ClearWater Academy Board of Directors

Lynne Kassem and Dr. Mohamad Kassem

President and Vice President
The Kassems’ passion and commitment for empowering students with disabilities began with their own son, diagnosed with Pervasive Development Delay and other learning differences. Lynne Kassem, President of the Board, is married to Dr. Mohamad Kassem, Vice President of the Board. He is a nephrologist in Stockbridge, Georgia, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Henry Medical Center and Piedmont Hospital. He received his medical degree from Damascus University Faculty of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. The Kassems also have a beautiful daughter.

Fayetteville residents, Dr. Mohamad and Lynne Kassem, received the prestigious NobisWorks Luminary Award (pictured) for Professional Advocacy at the recent Galaxy of Stars & Tommy Awards in Atlanta. As owners and founders of ClearWater Academy in Tyrone, the Kassems have championed students with learning differences and disabilities offering them a unique blend of academics, social and emotional development and therapies. The Galaxy of Stars Luminary Award for Professional Advocacy honors professional leaders who have campaigned for the needs and rights of individuals with disabilities. NobisWorks, established by one of the NFL’s most prolific line backers and Atlanta Falcons great, Tommy Nobis, develops and provides job training, employment and vocational support for youth and adults with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

Sheila Dixon

Treasurer
Sheila Dixon is a graduate from Clayton State University with a degree in accounting and the current treasurer for ClearWater Academy. Sheila and her husband, David, have been married for over 32 years and have three children. Their son, Derek, lives in the area with his wife and new son. Their daughter, Megan, is married with three children and living around Columbia, SC. Their last child, Desirae, is still in high school and living at home. Sheila has been active over the years with several other nonprofit organizations including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Rainbow House. Her family has been members of a local church for more than 15 years. In her time off, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family. By the end of 2016, David and Sheila will have been to all 50 states together.

Heidi Johnson

Secretary
Heidi Johnson has a B.A. in Liberal Studies with a minor in Mathematics from San Jose State University. She has certifications in Early Childhood Education, Middle Grade Education and Gifted In-Field. She has been in education for twenty-eight years. Heidi is a FranklinCovey Certified Facilitator for The Leader in Me and 7 Habits of Effective Families. She is trained in Love & Logic and MindSet Crisis Prevention Strategies. She has presented at numerous conferences on creative and innovative learning approaches utilizing differentiated instruction and multiple intelligence theory. Heidi has teamed up with many community businesses over the years to bring real-life experiences into the classroom. She is a wife and mother of three grown sons, and feels so blessed to be on the ClearWater Academy Board.

Evelyn Barella

Member
Evelyn Barella is Director, National Media Relations, for the American Cancer Society Corporate Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. She has more than 15 years’ public relations, media relations and project/event management experience in health care and national health nonprofit organizations. She has proven success in promoting fund-raising and awareness campaigns through traditional media strategies and innovative outreach in the nation’s top markets. She has 20 years of editorial experience and has worked in magazine and newspaper publishing. During her professional career, Ms. Barella has received awards for her writing and commitment within the nonprofit sector. Ms. Barella’s community and volunteer experience includes participating as a team captain for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event Relay For Life. Ms. Barella received a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, in 1984. She resides in Fayetteville with her husband, Bob, and together they have three children, Melissa, Cory and Lauren.

Mike Holmes

Member
Born and raised south of Atlanta, Georgia, Mike Holmes graduated from The University of Georgia Terry Business School in 1986 and earned a Masters of Business Administration at Mercer University in 1994. He began his career as a Business Consultant at Chick-fil-A, Inc. in 1988 and went on to became a Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator in 1997 in Peachtree City, Georgia. In 2007, he became a two restaurant Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator and then became a three restaurant Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator in 2016. Mike married Cindy in 1991. They have four children: Skyler (21), Sierra (20), Savannah (17), and Sicily (16). Skyler and Sierra are following in Mike’s footsteps as they are currently enrolled in the Terry School of Business at the University of Georgia. Mike enjoys mentoring young Chick-fil-A Operators (currently 12) that have been developed through his organization. Additionally, Mike finds great pleasure in working with teenagers and young adults as they discover their passions and giftedness in life pursuits while employed at his Chick-fil-A restaurants. His passion for leadership has placed him in various responsible positions of influence as a church Elder, TeenPact Ministries Board Member, athletic Head Coach/ Program President, and a current member of Yaystack Corporation’s Advisory Board.

