Blue Cross Blue Shield president and community leader to lead OSU's A Stately Affair in TulsaPage Title

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma President Ted Haynes and his wife, Shiela, have been selected as co-chairs and senior U.S. District Judge Terence Kern and his wife, Jeanette, have been named honorary co-chairs for ‘A Stately Affair in Tulsa,’ the biennial black-tie gala fundraiser for Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and OSU Center for Health Sciences.

As event co-chairs, Shiela and Ted Haynes will lead the organizing committee for the fundraiser set for May 1, 2017, at Southern Hills Country Club. Proceeds from the gala support scholarships for undergraduate, graduate and medical students from OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa.

In addition to supporting student scholarships at both Tulsa campuses, A Stately Affair in Tulsa also honors Icons for OSU in Tulsa. These individuals have made significant contributions to the community and the state while advancing the missions of OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa.

Located west of the Arkansas River, OSU-CHS offers degrees in osteopathic medicine and graduate programs in forensic sciences, biomedical sciences, health care administration and athletic training.

“The donations we receive from A Stately Affair in Tulsa are an integral part of producing physicians who will provide quality health care service in rural and underserved areas of Oklahoma,” said OSU-CHS President Kayse Shrum, who is also dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Shiela and Ted Haynes are known for their generosity and work to improve the community and will ensure this event is successful.”

Created in 1999, OSU-Tulsa has become an integral part of downtown Tulsa and the community. With more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree options, OSU-Tulsa offers students the opportunity to earn the same internationally recognized OSU degree that students in Stillwater receive.

“As champions of our community, the Haynes will be excellent co-chairs for this event to increase higher educational opportunities in Tulsa and Oklahoma,” said OSU-Tulsa President Howard Barnett. “Shiela and Ted understand the importance of education and its ability to provide a solid foundation for students to begin or advance their careers.”

Ted Haynes was named president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) in 2012. He was the ninth president in the organization’s 76-year history.

“We have tremendous respect for OSU’s mission to provide a strong foundation for students as they work to advance their careers,” he said. “It is with great pleasure that we are able to help OSU in its efforts to assist students in reaching their educational goals.”

Haynes previously served as vice president of health care delivery at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, overseeing health care provider networks, provider services, pharmacy programs and Medicaid operations. Gov. Mary Fallin appointed Haynes to the Oklahoma Physician Manpower Training Commission in 2015.

Shiela K. Haynes serves as president of the board for Domestic Violence Intervention Services and is board vice chair for the Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Haynes’ son, Carter, is a 2015 graduate of OSU in Stillwater.

Honorary co-chair and senior U.S. District Judge Terence Kern was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1994 to serve the Northern District of Oklahoma. He assumed senior status in 2010. Kern, an OSU alumnus, and his wife, Jeanette, have long been supporters of the OSU-CHS mission to train physicians for rural and underserved areas of Oklahoma.

“We are delighted to be named honorary co-chairs of ‘A Stately Affair’ to provide scholarships for students at OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa,” Kern said. “We believe strongly in the mission to serve rural and underserved Oklahoma, particularly since our daughter graduated from OSU-CHS with a Doctor in Osteopathic Medicine degree.”

In 2014, the Kerns, along with Jeanette’s brother, Tim Headington, donated $750,000 to establish the Kern-Headington Scholarship Challenge. The scholarship matched each dollar donated to the OSU Foundation for medical student scholarships. The challenged raised more than $3.5 million in scholarship commitments for medical education.

Judge Kern was recognized in 2001 as an OSU Distinguished Alumnus and will be inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame in February 2017. Jeanette Kern is a member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Directors. She was chairman of The 2015 Painted Pony Ball, a fundraiser for The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis, and is a mentor at Eugene Field Elementary, the OSU-CHS Partners in Education school. She is actively involved in philanthropy throughout the community.

For more information about A Stately Affair in Tulsa, visit astatelyaffair.com or call the OSU Foundation in Tulsa at 918-594-8500.