Wilkes University former associate provost charged with retail theft

Sydney Allabaugh, Editor-in-Chief • November 4, 2024

Wilkes University’s now-former half-time associate provost for academic innovation was charged in mid-October with one misdemeanor count of retail theft, police said.

According to a police affidavit:

Blake Mackesy, of Kingston, was seen entering a Boscov’s fitting room with a cart full of merchandise on Oct. 15. She soon left the fitting room with the merchandise in a Boscov’s shopping bag.

Mackesy then proceeded to the outside parking deck without paying for the merchandise. Before leaving the property, she was intercepted by loss prevention and was taken to the loss prevention office before being taken into police custody.

The total value of the items stolen was $619.99.

On Oct. 16, the day after the alleged retail theft incident, David Ward, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Wilkes University, announced in a message to faculty and staff that Mackesy would be stepping down from her position in the office of the provost.

According to the message, she returned to her full-time, tenured faculty position within the Wilkes University school of education.

Mackesy and Kerianne Geist, associate vice president of marketing communications at Wilkes University, declined to comment for this story.

About the Contributor

Sydney Allabaugh, Editor-in-Chief

Sydney Allabaugh is the editor-in-chief of The Beacon. Allabaugh joined The Beacon as a first-year student writing for the opinion section. She became the assistant opinion editor during the latter half of her sophomore year and was the opinion editor throughout her junior year. She was promoted to her current role at the start of her senior year. Allabaugh will be graduating in May of 2025 with a major in Communication Studies with concentrations in Media Production and Strategic Communication, as well as a minor in Women's and Gender Studies. Outside of The Beacon, Allabaugh is the director of Wilkes Now!, Wilkes' student-run television program. She joined Wilkes Now! as a first-year student, became a production assistant her sophomore year, and began directing at the start of her junior year. Allabaugh is striving to work in television or public relations in her future.