Gemma Skuraton DrPH, MPH, CHES, CDE, CDP, LAT, ATC, CWP USAW, CPT, FMS, RYT-200 (she/her)

Gemma Skuraton DrPH, MPH, CHES, CDE, CDP, LAT, ATC, USAW, CPT, FMS, RYT-200 (she/her)

Dr. Gemma Skuraton (pronouns: she/her) the co-owner of Twice Consulting Services (TCS) LLC and Director of Twice As Well Services, an inclusive public health consultant service available through TCS. Gemma also serves as the Director of Student Wellness & Health Promotion, a senior executive role for a mid-size institution. Gemma completed a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Fellowship, Doctorate and a Masters degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Community Health Behavior and Education as well as an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, majoring in Exercise Science and Athletic Training and maintains over 17 wellness certifications (see list below) including one of only 42 Size Inclusive Fitness Specialists available globally. Gemma is a community based participatory researcher (CBPR) primarily centered around designing, implementing and evaluating health & wellness co-curricula. Gemma is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) The CDE® qualification credential is designed to strategically position an organization to remove systemic barriers to inclusion, lead culture change, and transform the brand. CDE® was created for leaders who manage or oversee large scale and complex equity, diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly Chief Diversity Officers. The CDE® requires at least five (5) years of experience and a current leadership role in order to sit for the exam.

In collaboration with her business partner, Gemma has designed and facilitated justice, equity and inclusion training which include implicit bias, anti-racist and allyship behaviors as well as DEI literacy curriculum designed to build empathy, emotional intelligence and affirming environments. These trainings have been utilized as company onboarding practices to support inclusive working environments for diverse and intersecting identities for companies located across the globe as well as continuing education units for public health professionals. Gemma’s experience as a community-based public health consultant includes a wide range of domestic and international projects which leveraged cross-collaboration among multiple political and community sectors. Throughout Gemma’s career working in higher education she has encumbered over $791,000.00 USD in grant and fundraising opportunities. She is proficient in navigating intervention frameworks and grassroots efforts which support a systems level approach as well as formal training in community-based participatory research (CBPR), culturally relevant and equitable evaluations (CREE), strategic planning, logic modeling, quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research study designs. Gemma operates under the philosophy that successful public health work is rooted in social justice which strives to support health equity and health literacy for all. This framework requires us to examine and address social determinants of health as well as identify and dismantle systematic oppression which impacts the wellbeing of historically marginalized populations. Conceptual frameworks which Gemma utilizes to implement and assess unique, multifaceted, and dynamic public health best practices within organizational and community settings are the socio-ecological model, structural violence theory,  nine principles of effective prevention framework promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) compliance standards.

Gemma is deeply dedicated to advancing inclusive excellence in her personal and professional achievements. In July 2022, Gemma was honored to serve as the keynote speaker for Morehouse School of Medicine Health Promotion Resource Center Annual Colloquium to discuss the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion and the intersection of wellness in the workplace. Gemma’s work has put her on several recognition lists including the 20 under 40 Young Professionals Award for Statesboro Herald, 40 under 40 Georgia Southern University Alumni Award, Kathryn Grube Unsung Hero award for assisting students above and beyond the call of duty and the Randolph S. Gunter Distinguished Staff Award. This recognition in excellence is given to staff that are admired and respected by the students for their outstanding dedication to advocating for diversity issues both in and out of the classroom. Programs under Gemma’s leadership were awarded The 2023 National Student Affairs Administrator in Higher Education Excellence GOLD Award for the Athletics, Recreation, Counseling, Health, Wellness, and related category as well as the overall GRAND Silver Award. Programs which Gemma led and designed were also awarded the Best Clinical Mental Health Program in Southeast Georgia in 2019, two-time Best Diversity and Inclusion Program of the Year and two-time Best Social Justice Program of the Year at the institutional level. Gemma serves as the President of Georgia Society for Public Health Education (GASOPHE) and currently serves as the Vice President of the the Board of Directors for Mary’s Place: Prevention, Advoacy & Sexual Assault Center of the Coastal Empire.