Cullen L. Dubose

Construction Executive Cullen L. Dubose was born on July 5, 1935 in Moss Point, Mississippi. Dubose attended Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi and received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana in 1958. Dubose also attended graduate school in housing and finance at Michigan State University.

From 1958 to 1969, Dubose worked as a Bridge Design Engineer, Civil Engineer, Structural Draftsman, and Highway Draftsman for the Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation in Lansing, Michigan. During much of that time, Dubose also worked as a Civil Engineer for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. From 1977 to 2008, Dubose was the Chief Operating Officer for Painia Development Corporation, a minority-owned company that provides comprehensive site selection advice and evaluates sites along with design builds for corporations looking to locate or relocate their facilities such as distribution centers, call and data centers, warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Dubose was featured in several articles on urban renewal and housing markets, including an article in Reader’s Digest entitled, “Tales of Two Cities: Renewal in Detroit and Jersey City.”

Dubose sat on numerous boards including the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, to which Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed him in 2003. He was also a board member of the National City Corporation for Michigan Multi-Cities, the secretary for the Michigan Housing Council, a member of the Board of Directors for the Detroit Investment Fund, a member of the Michigan Minority Business Development Council, and a member of the African American Association of Businesses and Contractors. Dubose sat on the Board of Directors for the University Cultural Center Association and for Tougaloo College, and he was the recipient of several awards, including the Omega Psi Phi Citizens Award and the NAACP Citizens Award. Dubose was married to Helena Joyce and had three children: Cheri, Cullen, and Freddie.

Cullen Dubose was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on June 8, 2010.

Cullen Dubose passed away on November 13, 2022 at the age of 87.