Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Institutional Development team won four awards at the Public Relations Association of Mississippi’s 2020 Virtual Prism Awards. One team member, Christen Duhé, associate vice president of Institutional Relations, was also recognized with an individual award.

The team won a PRism Award for the 2019 President’s Report, an Award of Excellence for the Kentucky Derby Scholarship Gala, and two Certificate of Merits, one each for the Band of Gold Semi-Truck and Trailer Wrap and the college Viewbook.

Duhé was awarded the Professional Achievement Award and recognized as past president of PRAM, serving in that position in 2019.

Duhé has worked at MGCCC since 2012, serving as the first director of Business Development and Hospitality Resort Management Center at the college’s Harrison County Campus before being named associate vice president in 2016.

She is a two-time graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Journalism in 2005 and her master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism in 2011. She is currently in the doctoral program in higher education administration at USM.

Active in the community, Duhé is a graduate of the Coast Chamber’s Leadership Gulf Coast program, the Business Council’s Masters’ Class, MEC’s Leadership Mississippi and the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy. She received her APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) in October 2015.

Serving as chair of the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce and president of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi’s state board of directors in 2019, she is also past president of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi Beach Chapter. She serves on the Harrison County Advisory Board for The First, A National Banking Association, and the Harrison County Junior Leadership Advisory Board, and is a member of the American Red Cross Biloxi Advisory Board.

Duhé served on the Coast Young Professionals’ Board of Directors from 2012-2015 and chaired the Biloxi Seafood Festival, Biloxi Chamber’s largest fundraiser, in 2015.  She is a life member of Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport, and as an active member organized the 2016 pajama drive, served as Treasurer in 2018, and parliamentarian in 2019. She chaired and organized the American Red Cross event Moonlight & Magnolias in 2016.

Recognition for her leadership and community service includes being named a Top 10 Business Leaders Under 40 in 2013 by The Sun Herald; Young Careerist of the Year in 2014 by the Lighthouse Business and Professional Women; an inaugural inductee into the Coast Young Professionals’ Hall of Fame in 2015; and an Outstanding Community Leader in 2016, presented at the One Coast Awards.  In 2017, the Southern Public Relations Federation presented her with the Senior Practitioner designation.  In 2018, she was selected as one of the 100 Successful Women to Know by the Gulf Coast Woman Magazine, an inaugural Top Influencer by the Success Women’s Conference, and Top 50 Under 40 presented by the Mississippi Business Journal. In 2019, she was named a Top 10 Finalist for the Top 50 Leading Business Women in Mississippi, presented by Mississippi Business Journal.