Emma Sellers Named New PAEA Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer

After a rigorous talent acquisition process which received almost 400 applicants, PAEA is proud to announce that Emma Sellers, MS, has been named Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer (CEDIO), effective immediately.

Sellers began making an immediate impact after joining the PAEA staff as Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in August 2022. She has developed strategies to build program and faculty capabilities in EDI, including the first ever PAEA Workshop on leveraging PAEA’s DEI Toolkit that will be part of the Spring Workshop series in April 2023. She led the planning behind the DEI Meet and Greet at 2022 Education Forum, one of the most well-attended and energetic EDI sessions at the Forum to date.

“The vision and thought leadership Emma will bring to this role will enable PAEA to advance its mission and strategic goals,” said PAEA CEO Sara Fletcher, PhD. “Her approach to championing EDI in PA education has established her as a leader in this space, with several programs already seeking out her and her team’s expertise.”

Sellers was the only internal candidate for the position, and she was chosen after an initial review of applications against the criteria laid out by PAEA leaders in the position description. From there, an internal team reviewed the top resumes, which had been narrowed down to almost 50 candidates before inviting seven finalists to an initial behavioral interview. Once the interviews were completed, the top two candidates took part in a final interview, which consisted of a case study, design challenge, and dialogue around PAEA’s role supporting programs in meeting ARC-PA’s standard on diversity.

Note: Readers may notice the use of “DEI” and “EDI,” which both refer to the terms ‘Diversity,’ ‘Equity’ and ‘Inclusion.’ As EDI becomes more commonly used, expect to see the term become the standard in PAEA communications.