HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Alabama Academy of Honor welcomed four new members, including Gov. Kay Ivey and U.S. Space & Rocket Center CEO Dr. Deborah E. Barnhart, in ceremonies Monday, Oct. 23, in the Old House Chamber of the State Capitol in Montgomery.
This year’s inductees comprise an outstanding group of Alabama leaders: Gov. Kay Ivey; Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Dr. Deborah Edwards Barnhart; award-winning journalist Cynthia Tucker Haynes; and President and CEO of Sloss Real Estate Catherine Sloss Jones. Dr. Wayne Flynt made remarks on behalf of the Academy membership during the induction ceremony.
Brief biographical information about the inductees follows:
Governor Kay Ivey: In 2002, Ivey became the first Republican-elected State Treasurer since Reconstruction and was re-elected in 2006. She was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2010, becoming the first Republican woman to hold the office in Alabama’s history. On April 10, 2017, Ivey was sworn in as the 54th Governor of the State of Alabama.
Dr. Deborah Edwards Barnhart: Barnhart is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. The Center is the largest spaceflight museum in the world and serves as the Official Visitor Center for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and as a Visitor Center for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Her career spans four decades of service in commercial industry, government, aerospace and defense.
Cynthia Tucker Haynes: Haynes’ distinguished newspaper career has been recognized with the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. She has worked as a reporter at The Atlanta Journal and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and as an editor at The Atlanta Constitution and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In addition to her newspaper duties, Haynes has been a frequent commentator on radio and television news shows, appearing on PBS, ABC, CNN and MSNBC.
Catherine Sloss Jones: Jones is President and CEO of Sloss Real Estate in Birmingham. Under her leadership, the company focuses on urban development and community renewal. In 2000, Jones created the not-for-profit Market at Pepper Place, a nationally recognized, award-winning farmers’ market that supports Alabama small farmers and artisans. A recognized civic leader, Jones serves on numerous boards and currently chairs the Alabama Urban Land Institute chapter.
Established in 1965, the Academy bestows honor and recognition upon living Alabamians for their outstanding accomplishments and service to the state and the nation. Membership is limited to 100 distinguished Alabamians and all of Alabama’s living governors. In the course of the Academy’s history, more than 260 members have been elected, recognizing men and women from a wide variety of backgrounds and areas of achievement. For more information about the Alabama Academy of Honor, visit alabamaacademyofhonor.org or call (334) 242-4441.