All About Developmental Disabilities Boosts Board wIth Four New Members

ATLANTA - April 24, 2014 - PRLog -- All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD), Georgia’s preeminent provider of support services for families living with developmental disabilities, has added four new members to its Board of Directors.  The nonprofit agency (www.aadd.org) has appointed quality control analyst Jessica Hardaway, attorney Kristin Lewis, real estate asset consultant Richard Peaseand wealth manager Justin Ryan to the Board.

“We’re excited about the skills these new board members bring to the table for AADD,” said All About Developmental Disabilities Board President Lisa Blanco. “Each brings experience, passion and the perspective we need to support Georgians with developmental disabilities.”

Jessica Hardaway - Jessica Hardaway is a Quality Assurance/Quality Control Analyst for Georgia Power Environmental Laboratory. Prior to working for the Southern Company she held various positions in the chemistry field. She earned her B.S. Degree in Biochemistry from Florida A&M University.  She is a member of AADD’s  Partners in Policymaking Class of 2012 and has been accepted as a member of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2014.  She lives in Vinings, where she helped establish and serves as president of the South Cobb Chapter of the Citizens of Georgia Power service organization.

Kristin Lewis - Kristin Lewis is an attorney in the Tax Practice at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.  She is a nationally recognized expert on Special Needs Trust planning for persons challenged by disabilities, and is a frequent speaker and author on this topic. Lewis is an active member of the Special Needs Alliance, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, and the Georgia Planned Giving Council. In 2012 and 2013, she was named a “Georgia Super Lawyer” in estate planning and probate, and was named one of the Best Lawyers in America® 2013 in Trusts and Estates.

Lewis received her B.A. degree in French and political science, with highest honors, from Wellesley College in 1981, and her J.D. degree from Cornell Law School in 1984. She lives in Sandy Springs, where she is an active member of St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church.

Richard Pease - Since founding his own firm, BREK Management, Richard Pease has been providing consulting services to owners and developers of real estate assets in commercial, multi-family, retail and hospitality markets. A graduate of Syracuse University, Pease lives in Buckhead. He has three grown sons who all live in the Atlanta area: Brent, Evan and Kyle, who was born with cerebral palsy.

Justin Ryan - Justin Ryan is the managing partner, lead portfolio manager and founder of The Ryan Group at UBS Private Wealth Management.  He works with a limited number of families, endowments and corporations focusing on investment strategy, asset allocation, risk management and alternative investment selection. He co-founded the Believe in Me Foundation, which raises money for children with autism.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Ryan lives in North Atlanta with his wife Elizabeth and their three children, Jackson, Jameson and Alexandra.

All About Developmental Disabilities

Founded in 1956,All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) is an Atlanta-based non-profit organization dedicated to creating lifelong support, education and opportunities for children, adults and families living with developmental disabilities.  AADD provides support services, advocacy and training to families living with developmental disabilities.

Developmental disabilities are defined as severe chronic disabilities that limit three or more critical functional abilities.  Examples include Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, autism disorders, fetal alcohol disorders and intellectual disabilities.  These disabilities often manifest early in life (before age 22) and last a lifetime.

Georgia relies on a disjointed system of services and support that cannot be sustained long-term.  Economic uncertainties are reducing funding support, even as the number of people in need increases.  AADD offers a range of services focusing on Family Support, Public Policy and Advocacy and Community Engagement.  For more information, go towww.AADD.org or call us at (404) 881-9777.

Contact: Mitch Leff, Leff & Associates, (404) 861-4769, mitch@leffassociates.com