2023 Annual NMQF Leadership Summit

Aquarius Gilmer is the former Regional Resource Consultant (RRC) within the Regional Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH) in the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Region III. Representing the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP), Aquarius was responsible for leading and organizing Regional OASH efforts around HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and LGBTQ health in the five mid-Atlantic states and within the District of Columbia.

Aquarius is a graduate of Tuskegee University where he studied Political Science and Bioethics. His undergraduate thesis is entitled "HIV/AIDS in Black Belt Counties: A Public Health Crisis" explored the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Black Belt counties of rural Alabama. Desiring to learn and understand an appropriate faith-based response to the social and moral crisis of HIV- Aquarius was admitted to Candler School of Theology on an academic scholarship. During his matriculation at Candler he explored the intersections of theology, civil and human rights, science and public health. Aquarius worked and lived in Mozambique assessing community based organizations that provided home-base care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Also while in seminary Aquarius served as a Chaplin at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA providing pastoral care and counseling to patients, visitors and hospital staff Aquarius became well acquainted with disparities in treatment and care for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Before joining the RRNP Aquarius served as program manager at the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS in Harlem NYC. In this position Aquarius led several multi-site health and social justice awareness programs and public policy forums primarily for African Americans living in Tampa, FL; Atlanta, GA; Washington, DC; New York, NY and Detroit, MI. Upon his departure from NBLCA Aquarius co-organized NBLCA's first LGBTQ Summit in Tampa, Fl entitled: and wrote a white paper and strategic plan entitled "The Fierce Urgency of Now! " it was a roadmap complete with public policy recommendations for the organization and leadership within the African American community. As the RRC within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region III Aquarius is a member of the Health Equity, Clinical Preventative Services and Communications OASH teams. Here Aquarius worked to build rapid response networks of faith and lay leaders, community stakeholders and private-public partnerships to mitigate health disparities. In the Fall of 2017 he hosted a two day public policy forum and capacity building summit entitled "Equipping and Empowering Faith-Based organizations to Meaningfully address HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and Heal Equity through Private-Public Partnerships"

Before coming to Gilead, Aquarius led the government relations and advocacy portfolio at the Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC), a Gilead COMPASS grantee. Here he successfully launched Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and was a community stakeholder informing the development of the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America which is 10-year initiative to end the U.S. HIV epidemic. Prior to joining the SAC worked in DHHS’ Region III office distilling federal HIV and HCV policies to the state and local levels.