Life House Atlanta

Emile A. Picard

Emile is founder of the Architectural and Planning Firm Picard Associates, Inc, Atlanta where he has served as CEO and Director of Design since 2015.  

Hearing about the noble task of establishing Life House Atlanta through Andrew, a friend in his church’s Men’s group, Emile was introduced to, Dr. Kathleen Fleiszar, Life House’s Executive Director. After spending a Saturday morning meeting at a local coffee shop with, Andrew, Dr. Fleiszar and Board member Mary Reed I learned more about Catherine Reed who is Mary’s precious daughter, born with the life limiting illness, Cerebral Palsy. There was no doubt in my mind, the magnitude of dedication necessary to provide all of Catherine’s needs was vast. Catherine is one example of the many children living with special needs in our Community, who with a loving supportive family, is able to be cared for day to day. Caring for a special needs child brings with it many ongoing challenges including but not limited to lack of sleep, meaningful adult social interaction and the need for respite at times. In understanding the need for a Respite and Palliative Care Home and the envisioned Life House Atlanta, Dr. Fleiszer and Mary went on to very enthusiastically explain, how other similar endeavors such as Helen House in England, Crescent Cove in Minneapolis and Ryan House in Phoenix, each came to be in their own unique fashion. Agreeing with the need, Emile began to realize and envision how he could meaningfully contribute to the endeavor with his background in Architecture and Development, in helping Life House Atlanta become the fulfilled reality that it is meant be.

Emile earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As an Architect, Developer and problem solver, Emile has been responsible for more than 400 design projects in Aviation, Office, Transportation, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Government, Campus, Sports, Recreation, Corporate, Historic Restoration, Specialty Mixed-Use, Multi-Family, Life Care, Senior Living, Life Care Communities and Single-Family Residential Community projects. Ranging in budgets from modest to those exceeding over $750 million, many have included administering contracts for construction and extensive management interactions with federal, state and local governmental agencies. Emile’s skill and versatility are reflected in the many successful projects he has been associated with, from conception through completion.

As the founding Principal of Picard Associates, Inc. in 2004, Emile now focuses his attention on Planning, Designing and Developing civically responsible, uniquely creative, sustainable Residential, Office, Mixed-Use-Mid-Rise and High-Rise and Senior Living Communities, along with a diverse variety of other uniquely individualized projects focused on, healthy environments and sustainable Green Business practices.

Emile’s work has always emphasized working closely with all stakeholders including not only Owners, but also Community Leaders, Government Officials and other Design Team Collaborators in creating responsible forward thinking, valued added sustainable projects. As a leader in fostering process driven results, with all stakeholders, Emile has been prolific in enabling consensus building with the projects he has been associated with.

An active participant in both the Atlanta business and civic Community, Emile is a former vice-president of the “Peachtree Park Civic Association”, and has served as a proxy member for the City of Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Unit, NPU-B. He has also served as an Assistant Scout Master of Boy Scout Troop 74, Atlanta Area Council and currently serves as HOA Board President of his Buckhead Community.  

Life House Atlanta

Ghazaleh Coulter

Ghazaleh joined the Building Advisory Committee of Life House Atlanta in 2023. However, she has been involved with the mission of LHA since its inception when she developed the organization’s first website.

Her professional commitment to design and architecture is evident through her unwavering drive for growth, passion for sharing design knowledge, and fascination with all things related to nature, art, and design. She obtained her Masters of Architecture degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and established Noble Arc Design in 2002, a company renowned for its exceptional blend of imaginative design and comprehensive architectural solutions for various projects. With a Bachelor of Science in Biology, she has fused her knowledge of biology and architecture in her research.  Ghazaleh, a Professor of Architecture at Kennesaw State University, leads her research interests in bio-inspired materials and is in the process of organizing a bio-inspired materials laboratory that focuses on sustainable material innovation.

Life House Atlanta

Andrew LeBlanc

Andrew joined Life House Atlanta as a member of the Building Advisory Committee in 2023. He is a Chief Enterprise Architect for SAP America. SAP helps the world run better by providing business process automation applications and solutions; SAP customers generate 87% of the total global commerce.  

