Heather French Henry

{{short description|American beauty pageant contestant and politician (born 1974)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Heather French Henry

| image = Heather French headshot.png

| caption = French Henry in 2000

| birth_name = Heather Renee French

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|12|29}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| office = Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs

| term_label = In role

| term_start = July 1, 2014

| term_end = March 15, 2016

| predecessor = Ken Lucas

| successor = Norman E. Arflack

| party = Democratic

| spouse = {{marriage|Steve Henry|2000}}

| children = 2

| education = University of Cincinnati (BA, MDes)

| office2 = Second Lady of Kentucky

| termstart2 = October 27, 2000

| termend2 = December 9, 2003

| lieutenant_governor2 = Steve Henry

| predecessor2 = Judi Patton

| successor2 = Ruth Ann Cox

| governor = Steve Beshear
Matt Bevin

}}

Heather Renee French Henry (born December 29, 1974){{cite news|url=http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8788&enc=1|title=Kentucky Birth Index, 1911-1999|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=December 17, 2010}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.topslouisville.com/Read/8919/There+She+Is|title=There She Is|last=Contributor|first=Tops Louisville|website=www.topslouisville.com|language=en|access-date=2018-10-13|archive-date=2018-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014091335/https://www.topslouisville.com/Read/8919/There+She+Is|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/2000/2000.aspx|title=Miss America : 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920043215/http://www.missamerica.org/our-miss-americas/2000/2000.aspx|archive-date=2008-09-20}}

On October 27, 2000, Heather married Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry, 21 years her senior, in Louisville.

[http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/10/27/loc_ex-miss_america.html Ex-Miss America becomes Mrs. Steve Henry today] 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/counties/franklin-county/article44018391.html|title=Plea agreement reached in Henry fund-raising case|last=Cheves|first=John|date=2009-12-23|website=Kentucky.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017013402/https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/counties/franklin-county/article44018391.html|archive-date=2019-10-17}} The couple have two daughters, Harper Renee (born 2001) and Taylor Augusta (born 2003).{{cite web|url=http://www.louisvillewedding.com/magazine_2004springsummer_featurewedding.php|title=Louisville Wedding-Weddings in Louisville-Louisville-Kentucky|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204230827/http://www.louisvillewedding.com/magazine_2004springsummer_featurewedding.php|archive-date=2008-12-04}}

While driving in October 2003, French Henry struck and fatally injured 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/11/15/loc_kyhenryonoprah15.html|title=Heather French Henry relives pain on 'Oprah'|work=Cincinnati Enquirer|date=November 15, 2003|access-date=September 17, 2019}}

In November 2007, she was named to Kentucky Governor-elect Steve Beshear's transition team.{{cite press release |date=November 16, 2007 |title=Richmond Businessman Lee Murphy to Serve on Governor's Transition Team |url=https://chapel.us/company/press/Lee-Gov.htm |location=Richmond, Kentucky|publisher=Chapel Communications |access-date=January 30, 2019}} On July 1, 2014, Beshear appointed Henry Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.{{cite web|url=http://veterans.ky.gov/aboutus/Pages/CommissionerBio.aspx|title=Veterans Affairs : KDVA Commissioner|access-date=2014-08-25|archive-date=2019-01-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129125536/https://veterans.ky.gov/aboutus/Pages/CommissionerBio.aspx|url-status=dead}} 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.{{Cite web |last=wmadministrator |date=2016-03-15 |title=Gov. Bevin appoints commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs |url=https://www.lanereport.com/61379/2016/03/gov-bevin-appoints-commissioner-of-the-kentucky-department-of-veterans-affairs/ |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=Lane Report {{!}} Kentucky Business & Economic News |language=en-US}}

French Henry was the 2019 Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Kentucky.[https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Henry-wins-Democratic-nod-for-Secretary-of-State-510241751.html WKYT: Heather French Henry wins Democratic nod for Secretary of State] She lost the general election to Michael Adams.{{cite web| url = https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/election/article237033189.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191106022342/https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/election/article237033189.html| archive-date = 2019-11-06| title = Republican Michael Adams wins KY secretary of state race {{!}} Lexington Herald Leader}}

She is a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/top-stories/2019/04/29/candidate-conversations--heather-french-henry-

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20190121232851/http://www.heathersveterans.org/ Heather French Foundation for Veterans Website]
[http://www.heatherfrenchhenry.com Heather French Henry's Official Website]
[http://veterans.ky.gov/aboutus/Pages/CommissionerBio.aspx Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129125536/https://veterans.ky.gov/aboutus/Pages/CommissionerBio.aspx |date=2019-01-29 }}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Kentucky|years=2019}}

{{s-bef

| before = Chera-Lyn Cook

}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Miss Kentucky

| years = 1999

}}

{{s-aft

| after = Shanna Kari Moore

}}

{{s-bef