Who We Are

Better Living Together (BLT) was founded in 2016 by Tim and Beate Sass, parents of an adult daughter who is living with a developmental disability. Our membership includes individuals with and without disabilities, caregivers, and organizations from throughout the Metro Atlanta area. BLT is dedicated to addressing the housing crisis facing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through the creation of disability-inclusive communities. We are also leading advocacy efforts to influence policy changes that will enhance funding for affordable housing projects in Georgia that include individuals with IDD.

Our Board

Emma H. Barry has worked with Kristen M. Lewis in her Special Needs Estate Planning practice since graduating from Georgia State University College of Law in 2016. Emma focuses her practice on Special Needs Trust matters and other aspects of comprehensive Special Needs Estate Planning. She has extensive experience representing clients in Guardianship and Conservatorship proceedings in Probate Courts throughout Georgia.

Emma is from Atlanta and attended Woodward Academy before earning her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Davidson College. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia.

Emma is a member of the Fiduciary and Elder Law Sections of the State Bar of Georgia. She is an active member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the American Bar Association. Emma is also a graduate of the Philanthropic Advisors Leadership Institute.

Emma serves as a Children’s Legacy Advisor for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She also serves on the Board of SNs360, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to residential options, employment opportunities, and faith communities for persons with disabilities. In addition, Emma is involved in The Georgia Heirs Property Law Center’s Form Project, which seeks to create a set of estate planning forms to help remediate heirs property in the broader community.

Emma and her husband live in Dunwoody with their two children.

Committee Chair for Fundraising

Jane Bowden Gore grew up in the Atlanta area, where she attended The Walker School. She received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and French from Georgetown University. At Georgetown, she volunteered in the Founding Chapter of Best Buddies for four years and served as Director. She returned to Atlanta to complete her PhD in Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at Georgia State University with a research focus on memory and aging.

Jane has served as a professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Georgia State University for the past thirteen years. She teaches courses in neuroscience and a professional practice course focused on the psychology of disability and disability advocacy. She serves as the co-chair of the program’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group.

Jane is currently the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Children’s School in Midtown, and she served on the Board of The Walker School for six years.

Jane’s husband, Rusty, is a neurologist at the Shepherd Center, and they live in Atlanta with their two children.

Committee Chair for Partners and Communication

Harley grew up in northern Wisconsin, went to college at the University of Texas at Austin, and has called the Atlanta area home for nearly a dozen years. He started his career as a newspaper journalist, where he ended up writing a lot about this new thing called “the Internet,” back when this thing called the internet was a new thing. He segued into helping newspapers launch their own websites, which after a twist and turn or two, led him to help advertising agencies in Dallas and Atlanta build websites and expand their social media platforms. Harley is currently working as a user experience researcher at EY.

Harley’s expertise is in communications, so he will be assisting with the BLT website, email newsletters, and social media platforms.

Harley and his wife (a math tutor working with kids from 1st through 7th grade) moved to the Midway Woods neighborhood three-and-one-half years ago, which is when he first stumbled upon Legacy Park. Watching the developments there with keen interest, he responded to a Nextdoor posting from Beate, who was looking for help with Better Living Together’s communications.
Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, fly-fishing, and writing.

Beate Sass is the co-founder of Better Living Together (BLT). After a 30-year career as a physical therapist, Beate is now dedicating her effort to developing a model intentional community for individuals with and without disabilities. In 2014, Beate participated in Partners in Policymaking with All About Developmental Disabilities, which provided her with the tools to become an advocate for her daughter, Christine, and for others experiencing disability. After completing her advocacy training, Beate embarked on a two-year project entitled Real Stories Real People, which chronicled the lives and challenges of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. She was moved by the stories shared by parents and their concerns and fears for the future of their adult children. Those stories fueled the inspiration for forming BLT. Beate is also a professional photographer and is dedicated to using her craft to highlight people’s stories in her community.

Tim Sass is the co-founder of Better Living Together. He is also a Distinguished University Professor of Economics at Georgia State University. His research focuses on the economics of education, including teacher quality, school choice and special education. He is also the faculty director of the Metro Atlanta Policy Lab for Education (MAPLE) – a partnership between five metro area school districts and GSU that uses data and rigorous research to improve outcomes for students. He has acted as a consultant to school systems in Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, New York City, Washington, DC, the State of Florida and the State of New York.

Mariel Risner Sivley, Esq., is Director of Housing at St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. At SVdP Georgia, Mariel engages in new opportunities for strategic partnerships and manages and expands housing and homelessness programs. She is also involved with SVdP GA’s affordable housing development projects. Mariel is a Board member of the Georgia Supportive Housing Association (GSHA) and previously served as Executive Director of the organization. In this role, Mariel co-developed the statewide HousingFirst Georgia coalition of partner organizations and individuals to address and elevate issues relevant to supportive housing. She also led the creation of training on the development of supportive housing in Georgia. She is a Board member of Better Living Together, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the housing crisis facing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the creation of inclusive communities. Mariel started her career as an attorney with the Georgia Law Center for the Homeless and was the co-recipient of a Distinguished Service Award from the Atlanta Bar Association in 2012. She served as an Adjunct Professor for the Externship Program in the area of Public Interest Law at Emory University School of Law and as the volunteer coordinator for the Atlanta Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. She is a graduate of Emory University and the Georgia State University College of Law.

Adria Wiggins is an Atlanta native, well-versed and experienced non-profit and developmental disability leader, small business owner, a certified life coach and an active member/volunteer in her community. Adria currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Hi-Hope Service Center, a provider of intellectual and developmental disability services.

Adria attended North Atlanta High School prior to her matriculation at Clark Atlanta University where she received an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Adria also holds a master’s degree in Community Counseling from Argosy University.

Adria has worked in the social services field for sixteen years as a leader of intellectual and developmental disability, mental health, behavior support and elder services. Adria has worked for The William Breman Jewish Home, Meyer Balser NORC, Access Mental Health and United Cerebral Palsy of GA. Adria has extensive experience in program leadership, developing emerging leaders, crisis intervention, process improvement, policy development, change management, compliance monitoring, advocacy, community outreach, fundraising and training.

Adria’s business, Self-Investment Enrichment Services (SIES), provides skilled nursing, personal support and companion/sitter services in several counties within and south of the Metro Atlanta area.

Adria enjoys volunteering at her church and is an active member of the Girl Scouts of America and volunteers as a meeting manager with the Cascade United Methodist Cadette Troop.

Adria looks for the positives in every situation. She feels that there is always an opportunity to celebrate a small victory/accomplishment, to learn and to grow. One of her favorite quotes is by John Wooden- “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”