Heather French Henry
Heather French Henry | |
---|---|
![]() French Henry in 2000 | |
Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs | |
In role July 1, 2014 – March 15, 2016 | |
Governor | Steve Beshear Matt Bevin |
Preceded by | Ken Lucas |
Succeeded by | Norman E. Arflack |
Second Lady of Kentucky | |
In office October 27, 2000 – December 9, 2003 | |
Lieutenant Governor | Steve Henry |
Preceded by | Judi Patton |
Succeeded by | Ruth Ann Cox |
Personal details | |
Born | Heather Renee French (1974-12-29) December 29, 1974 (age 49) |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Steve Henry (m. 2000) |
Children | 2 |
Education | University of Cincinnati (BA, MDes) |
Heather Renee French Henry (born December 29, 1974)[1] is an American fashion designer, politician, veterans advocate and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America 2000. She is married to former Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry.[2]
Biography
Raised in Augusta, Kentucky, Heather French Henry graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. She competed in pageants through her teens, including the Miss Ohio pageant. The vocalist competed in the Miss Kentucky Pageant four times before winning the state title on her fifth attempt in 1999. In September 1999, Heather won the Miss America pageant, the first Miss Kentucky to do so. She was the second native of Kentucky to win the Miss America title after Venus Ramey won in 1944, competing as Miss District of Columbia. Heather spent the year as Miss America 2000 promoting the scholarship pageant program and advocated her cause of support of American veterans.
Heather's platform for her reign was raising awareness of homeless veterans; her father was a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War. She received numerous awards for her work with veterans, including Kentuckian of the Year by Kentucky Monthly.[3]
On October 27, 2000, Heather married Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry, 21 years her senior, in Louisville.[4] The wedding led to controversy over state resources being expended as part of the wedding and planning. The Henrys repaid the state $3,200 for services related to their wedding rendered to them by state employees.[5] The couple have two daughters, Harper Renee (born 2001) and Taylor Augusta (born 2003).[6]
In October 2003, French Henry struck and subsequently killed Karola Stede, 44, a native of Germany and mother of four who was crossing against the traffic light in a Louisville intersection. French said that the accident deeply affected her, and she subsequently recounted her story in venues such as The Oprah Winfrey Show.[7]
In November 2007, she was named to Kentucky Governor-elect Steve Beshear's transition team.[8] On July 1, 2014, Beshear appointed Henry Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.[9] She was replaced by Governor Matt Bevin with retired Brigadier General Norman E. Arflack on March 15, 2016, with French Henry subsequently being appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.[10]
French Henry was the 2019 Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Kentucky.[11] She lost the general election to Michael Adams.[12]
See also
References
- ^ "Kentucky Birth Index, 1911-1999". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ Contributor, Tops Louisville. "There She Is". www.topslouisville.com. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Miss America : 2000". Archived from the original on 2008-09-20.
- ^ Ex-Miss America becomes Mrs. Steve Henry today
- ^ Cheves, John (2009-12-23). "Plea agreement reached in Henry fund-raising case". Kentucky.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-17.
- ^ "Louisville Wedding-Weddings in Louisville-Louisville-Kentucky". Archived from the original on 2008-12-04.
