KEYNOTE SPEAKER: 
Dr. Devona F. Pierre
CEO, Strategic Empowerment Solutions
12:00PM

An equity-minded leader, consultant, and convener, Dr. Devona F. Pierre exudes care and commitment in her dedication to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities. With over 20 years of experience spanning higher education and non-profit leadership, she specializes in delivering client-specific solutions fostering culturally responsive transformational change.

As the founder of Strategic Empowerment Solutions, Dr. Pierre partners with organizations and individuals to identify challenges, develop tailored solutions, and implement actionable strategies to drive meaningful transformation. She understands every institution and community are unique, which is why she takes a thoughtful, tailored approach grounded in inclusive excellence and sustainable growth. Her expertise lies in facilitating organizational effectiveness, designing learning and development initiatives, and embedding equity and belonging into institutional culture.

Dr. Pierre’s influence extends across the higher education and nonprofit sectors. A recognized thought leader in equity and belonging, Dr. Pierre has secured over $2.4 million in grant funding to support research and programs that uplift historically excluded communities in higher education. As Executive Director of the Office of Belonging at St. Petersburg College, she led initiatives that strengthened campus culture and cultivated a sense of belonging for students, employees, and community partners. She was instrumental in co-founding the St. Petersburg Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) initiative, a movement focused on dismantling racial hierarchies and fostering healing through dialogue and action. Additionally, her leadership played a key role in the University of South Florida earning the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.

For nearly 20 years, Dr. Pierre has been a leader in Sisters of the Academy Institute (SOTA), an international organization promoting collaborative scholarship among Black women in academia. She co-developed the highly regarded Research BootCamp©, a professional development initiative to support doctoral students and early-career faculty as they step boldly into academia. Her extensive experience also includes curating impactful professional development programs such as the Inclusive Excellence Symposium, Grantsmanship Workshop, and the Writing Retreat.

Dr. Pierre is guided by a deep belief in mentorship, community, and the power of education to transform lives. In 2023, she received the William T. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award from the Florida Education Fund in recognition of her dedication to guiding and supporting emerging leaders.

A native of Pensacola, Florida, Dr. Pierre earned a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration and a master’s degree in Adult Education from Auburn University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Dillard University.