NABLF President Takes Chief Diversity Officer Role For NAB

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Last year, she was elevated to president of the NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF). As of July 1, this ex-newspaper reporter will add the title of Chief Diversity Officer at the NAB to her duties.


Taking the newly created role is Michelle Duke, which sees her spearhead the NAB’s internal efforts to further equity and inclusion at all levels of the organization and “elevate NAB’s external role as a resource to NAB member companies in their efforts to increase and promote industry diversity.”

“NAB is committed to fostering a strong and diverse workforce within our organization and throughout the broadcast industry, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have Michelle lead the charge,” said NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith. “We appreciate Michelle taking on this important new role as we focus additional resources on advancing diversity and inclusion.”

Duke’s career includes a role as a reporter at now-defunct weekday afternoon newspaper the Nashville Banner. From there, she would take a role at the Newspaper Association of America, as Director of Leadership Programs. Duke joined NAB as the director of Diversity and Development in 2005 and was promoted to VP/Diversity in 2009.

Concurrently, Duke became VP of the NAB Education Foundation (renamed NABLF in 2019) in 2010 and was elevated to president in 2019, overseeing the Foundation’s day-to-day operations as well as developing and managing industry programs in diversity and leadership.

The NABLF’s Broadcast Leadership Training is a 10-month, MBA-style program that teaches the fundamentals of purchasing, owning and operating radio and television stations to senior-level broadcast executives, particularly women and people of color.

Duke is also consistently recognized as one of Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio.