Chair

Sertrice Shipley

Sertrice Shipley is the CEO and Founder of Plan to Action, an inclusion and culture consulting firm. Prior to leading Plan To Action, Sertrice made significant contributions as Co-Owner & Chief Consulting Officer of Mattingly Solutions. She is also co-author of Inclusalytics: How Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leaders Use Data to Drive their Work. Her dynamic consulting has benefited clients like the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Khan Academy, and American Humane, delivering comprehensive DEI solutions ranging from executive advising to behavioral change strategies.​

Beyond her professional endeavors, Sertrice is deeply committed to community service. In addition to being Chair of the board for Blacks in I/O, Sertrice serves on the Board of Directors for the Lucy Daniels Center and the Board of Advisors for GoBe Kids. Additionally, she contributes her time and insights to national organizations like the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority.

A respected DEI thought leader and public speaker, Sertrice has been invited to speak at prominent events like the Society for Human Resource Management, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and various city Chamber events across the United States. Residing in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband Abraham and their dog Winston, Sertrice continues her mission through Plan To Action, leveraging her deep-rooted knowledge and commitment to foster inclusive workplace cultures and drive meaningful change in inclusion and culture strategy implementation.

Connect with Sertrice at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sertrice/

Vice Chair

Janiece Jean Baptiste

Janiece is a Miami native who loves God, loves people, and is called to serve them. In 2009, she heard a message preached by Dr. Alvin D. Stewart, Jr. in Tallahassee, Florida, that encouraged her and others to be an answer in every room and situation. She took that to heart, and it became the foundation upon which The Answer Group Consulting, LLC—affectionately known as TAG Consulting—was built. She has worked in various industries for over 20 years as an administrator, customer service representative, financial analyst, dispatcher, regional manager, and executive director. She extracted transferable skills from each of these experiences that have made her a trusted name and an expert in organizational improvement. Because of that experience and education below, Janiece is an Industrial-Organizational Psychology Practitioner.

Janiece's educational background includes a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Psychology with a concentration in Organizational Science (Industrial-Organizational Psychology) from Florida International University. She is also a licensed insurance agent in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. Janiece is a consummate professional who believes in partnering with others to help them achieve their wildest dreams. She knows having a solid foundation and support system is the key to success. If you were to ask her who she is, she would tell you, "I am an answer!"

Connect with Janiece at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiecealana/

Secretary

Peta-Gaye Smile

Peta-Gaye Smile is an organizational leader whose work and passion sit at the intersection of people, systems, and growth. Her professional background spans education, nonprofit leadership, workforce development, and people operations, where she has spent over a decade building programs, developing teams, and strengthening how organizations support learning and performance.

Throughout her career, Peta-Gaye has been drawn to roles that focus on bringing clarity to complexity and strengthening systems over time. She has led and scaled programs, designed professional development experiences, supported leaders and staff through periods of change, and continuously learned from results and feedback to understand what helps people and organizations function and grow together. Across settings, her focus has remained consistent in helping individuals and organizations recognize and leverage opportunities while building systems that are effective, thoughtful, and human-centered.

In line with her commitment to both others and her own development, Peta-Gaye is currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Organizational Psychology, works in talent assessment, and serves as an adjunct professor. Her work across the employee lifecycle, including learning and development, leadership support, workforce planning, and assessment and talent management, has deepened her appreciation for the connection between research, practice, and real-world impact. Her academic interests center on leadership, organizational change, learning and development, and how emerging technologies are reshaping how people work, collaborate, and engage with one another inside organizations.

Outside of her formal roles, Peta-Gaye is deeply committed to supporting others along their professional journeys. She finds meaning in mentorship, community building, and creating spaces where people can learn, grow, and navigate systems with greater clarity and confidence. This commitment is what brought her to Blacks in I/O, where she has spent the past year supporting the organization through its newsletter as part of the Social Media and Communications team and strengthening partnerships, including collaboration with the Global Work and Organizational Psychology Conference (G-WOP). She welcomes the opportunity to connect, learn, collaborate, and engage with others across the Blacks in I/O community and beyond.

Connect with Peta-Gaye at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-gayesmile