Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Curtis Barnett 鈥86 to the University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees.
A native of Sherwood, Barnett serves as president and chief executive officer for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Barnett received a Bachelor of Science in public administration from UCA, a master鈥檚 in public administration from the University of Arkansas and is a graduate of the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Advanced Executive Program. He also has earned several professional designations, including certified employee benefits specialist and the professional designation in the Academy of Healthcare Management.
In 2018, Barnett was named a BT天堂Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and was honored during the Night of Distinction ceremony for his service and dedication to the university.
As a BT天堂student, Barnett served in the Student Government Association as a senator in 1982-83 and as president in 1983-84.
鈥淲e are pleased to welcome Mr. Barnett to the BT天堂Board of Trustees,鈥 said President Houston Davis. 鈥淗is background as a BT天堂alum, his expertise as a respected Arkansas businessman and his steadfast commitment to this university and its students will certainly benefit our entire campus community.鈥
As CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Barnett is a member of the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Board of Directors, where he serves as chairman of the Association鈥檚 Board of Managers for the Federal Employee Program and as chairman of the Board of Managers for Blue Health Intelligence, a health care data analytics and solutions company.
His current civic involvement includes serving on the boards of the Baptist Health Foundation, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Healthy Active Arkansas and as a member of Fifty for the Future.
Barnett actively supports a number of charitable organizations, including the Arkansas chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which named him its Breath of Life honoree in 2015.
He is married to Karen, and the couple has a son, Collin.