{{Short description|American academic administrator (born 1954)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Charlene Dukes | image = Charlene Dukes (48488649097).jpg | caption = Dukes in 2019 | office = Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party | status = Acting | term_start = June 13, 2025 | term_end = June 27, 2025 | predecessor = Ken Ulman | successor = Steuart Pittman | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|8|12}} | birth_place = Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = | children = 2 | education = Indiana University of Pennsylvania (BS)<br>University of Pittsburgh (MEd, EdD) }} '''Charlene Mickens Dukes''' (born August 12, 1954) is an American academic administrator serving as the first vice chair of the Maryland Democratic Party since November 18, 2023. She was president of Prince George's Community College from July 1, 2007, to August 7, 2020.
== Early life and education == Dukes was born on August 12, 1954, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Workneh |first=Lilly |date=2017-09-26 |title=Two Trailblazers On Growing Up Black And Female In The North And South |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/two-black-trailblazing-women-on-overcoming-racial-barriers-to-achieve-success_n_59c52d76e4b06ddf45f77a6c |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> She was the second oldest of nine children and was raised in a two-bedroom house for the first fifteen years of her life.<ref name=":0" /> Dukes attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) for a year before leaving due to racism and wanting to learn more about herself. She moved to New Jersey and worked for the Bell Telephone Company and later Chase Bank in New York.<ref name=":0" /> She re-enrolled at IUP, earning a B.S. in English and secondary education in 1980.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Dukes |first=Charlene Mickens |title=Resume Charlene Dukes |url=https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/_documents/about-mc/leadership/board-of-trustees/charlene-dukes-resume.pdf |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Montgomery College}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> She was a first-generation college student.<ref name=":0" /> She was active in the Black Student Union.<ref name=":0" /> Dukes completed a M.Ed. (1987) and Ed.D. (1992) in administrative and policy studies from the University of Pittsburgh.<ref name=":1" /> Her dissertation was titled, ''Factors Contributing to the Process of Transferring by African-American Students from an Urban Community College to a Four-Year College''.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Dukes |first=Charlene Mickens |title=Factors contributing to the process of transferring by African-American students from an urban community college to a four-year college |date=1992 |degree=Ed.D. |publisher=University of Pittsburgh}}</ref>
== Career == Dukes was an admission and financial aid officer at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown from 1980 to 1981.<ref name=":1" /> She later joined the Community College of Allegheny County in 1981 as an assistant director of admissions.<ref name=":1" /> She was promoted to director of admissions in 1985 and director of minority affairs in 1991. In 1995, she served as dean of students.<ref name=":1" /> From 1995 to 2007, Dukes was the vice president for student services at the Prince George's Community College.<ref name=":1" /> On July 1, 2007, she became its eighth president and the first female to serve in the role.<ref name=":1" /> Duke retired on August 7, 2020.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Sarah |date=2019-10-31 |title=Prince George's Community College President to Retire Next Year |url=https://www.diverseeducation.com/students/article/15105696/prince-georges-community-college-president-to-retire-next-year |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Diverse: Issues In Higher Education |language=en-us}}</ref>
In 2013, she was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame.<ref name=":2" /> She served on the Prince George's County Board of Education, and was appointed by the governor to the Maryland State Board of Education.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dr. Charlene Dukes |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/community-college/charlene-dukes |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=The White House |language=en}}</ref> She served two terms as the vice-chair before being voted as board president.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biographies - Charlene Mickens Dukes, Ed.D. |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshallfame/html/dukes.html |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=msa.maryland.gov}}</ref> Dukes served as board chair of the Meyer Foundation and secretary of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kyaw |first=Arrman |date=2021-06-09 |title=Dr. Charlene Mickens Dukes Appointed Interim President of Montgomery College in Maryland |url=https://www.diverseeducation.com/leadership-policy/article/15109409/dr-charlene-mickens-dukes-appointed-interim-president-of-montgomery-college-in-maryland |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Diverse: Issues In Higher Education |language=en-us}}</ref> On August 7, 2021, she succeeded DeRionne P. Pollard as the interim president of Montgomery College.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pollak |first=Suzanne |date=2021-06-08 |title=Former PG Community College Leader Named Interim Montgomery College President |url=https://www.mymcmedia.org/former-pg-community-college-leader-named-interim-montgomery-college-president/ |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Montgomery Community Media |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vitka |first=William |date=2021-06-08 |title=Montgomery College appoints new interim president |url=https://wtop.com/education/2021/06/montgomery-college-appoints-new-interim-president/ |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=WTOP News |language=en}}</ref> She was succeeded by Jermaine F. William in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2021 |title=Dr. Jermaine Williams Named Next President of Montgomery College {{!}} Montgomery College, Maryland |url=https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/news/features/2021-12-15-dr-jermaine-williams-named-next-president-of-montgomery-college.html |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=www.montgomerycollege.edu}}</ref> Dukes is vice chair on the board of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Kurtz |first=Josh |date=2023-11-18 |title=Ulman overwhelmingly wins election to be new Democratic state chair |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/18/ulman-overwhelmingly-wins-election-to-be-new-democratic-state-chair/ |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Maryland Matters |language=en-US}}</ref>
In July 2023, Duke was one of governor Wes Moore's six appointees to the Maryland Higher Education Commission.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Ford |first=William J. |date=2023-07-18 |title=Moore appoints a nearly entire new membership for Maryland Higher Education Commission |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/07/18/moore-appoints-a-nearly-entire-new-membership-for-maryland-higher-education-commission/ |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=Maryland Matters |language=en-US}}</ref> She is serving the remainder of James Coleman's five-year term that began on July 1, 2022.<ref name=":4" /> Dukes became the first vice chair of the Maryland Democratic Party on November 18, 2023.<ref name=":3" /> She had run unopposed and was endorsed by governor Moore.<ref name=":3" /> In the 2024 presidential election, Dukes voted as an elector pledged to Vice President Kamala Harris.<ref>{{cite web |title=Presidential Electors for the 2024 General Election |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2024/Electors_PG24.pdf |website=elections.maryland.gov |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |access-date=November 23, 2024}}</ref>
== Personal life == Dukes has a son and a stepson.<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Ken Ulman}} {{s-ttl|title=Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party<br>Acting|years=2025}} {{s-aft|after=Steuart Pittman}} {{s-end}}
{{Maryland Women's Hall of Fame}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dukes, Charlene}} Category:1954 births Category:2024 United States presidential electors Category:21st-century African-American academics Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:21st-century American academics Category:21st-century American women academics Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:African-American academic administrators Category:African-American people in Maryland politics Category:African-American women academic administrators Category:American women academic administrators Category:Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Category:Indiana University of Pennsylvania alumni Category:Living people Category:Maryland Democratic Party chairs Category:Maryland Democrats Category:People from Johnstown, Pennsylvania Category:University of Pittsburgh alumni Category:Women deans (academic) Category:Women heads of universities and colleges Category:Women in Maryland politics