Paula Wallace, the founder and president of the Savannah College of Art and Design, can add a new distinction to her résumé.

Wallace has been named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, having received the honor Wednesday in New York. It is considered the greatest acknowledgement of contributions to art by the French government, both in France and globally.

“On behalf of the French Republic and French Ministry of Culture, I extend my warmest congratulations to Paula Wallace on her investiture as Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres,” said Mohamed Bouabdallah, cultural counselor of France in the U.S. and director of Villa Albertine. “Through her visionary leadership and enduring dedication to creative education, historic preservation, and cultural exchange, Paula Wallace has made a lasting contribution to France’s cultural landscape. We are proud to recognize her as a distinguished steward of the arts and an essential partner in strengthening the cultural dialogue between France and the United States.”

Guests at the event included Saks Global’s Bruce Pask, L’Oréal’s Charles Finaz de Villaine and more.

Wallace founded SCAD in 1978 in Savannah. It now also has locations in Atlanta and in Lacoste, France. “I am profoundly honored to receive this knighthood from the Republic of France, which honors the success of every SCAD student and graduate who’s studied at SCAD Lacoste for more than a generation, as well as the many SCAD graduates who contribute to the cultural and economic life of France as creative professionals working for Hermès, Dior, Chanel, Ubisoft, Airbus, L’Oréal, UNICEF and so many other global brands,” said Wallace.