A candidate who puts people first.

My name is Ceretta, and I am a proud Army Veteran, mother, wife, small business owner, and Faith Leader in our community. I’m also proud to have called Grovetown home for the past fifteen years, where I live with my husband, Retired Sergeant First Class Sterling Vandolph Smith, and our three incredible sons. At my small business, we are committed to molding and developing future leaders of our workforce within our community. And it’s here that I teach the values of compassionate leadership, guided by the adage:

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” 

But before running my own business, I spent decades serving my country in various roles. It’s why I am answering the call to do so again. I proudly served as a medic in the Army for nearly a decade, where I helped wounded soldiers recover in hospitals, clinics, and worked in a field unit in Germany. I then continued to serve by working for the Federal Government for another twenty-four years. Through my work, I became a Union Activist, serving as: the Women’s and Fair Practices Coordinator, Chief Steward, Legislative Political Coordinator, Local President, and Georgia State Council President for the largest Federal Government Union, the American Federation of Government Employees.

I am honored to have been on the front line of the Labor Movement, advocating for working Georgians, Veterans, and Federal Government Employees. My upbringing and my military service instilled in me that Labor Rights are Human Rights and Civil Rights. My background drives my aspirations to make sure that everyone has a voice in shaping local government. I believe we need more people in local government that will put people first: leaders that will listen and lead from a place of understanding and compassion and consider every voice in our community. I believe my experiences uniquely qualify me to do this effectively.

Ceretta holds a Bachelor Degree in the Arts from the Minnesota Graduate School of Theology, a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling from the Sacramento School of Theology and an Associate Degree in Business Management from Augusta Technical College. She is a Certified HISCoach Life Coach, a Certified Paracletos Counselor, a Christian Recording Artist, a Published Author , a Certified DISC Behavioral Analyst, a Certified Myers-Briggs Practitioner and a Faith Leader in her community that travels nationally and internationally.