Today we’d like to introduce you to Carion Marcelin.
Hi Carion, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Carion Marcelin serves as the Manager for Live Healthy Gwinnett, where she provides leadership and operational support across all four pillars—Be Active, Eat Healthy, Get Checked, and Be Positive. In this role, she manages the Live Healthy Gwinnett website, maintains the Community Dashboard with up-to-date health indicators, oversees budget tracking, and supports strategic planning and program coordination. Carion also represents Live Healthy Gwinnett at wellness-related board meetings and community events. She is committed to fostering collaboration among team members, promoting data-informed decision-making, and ensuring the effective implementation of health and wellness initiatives throughout Gwinnett County.
Carion joined Gwinnett County in April 2019 as the Live Healthy Gwinnett Project Coordinator. She led Be Active Gwinnett, a mobile recreation initiative targeting play desert communities to reduce childhood obesity and promote physical activity. She also supervised Harvest Gwinnett, which operates eleven community gardens that improve food access and provide hands-on environmental education and engagement for residents. In partnership with GUIDE, Inc., Carion became a certified QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) instructor and has trained more than 150 community leaders in suicide prevention.
Carion earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a minor in Public Health from the University of South Florida. She began her career teaching 7th and 8th grade science as a Teach For America corps member, where she witnessed firsthand the effects of food insecurity and poor nutrition on student health and academic performance. Inspired to make a greater impact, she earned her Master of Public Health from Mercer University in 2018. Carion is passionate about reducing health disparities in underserved communities and empowering individuals of all ages to become advocates for their own health through education and community engagement.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, with any role their are some challenges that are unexpected such as the pandemic in 2020 and opening up several community gardens with a small team. Overall, it’s been a pretty good learning experience and I’m thankful that I work with the best people who serve the community. Work is way more fun when you’re surrounded by a team of passionate professionals who truly enjoy what they do for a living, serving others.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a public health professional whose known for proving community wellness initiatives that are free to residents in Gwinnett County. These programs include Yoga in the Park, Sound Bath in the Park, several community gardens with educational and nutrition-based classes, mobile recreation program serving youth in underrepresented communities and of course our quarterly health fairs proving free health related screenings to those who are underinsured throughout Gwinnett. I’m proud of the of the fact that we’ve harvested and donated over 60,000 pounds of food to local cooperative ministries throughout the County to feed families in need and we’ve done it with the support of our amazing Board of Commissioners, Department of Community Services leadership, our amazing team and of course our awesome gardeners who volunteer their time to make sure our community gardens are thriving.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My best advice is utilizing LinkedIn to make connections within your industry and of course attending networking events. Applying for leadership programs like Glance Gwinnett or Leadership Gwinnett is another great way to meet like minded professionals who are also making an impact within the County. It’s also great to volunteer your time serving with an organization you support and asking those you admire to become your mentor and help you grow your network as well as enhance your skills,
Contact Info:
- Website: https://livehealthygwinnett.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livehealthygwinnett/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livehealthygwinnett
- Other: LiveHealthyGwinnett@GwinnettCounty,com
