Women in Business, August 2026

Avril James, MPH, CHES 

Avril, a certified health education specialist, holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s degree in public health. With 30 years of experience as a yoga, Qi Gong, and stress resilience educator in Atlanta, her extensive training and dedication demonstrate her deep expertise and commitment to holistic wellness. 

For more than a decade, she’s been an associate minister and meditation facilitator at Unity North Atlanta Church and, since 2019, has coordinated the Piedmont Women’s Heart Program. This holistic wellness program reflects her commitment to community health. PWHP aims to positively impact women through low-cost preventive screening, free public events, high-quality health education classes, physician-referred small group coaching, and high-risk pregnancy cardiovascular intervention. 

Avril’s interests include hiking, ecstatic dancing, and spirited driving. She and her husband, Jon, live in Marietta with their family, including her parents, to support their Alzheimer’s journey. Their lively home also hosts two of their four children, three comedic cats, and a Chihuahua named CeCe.