In his role at SAP, Andrew leads projects with strategic clients on business transformations, developing integrated solutions that start from business strategy to processes, applications, data and technology. With over 30 years experience, he has worked with hundreds of Fortune 1000 clients, across all continents & industries, including healthcare, public sector, and life sciences.

Andrew holds MBA and Masters in Mechanical Engineering degrees, from Georgia Tech.  He received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University.  He has three daughters and resides in Marietta, Georgia, and is originally from Beverly, MA.

Life House Atlanta

John Bell

John joined Life House Atlanta in 2023 and serves on the Building Advisory Committee.

He is a Principal at Regent Partners and has spent 35 years in the commercial real estate industry specializing in leasing, development, and acquisition of Commercial Office in both Atlanta and Nashville. Prior to Regent Partners, John was Senior Vice President of Crescent Resources. He was named a top producer in the office category for leasing by the Atlanta Board of Realtors, and he was named a top producer by the National Association of Office Parks (NAIOP). John holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Georgia.

His volunteer roles include currently serving as a board member of the Perimeter Center Community Improvement District (PCID), and is a past board member of the North Fulton Community Improvement District (NFCID). He has a 20 year history of youth coaching at Northside Youth Organization (baseball, football, basketball and softball).

John’s interest in serving with the Life House Atlanta team is close to his heart. “My interest is directly related to my cousins Mary and Catherine Cota, and Mary’s daughter Catherine Reed. Both Catherine Cota and Catherine Reed suffer from a life-limiting illness.”

Life House Atlanta

The Brems Family

Pam and Tom Brems have three children. Their two sons, Alex and Ryan, were born 7 years apart with the same brain malformation.  This life-limiting illness became apparent shortly after they were born.  Alex, born in 1987, lived to age three and Ryan, born in 1994, died at age eight. Their daughter Jennifer, born between the boys, was not affected. 

During their lives, both boys required 24-hour care which was provided exclusively by Pam and her husband, with no respite services available during Alex’s lifetime and very limited respite services during Ryan’s life.  Their insurance did not cover respite care and it was years before Pam’s own research found a Medicaid waiver which they were able to use with Ryan. The Brems family did not have any local family support and their son’s medical needs were too advanced to utilize regular childcare options.  Palliative care was never offered as a support service for either of the boys.

Pam adamantly believes that respite care is not a luxury while caring for a child with 24/7 care needs.  She states, “Respite care is as vital to the life of a marriage and family relationships as a suctioning machine is to a child with swallowing issues.” She asserts that respite care is an essential component to help parent caregivers maintain a healthy mind and marriage because many marriages do not survive the stressors of a chronically-ill child.  Respite care also provides crucial time to maintain healthy relationships with other children in the home. 

Pam is excited about Life House Atlanta providing much needed palliative and respite care for families in a child-focused “home” environment that is different from the typical medical setting.

Pam, Alex and Tom Brems
Tom, Pam, Jennifer and Ryan Brems
Alex and Jennifer Brems
Life House Atlanta

A Christmas Surprise for the Reed Family

Chad Blake supports families through the Experiences Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to provide an opportunity for families and their children to have a fun experience which helps them to step outside of their challenges for some moments of joy. Chad heard about Mary Reed’s daughter Catherine, and reached out to help.

He and Mary’s older daughter, Cecilia, planned some special Christmas surprises for the family. Among these were a special date night out for Mary and her husband Rob, and a specialized Kevan backpack that can be used to carry Catherine, so she can enjoy more outings with the family.

Because Catherine’s care requires 24/7 attention, opportunities for Mary and Rob to focus on each other are hard to find. A date night is a true treat for these parents! “We were all like kids on Christmas morning when Chad Blake came over with his little elf to surprise us!”, said Mary. “My family has been all smiles all day and planning future trips with the Kevan!”

Life House Atlanta

Marilyn E. Pearlman

Marilyn joined the Life House Atlanta team in the spring of 2022 and brings an extensive background in public relations and non-profit engagement. In her role as consultant to LHA, she guides and supports communications and marketing efforts to build awareness, and facilitates valuable community connections.

