The Montgomery College Board of Trustees today appointed Dr. Charlene Mickens Dukes as interim president of Montgomery College, effective August 7, 2021.

This follows Board Chair Michael Knapp’s April 29 announcement that current Montgomery College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard will step down this summer and assume the same position at Nevada State College. Led by Mr. Knapp, the board will conduct a search for a new president while Dr. Dukes serves in the interim.

Dr. Dukes is a higher education leader with 42 years of experience in administration, policy development, and national service. Most recently, she served as the president of Prince George’s Community College for 13 years until her retirement in June 2020.

“Dr. Pollard’s trailblazing leadership has garnered national prominence, awards, and other forms of recognition of Montgomery College’s excellent educational and cultural opportunities provided to students,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Today’s news that former Prince George’s Community College President Dr. Charlene Dukes will be taking over as interim president of Montgomery College is exciting news. As a former member of the State Board of Education, Dr. Dukes brings extensive knowledge of the state and regional education issues.”

According to a Montgomery College press release:

Dr. Dukes is a higher education leader with 42 years of experience in administration, policy development, and national service. Most recently, she served as the president of Prince George’s Community College for 13 years until her retirement in June 2020. During that period, Dr. Dukes was a champion of student access and success, leading countless initiatives that improved student completion. She has extensive experience in the community college sector nationally, having served on the boards of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, Campus Compact, the Community College Advisory Panel, and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, among others.

Visit the Montgomery County College website for more information.