Barrett Petty is a native of West Helena, Arkansas. He is a 1999 graduate of Barton High School where he was the Co-Valedictorian. Barrett graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management with emphasis in Small Business and Entrepreneurship in 2003. He then attended John Brown University and received his Master of Science in School Counseling in 2008. Barrett further progressed and received his Educational Specialist in Counseling from Harding University in 2009. At the end of 2015, he graduated with his Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies from the University of Central Arkansas. Barrett is the 2017 recipient of the Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Dissertation Award in Teacher Education.
Public education is very important to Barrett. He spent 12 years in public K-12 education including half of those years teaching 7 th and 8 th math at Bob and Betty Courtway Middle School, Carl Stuart Middle School, and Conway Junior High School. He has also been an elementary school counselor, Director of College Transitions, and Director of Data Management and Analysis in other school districts. Since his first day of becoming a teacher (August 20, 2006), Barrett has been a member of both the National (NEA) and Arkansas Education Association (AEA). He is still a licensed educator holding certifications in math (4th grade to 12th grade), school counseling (preschool to 12th grade), and computer science (4th grade to 12th grade).
Barrett has been a resident of Conway for almost 18 years. He is the owner of Petty Consulting Group, LLC, where he consults in several areas. Barrett is a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Conway. He has been a member of the Faulkner County Affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation Board for six years and served as Chairman of the Grants Committee for five years. He is a Fall 2000 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. through the Kappa Kappa Chapter at the University of Arkansas. Barrett is a tennis and gym fanatic.