Marilyn holds a BA in English from Rhodes College, and held roles with Atlanta Public Schools as a high school English teacher, and then the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Atlanta Press Club where she focused on public information. She founded her own company, Atlanta Cause Marketing & PR, Inc., in 1977 and has been dedicated to pairing non-profit organizations with for-profit businesses, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the two parties and then, telling the story of their business relationship to the public through traditional and social media. She has executed PR and social media campaigns for diverse clients in non-profit, professional services with emphasis on individual practice doctors, hospitality and events.

She currently serves on the board of Atlanta Lions Club, chairing the Leader Dogs committee, she is founder and chair of the Philanthropy Club of the Buckhead Club and serves ALSAC, the philanthropic arm of St. Jude Hospital.

As an entrepreneur, Marilyn understands the challenges of bringing a new organization from startup to operations, and the necessity of creating  exposure to the greater community in order to fuel progress. “I am pleased to contribute to the LHA mission of supporting families with medically fragile children by building awareness through public relations efforts.

 

Life House Atlanta

Jamison Cooper

Jamison joined the Life House Atlanta team in 2022 after hearing about the organization from a family friend, and serves on the Communications Committee.

Jamison holds a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Strategic Communication from the University of Kentucky, and has a background in art and graphic design.

She has worked in marketing and communications for a variety of industries. During her time in Kentucky, she was the Social Media Coordinator at Kentucky Taste Buds, a Social Media Intern for Bearpaw Partners, PR Coordinator and Graphic Designer for the Honoring the Future/Kentucky State Arboretum virtual event, and held the position of VP Public Relations for Delta Delta Delta. Following her graduation, she worked as Digital Marketing Coordinator for Engel & Volkers Atlanta, and currently works as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Ameris Bank.

Jamison’s volunteer history includes multiple years of raising money and helping facilitate fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Hospital on behalf of Delta Delta Delta, as well as volunteering time for the Atlanta Humane Society, Ronald McDonald House and Huntcliff Assisted Living.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the LHA team, and to help spread awareness for an organization devoted to serving families when they need it most.”

 

Life House Atlanta

Maria Britain

Maria is a former genetics student of Dr. Fleiszar and was involved in some early discussions as Life House Atlanta was being formed. She recently returned to join the Communications Committee, and brings much needed technical and design experience to the organization.

Maria holds an M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction, M.S. in Media Art & Science, M.S. in Medical and Molecular Genetics from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. In addition, she has a B.F.A. in Visual Communication/Design from Auburn University and a B.S. in Biology from Kennesaw State University.

Maria is a user experience (UX) professional with years of experience in research, design and human factors. She has worked on retail hardware and software interfaces and ensured product compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Her work includes a patent in her name focused on people with disabilities. Maria has also worked in the financial industry as a UX researcher, advocating for users and understanding customers’ needs in order to make websites and mobile apps usable, relevant, and accessible. Maria also has medical research and laboratory experience in academic and clinical settings.

Maria’s service interests include design, research, and writing for digital experiences and technical writing. “I am excited to work with the Life House Atlanta team, and look forward to helping ensure that families can find the support they need at LHA.”

 

Life House Atlanta

Carla Bass

Carla met Kathleen Fleiszar at a Kennesaw Business Association meeting and eagerly stepped in to offer her expertise and guidance with the search for a property for Life House Atlanta. She serves on the board in an Ad-Hoc role.

Carla earned her B.S. in English and History from the University of Tennessee. Her entire 30 year career has been immersed in Commercial Real Estate including office, land and industrial sales and development. She is a Broker/Principal at CBCO Real Estate, LLC in Marietta. In her volunteer life, she is a member of Marietta First United Methodist Church and the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors where she serves on the Community Service Committee which identifies and supports three local charitable organizations annually. Carla is honored to support the efforts of Life House Atlanta. “It is a tremendous opportunity to assist families who are experiencing such tragedy and to provide support and comfort.”