23 Feb 2020 Barnett named to UCA board

Gov. Asa Hutchinson recently appointed Curtis Barnett to the University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees. 

A 1986 UCA graduate and 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 degree in public administration from UCA and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas. He 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 in the Academy of Healthcare Management. 

In 2018, Barnett was named a UCA Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and was honored during the Night of Distinction ceremony for his service and dedication to the university. 

As a UCA student, Barnett served in the Student Government Association as a senator in 1982-83 and as president in 1983-84.

“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Barnett to the UCA Board of Trustees,” said President Houston Davis. “His background as a UCA 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.”  

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’s Board of Managers for the Federal Employee Program and as chairman of the Board of Managers for Blue Health Intelligence, a healthcare 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 and Healthy Active Arkansas. He is also 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 their Breath of Life honoree in 2015.

He is married to Karen, and the couple has a son, Collin.