College of Arts and Sciences

Each year, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) presents the Outstanding Alumni Award to a former student in the College. The award was instituted in 1998 to honor alumni who have distinguished themselves through their remarkable contributions to a profession, through their ability to provide leadership, through public service activities, through outstanding creative endeavors or through other accomplishments.

Haley Hopper Gentry ’91 graduated from App State in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In June 2021, Gentry was appointed chief executive officer of Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), becoming the first woman to lead the airport.

Gentry began her career as an intern in 1991 and has held multiple roles at CLT. Before her appointment as CEO, she served as acting CLT director for nearly a year. During her tenure, Gentry has led key projects that include CLT’s COVID-19 response, the $608 million Destination CLT Terminal Lobby Expansion and the construction of CLT’s $1 billion fourth parallel runway, scheduled to open in 2027. She also led the launch of CLT’s prebook online parking program and the creation of the Destination District. Gentry manages CLT’s 6,000-acre campus, which includes a state-of-the-art airfield, a 2.4 million-square-foot terminal and a fixed-base operator for corporate aviation with a charter terminal, a military base for the 145th Airlift Wing of the North Carolina Air National Guard, an air cargo center and American Airlines support campus.

Gentry is active in the American Association of Airport Executives, Airports Council International and Women in Aviation International. She also serves on the Renaissance West Community Initiative board and is a trustee of the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.

Associate Vice Chancellor of Alumni Engagement Stephanie Billings '92 (left) and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Mike Madritch (right) with Haley Hopper Gentry ‘91, the Chief Executive Officer of Charlotte Douglas International Airport (middle), at the 2025 Alumni Awards Gala on July 12, 2025. Photo by Chase Reynolds