Former Miss America Appointed Commissioner Of KY Dept. Of Veterans Affairs

A veterans advocate and former Miss Kentucky and Miss America has been appointed Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.

Governor Steve Beshear announced Heather French Henry’s appointment Friday.

A few months after she was named Miss America in September 1999, French started the Heather French Foundation for Veterans, which works with other organizations to help veterans.

She is married to former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry.

On July 1, she’ll replace current veterans affairs director and former U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas.

Governor Beshear said Lucas will oversee construction of a veterans nursing home in Radcliff, Kentucky.

Beshear spokesman Terry Sebastian said the change at the state agency is unrelated to the resignation of federal Veterans Affairs chief Eric Shinseki.

Shinseki stepped down Friday amid widespread problems with veterans’ health care.