The City of Friendswood has announced the 2022 4th of July parade Grand Marshal will be distinguished Friendswood High School alum Haley Carter.
After graduating from Friendswood in 2002, Carter went to the United States Naval Academy and graduated in 2006 with honors. She then received her commission as a Marine Corps officer and spent the next eight years on multiple deployments in Iraq.
Following active duty, Carter went on to play professional soccer as goalkeeper for the Houston Dash where she became the first women’s player ever to receive the FIFPro World Players’ Union Merit Award. She is also the namesake of the Houston Dash “Haley’s Heroes” program honoring female Veterans and Servicemembers.
After retiring from professional play she turned to coaching and was recruited to serve as the Assistant Coach of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team. In 2021, as the Taliban took back control of the country, Carter formed an emergency coalition with former team captain Khalida Popal to evacuate the women’s team to safety.
Carter participates in multiple women’s groups including the International Women’s Forum, the Women Marines Association, the Houston Association of Women Attorneys, and serves on the City of Houston Women’s Commission. She is also an executive board member of the Girls Academy League and the U.S. Naval Academy TxGC Foundation, and in 2018 she was appointed by City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to serve on his Commission Against Gun Violence, focusing on the development of policy recommendations for improving gun safety in area schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
The Grand Marshal of the 4th of July parade is a ceremonial roll that has been held in years past by local celebrities and influencers. Candidates are selected each year by the 4th of July Steering Committee.
