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Heather French Henry

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Heather French Henry
French Henry in 2000
Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs
In role
July 1, 2014 – March 15, 2016
GovernorSteve Beshear
Matt Bevin
Preceded byKen Lucas
Succeeded byNorman E. Arflack
Second Lady of Kentucky
In office
October 27, 2000 – December 9, 2003
Lieutenant GovernorSteve Henry
Preceded byJudi Patton
Succeeded byRuth Ann Cox
Personal details
Born
Heather Renee French

(1974-12-29) December 29, 1974 (age 49)
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2
EducationUniversity 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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ "Kentucky Birth Index, 1911-1999". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  2. ^ 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)
  3. ^ "Miss America : 2000". Archived from the original on 2008-09-20.
  4. ^ Ex-Miss America becomes Mrs. Steve Henry today
  5. ^ Cheves, John (2009-12-23). "Plea agreement reached in Henry fund-raising case". Kentucky.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-17.
  6. ^ "Louisville Wedding-Weddings in Louisville-Louisville-Kentucky". Archived from the original on 2008-12-04.
  7. ^ "Heather French Henry relives pain on 'Oprah'". Cincinnati Enquirer. November 15, 2003. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  8. ^ "Richmond Businessman Lee Murphy to Serve on Governor's Transition Team" (Press release). Richmond, Kentucky: Chapel Communications. November 16, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  9. ^ "Veterans Affairs : KDVA Commissioner". Archived from the original on 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ WKYT: Heather French Henry wins Democratic nod for Secretary of State
  12. ^ "Republican Michael Adams wins KY secretary of state race | Lexington Herald Leader". Archived from the original on 2019-11-06.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heather French.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Kentucky
2019 		Succeeded by
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss Kentucky
1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Miss America
2000 		Succeeded by
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