- ^ "Heather French Henry relives pain on 'Oprah'". Cincinnati Enquirer. November 15, 2003. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ^ "Richmond Businessman Lee Murphy to Serve on Governor's Transition Team" (Press release). Richmond, Kentucky: Chapel Communications. November 16, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ "Veterans Affairs : KDVA Commissioner". Archived from the original on 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
- ^ wmadministrator (2016-03-15). "Gov. Bevin appoints commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs". Lane Report | Kentucky Business & Economic News. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
- ^ WKYT: Heather French Henry wins Democratic nod for Secretary of State
- ^ "Republican Michael Adams wins KY secretary of state race | Lexington Herald Leader". Archived from the original on 2019-11-06.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Heather French Foundation for Veterans Website
- Heather French Henry's Official Website
- Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Bio Archived 2019-01-29 at the Wayback Machine
Party political offices | ||
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Preceded by | Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Kentucky 2019 | Succeeded by |
Awards and achievements | ||
Preceded by | Miss Kentucky 1999 | Succeeded by Shanna Kari Moore |
Preceded by Nicole Johnson | Miss America 2000 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- Margaret Gorman (1921)
- Mary Campbell (1922)
- Mary Campbell (1923)
- Ruth Malcomson (1924)
- Fay Lanphier (1925)
- Norma Smallwood (1926)
- Lois Delander (1927)
- Marian Bergeron (1933)
- Henrietta Leaver (1935)
- Rose Coyle (1936)
- Bette Cooper (1937)
- Marilyn Meseke (1938)
- Patricia Donnelly (1939)
- Frances Marie Burke (1940)
- Rosemary LaPlanche (1941)
- Jo-Carroll Dennison (1942)
- Jean Bartel (1943)
- Venus Ramey (1944)
- Bess Myerson (1945)
- Marilyn Buferd (1946)
- Barbara Jo Walker (1947)
- BeBe Shopp (1948)
- Jacque Mercer (1949)
- Yolande Betbeze (1951)
- Colleen Kay Hutchins (1952)
- Neva Jane Langley (1953)
- Evelyn Margaret Ay (1954)
- Lee Meriwether (1955)
- Sharon Ritchie (1956)
- Marian McKnight (1957)
- Marilyn Van Derbur (1958)
- Mary Ann Mobley (1959)
- Lynda Lee Mead (1960)
- Nancy Fleming (1961)
- Maria Fletcher (1962)
- Jacquelyn Mayer (1963)
- Donna Axum (1964)
- Vonda Kay Van Dyke (1965)
- Deborah Bryant (1966)
- Jane Anne Jayroe (1967)
- Debra Dene Barnes (1968)
- Judith Anne Ford (1969)
- Pamela Eldred (1970)
- Phyllis Ann George (1971)
- Laurie Lea Schaefer (1972)
- Terry Meeuwsen (1973)
- Rebecca Ann King (1974)
- Shirley Cothran (1975)
- Tawny Elaine Godin (1976)
- Dorothy Benham (1977)
- Susan Perkins (1978)
- Kylene Barker (1979)
- Cheryl Prewitt (1980)
- Susan Powell (1981)
- Elizabeth Ward (1982)
- Debra Maffett (1983)
- Vanessa Williams / Suzette Charles (1984)
- Sharlene Wells (1985)
- Susan Akin (1986)
- Kellye Cash (1987)
- Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (1988)
- Gretchen Carlson (1989)
- Debbye Turner (1990)
- Marjorie Judith Vincent (1991)
- Carolyn Suzanne Sapp (1992)
- Leanza Cornett (1993)
- Kimberly Clarice Aiken (1994)
- Heather Whitestone (1995)
- Shawntel Smith (1996)
- Tara Dawn Holland (1997)
- Katherine Shindle (1998)
- Nicole Johnson (1999)
- Heather French (2000)
- Angela Perez Baraquio (2001)
- Katie Harman (2002)
- Erika Harold (2003)
- Ericka Dunlap (2004)
- Deidre Downs (2005)
- Jennifer Berry (2006)
- Lauren Nelson (2007)
- Kirsten Haglund (2008)
- Katie Stam (2009)
- Caressa Cameron (2010)
- Teresa Scanlan (2011)
- Laura Kaeppeler (2012)
- Mallory Hagan (2013)
- Nina Davuluri (2014)
- Kira Kazantsev (2015)
- Betty Cantrell (2016)
- Savvy Shields (2017)
- Cara Mund (2018)
- Nia Franklin (2019)
- Camille Schrier (2020)
- Emma Broyles (2022)
- Grace Stanke (2023)
- Madison Marsh (2024)