M University, studied for a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and earned a certificate of biblical and theological studies at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Currently, Mr. Lum is reading for a Master's in humanities and classical education at the University of Dallas. His wife (Kyla) and their two boys (Jonathan and Oliver) live in Greenbrier and are members of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Mr. Lum enjoys hiking, fishing, reading the works of the Inklings, and jumping on the bed with his boys.
1st Grade
Beth Morrow
Mrs. Morrow earned an elementary education degree from Murray State University, where she met her husband, Ben. She has loved teaching first grade since the moment she joined JECA in 2017. Her husband is the Senior Pastor of Miracle Baptist Church in LaVergne, and they have three children who attend JECA. Beth’s favorite activities are collecting books and reading, sipping coffee with too much creamer, singing loudly in her van (much to the chagrin of her kiddos), eating Mexican food, and helping children develop a love for reading good stories.
School Gardener
Anna Ostrander
Mrs. Ostrander moved to Nashville with her family in 2006 from Kansas. She graduated from Kansas State with a Bachelor of Science. Anna attends Immanuel Nashville Church and has three boys in the Grammar school. She joined our staff in 2021, and you may see her and their dog Harper working in the flower beds after school.
Upper School Grammar/Comp and Senior Thesis
Kelsey Peterson
Kelsey Peterson joined JECA in the fall of 2022. She formerly taught at the collegiate level, most recently at Pennsylvania State University. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Rochester and an M.F.A. in Writing from Washington University in St. Louis. When she's not goofing around with her two girls, cooking elaborate French meals with her husband, or trying to (re)write a novel, she's falling asleep on the couch while reading a book or watching tennis.
Student Support Director
Brandy Rouhotas
Mrs. Rouhotas has been teaching for over 20 years after graduating from the Master’s University in Southern California with a degree in Liberal Studies: Elementary Education. After living in California during her childhood, Brandy and Steve moved to Tennessee shortly after getting married and joined JECA in 2019. They live in Greenbrier and have been blessed with a daughter, Libby, and a son, Tad. Their family currently attends Grace Community Church in Brentwood. Mrs. Rouhotas enjoys spending time with friends over a cup of coffee, reading books, and discovering new and interesting restaurants around Nashville.
PE / XC Coach
Steve Rouhotas
“Coach” Rouhotas and his family have been a part of the JECA family since the fall of 2014. He served in the USARMY as an Infantryman before reclassifying to the medical field, graduating from The Academy of Health Sciences at Ft. Sam Houston, TX in 2001, and works in a local Trauma Hospital here in Nashville. Coach Rouhotas has been involved with our Cross Country Program for the past 4 years and is now the XC Head Coach. In 2021, he joined the JECA Faculty as the Upper School PE Teacher. Steve richly enjoys his family, travel, good stories, and seeing God’s handiwork in all things on all scales.
5-12 Art
Jami Shumate
Mrs. Shumate began teaching visual art at JECA in 2012. After earning a BFA degree in studio art, she worked as a professional artist for 15 years before transitioning to a teaching career. Jami is married to Johnny and they have one son. She enjoys a perfectly brewed pot of afternoon tea, dark chocolate, English roundhand, good books, and fostering creativity in children by sharing her love of all things art with them.
Receptionist / School Nurse
Jessica Smith
Mrs. Smith is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Belmont University. She has an array of experience including adult critical care, pediatric critical care, and adult oncology infusion. She is married to her husband, Doug, and they have one son, Tucker, who has attended JECA since Kindergarten. Mrs. Smith enjoys all things outdoorsy, drinking too much coffee, and trying to complete one of the various books she is reading.
Student Support Coordinator
Lisa Ward
Mrs. Ward has a degree in early childhood education and is a long-time homeschool mom. She joined JECA in 2017. She and her husband Ben attend Reformed Baptist Church of Nashville. They have four children and recently moved to Goodlettsville from Lebanon.
5th Grade
Debbie Wheeler
Debbie loves God’s Word and remains grateful for the enduring guidance He provides. She has been married for thirty-one years to Curtis; they have three children in their twenties - Wesley, Jessica & Jordan - who all received a classical education at the Geneva School of Boerne where she taught in Texas for 17 years. Debbie has the utmost appreciation for the richness and depth this type of education affords under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
4th Grade
Shauna Williams
Mrs. Williams holds a B.S. in P-5 Elementary Education from Campbellsville University and an M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from Union University. After 11 years of teaching at a traditional Christian school, Mrs. Williams stepped full-time into her most significant teaching role as a mother to Theo, Madeline, and Josephine. She returned to the classroom in the Fall of 2020 as a substitute at JECA, then transitioned to full-time in 2021. She and her husband Ted live in Gallatin and attend Immanuel Nashville.
6th Grade
Hannah Wilson
Originally from eastern North Carolina, Ms. Wilson moved to Nashville to join the JECA faculty as a 6th grade teacher in 2022. She earned her B.A. in English from Liberty University in 2021, taking a special interest in children’s and young adult literature. When not spending time reading and writing, she can be found drinking iced coffee, playing games with friends, and driving around with the windows down, listening to country music.