Adam M. Walters

Member
Adam M. Walters has served on Clearwater’s Board since 2015. Adam is Of Counsel with The Sanders Law Firm, P.C. in Atlanta and the founder of Walters Law, P.C. in Savannah, Georgia. His practice is focused on health care law where he represents physicians, physician practices, dialysis centers, toxicology laboratories and other ancillary providers in corporate, regulatory and litigation matters. Adam is married to Susan and they have two daughters, Carolyn and Hannah.

ClearWater Academy Advisory Board

Dr. Suvrat Bhargave

Advisor
Suvrat Bhargave, MD, is a renowned and respected educator, speaker, and board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry. His uncanny ability to relate to a multi-demographic audience has allowed his practice to reach an unparalleled level of success based on empathy, education, and empowerment. Affectionately known for his “relatable expertise,” Dr. Bhargave is highly sought after to lecture locally and nationally on a broad range of topics related to personal growth, effective parenting, relationship satisfaction, and mental health conditions. After completing his residency training and specialty fellowship from Duke University, Dr B (as he is lovingly called by his patients) has worked in hospital, community health, and private practice settings. Throughout the years, he has been most inspired by the impact his caring nature, education, and treatment have had on others to facilitate change and to experience fulfillment through gradual but dynamic moments of insight and awareness. A passionate advocate for healing and empowerment, Dr. B is compelled to bring a world of change to a single person or an audience of listeners one moment at a time.

Eric Dial

Advisor
Eric Dial is President of Dial Strategic Consulting, a non-profit consulting and government affairs firm located in Tyrone, Georgia. With his non-profit clients, Mr. Dial works in the areas of developmental and organizational management. In his governmental affairs work, he has played a key role in various successful legislative efforts including civil justice reform and property rights.

Prior to forming Dial Strategic Consulting, Mr. Dial worked in the office of U.S. Representative Mac Collins (R-GA), where he spent more than three years in the Washington, D.C. and Georgia offices. In 2007, Mr. Dial was elected to the Tyrone Town Council, and in 2011 he was elected Mayor. In 2012, Mr. Dial was elected by his mayoral peers to serve as Fayette County’s representative to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). As a part of his service on the ARC Board, he is a member of the Governance Committee and Vice Chairman of the Strategic Relations Committee.

He has served on several boards in his community including the School Councils for Tyrone Elementary, Robert Burch Elementary, Flat Rock Middle School, and Sandy Creek High School. He is also a member of multiple athletic booster clubs in support of his sons. Mr. Dial has lived in Fayette County for 30 years. He has lived in Tyrone for 15 years and currently resides there with his wife, Cheryl, and their three sons, Connor, Lawson, and Langdon.

Mr. Dial received his B.A. in Political Science from Georgia State University. He graduated from the U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell Leadership Institute in 1999.

Dr. Megan DiQuattro

Advisor
Dr. Megan DiQuattro graduated with her doctorate in clinical psychology from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, in 2013. She completed her internship at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. She then completed a two-year, APPCN approved, pediatric neuropsychology fellowship through Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) and Emory University School of Medicine. Throughout her training, Dr. DiQuattro has primarily worked with children, adolescents, and young adults ranging in age from 8 weeks to 25 years of age. She is trained to work with children with a broad range of medical, developmental, and behavior concerns.

She now has her own practice, Pediatric NeuroBehavioral Center, in Peachtree City. Her areas of expertise include assessment, therapy, and parent training/support. Visit www.neurobehavioralptc.com to learn more.