District 429 Board President Stacey Shrewsbury and newly selected Superintendent Brian Dukes/Photo by WJEZ staff

By Todd Wineburner

At a special meeting last night (Tuesday, 12/23), Pontiac’s District 429 school board named Brian Dukes the new district Superintendent. Dukes comes to the position after serving for the last 3 years as the principal of Iroquois West High School. In his education career, Dukes has served as a teacher, a counselor, and an assistant principal prior to taking the top spot at Iroquois West, and he says that background should serve him well as he moves into a superintendent’s position. “I’ve been lucky to have a well-rounded experience,” Dukes says. “so I feel like coming into this position I’m able to bring in all the skills that I’ve picked up since the start of my career and really have an impact on the district.”

Dukes says he’s aware of the difficulties that the district has encountered in the past, but he says he’s also enthusiastic about the opportunities. “There’s a lot of positive things that are going on in this district,” Dukes says. “There’s still a lot I’ve got to learn about the district, but I’m very excited to get on board and continue to lead them in a positive direction.”

Dukes and his wife Tiffany are both education professionals, and they’re the parents of three boys who are five, four and two.