Michelle Duke Named NABLF President

Michelle Duke

The NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF) Board Chairman Darrell Brown announced today the promotion of Michelle Duke to president of NABLF, effective July 1. Duke has been vice president of the foundation since 2010. She succeeds Marcellus Alexander, who has served as president since 2004 and earlier this year announced his plans to retire from the role, effective June 30.

As president of NABLF, Duke will focus on delivering its mission of providing broadcast training programs that help recruit and strengthen the industry’s human capital, as well as initiatives in support of community service, diversity and philanthropy. The foundation’s annual Celebration of Service to America event has grown into an anticipated Washington tradition that includes celebrities, members of Congress, FCC commissioners and industry leaders.

“Michelle is a valued colleague and an effective leader whose dedication to the mission of NABLF has been instrumental to its success,” said Brown. “I congratulate Michelle on this well-deserved promotion and look forward to a bright future for the Foundation under her stewardship.”

“We are also grateful to Marcellus for his leadership and success in reinvigorating and growing the foundation’s impact during his tenure,” continued Brown.

Early in her career, Duke worked as a reporter for the Nashville Banner and later moved to the Newspaper Association of America, where she was director of leadership programs. She joined the National Association of Broadcasters as the director of diversity and development in 2005 and was promoted to vice president of diversity in 2009. Duke became vice president of the NAB Education Foundation (renamed NABLF this year) in 2010, overseeing the foundation’s day-to-day operations as well as developing and managing industry programs in diversity and leadership.

Duke was awarded the National Area Capital Alliance for Women in Media Star Award in 2009 and was inducted into the Wall of Fame for the School of Journalism in the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University in 2018. She is also consistently recognized as one of the Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio.