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Mary Kathryn Wells, Jamie Bodner, Tejal Lalaji, Niko Karatassos, Joanne Hayes (Host)

Niko Karatassos/ Buckhead Life Restaurant Group
President and COO

Dining in any of the Buckhead restaurants is an experience to be savored. Each has its own style, atmosphere and flavor. Yet they all share one quality: a comfortable dining experience at a terrific value, unlike any other. We look forward to serving you soon. As in the beginning, what distinguishes Buckhead Life today is an all-consuming devotion to both food and guest. Imaginative menus composed by elite chefs delight and surprise, artfully mixing the classic and exotic. Gracious, impeccable service, perennially praised in a variety of publications, leaves patrons feeling as though theirs is the only table in the room.  The History of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group: “A Thousand Little Things”  On his philosophy for success, Pano has said, “Running a restaurant is not one big thing. It is a thousand little things.” Which is the reason each night, in every restaurant, it is a thousand little things that make the Buckhead Life experience unlike any other.  25 years and 12 internationally renowned restaurants later, the name Pano Karatassos rings synonymous with upscale Atlanta dining of every flavor. While CHOPS, PRICCI and VENI VIDI VICI mirror the dark-wooded, traditional sensibilities of forbearer PANO’S & PAUL’S, nouveau concepts such as KYMA and BLUEPOINTE dazzle with superstylish surrounds and chic, clubby vibes. For business or pleasure, Buckhead Life offers a destination perfect for any appetite, mood and occasion.  Pano Karatassos did not set out to build a dynasty. Yet, starting with a passion for food, a pioneering spirit, and a now-famous hideaway in the heart of Old Buckhead, he would launch the company – and culinary renaissance – that put Atlanta’s restaurant scene on the map.  Low-lit, velvet-draped and awash in Old World charm, PANO’S & PAUL’S debuted in 1979 to the acclaim of critics and locals alike. The shared vision of Pano and longtime friend, Chef Paul Albrecht, PANO’S & PAUL’S would defy fine-dining convention with a blend of casual sophistication and innovative gourmet fare. An instant landmark, it was little wonder that PANO’S & PAUL’S, the first Buckhead Life restaurant, would be far from the last.

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Dr. Tejal Lalaji/The Womans Imaging Group (WIG)

Tejal M. Lalaji, M.D. is a subspecialty radiologist in breast imaging and has been with The Radiology Group since 2006. She earned her medical degree from St. George’s University and completed her radiology residency at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn Heights and Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital. She completed her fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta. Her residency and fellowship focused on neuroradiology, head and neck imaging, and breast imaging. Dr. T. Lalaji, M.D. is MQSA certified and has over 10 years of experience in the field of mammography. She is trained in Breast MRI and passionate about women’s imaging.

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Jamie Bodner/Pinnacle Fitness
Owner and Fitness design expert

Jamie Bodner. Jamie’s love for fitness, weight training, and health began at a young age. He realized he could finally be in-shape like those around him by taking care of himself through exercising and eating right. He started reading every book and magazine he could and working out every moment he was able. Once he started, it quickly became a passion and it opened up a new world and way of life for him. Growing up in New York, Jamie always expected to go to college before settling into the corporate lifestyle. He never once thought about making his passion for fitness his career. Still, while he was working his way up the corporate ladder at the World Trade Center, he never felt one hundred percent fulfilled. After 9/11, Jamie decided to follow his dream to fruition.  Studying with the renowned Dr. Jack Barnathan, owner and founder of NYStrength, a worldwide leader in health, fitness, strength, and conditioning, he became a certified Fitness trainer with the International Sports Science Association (ISSA). He then moved to Miami and began his fitness career working for Bally’s initially as a trainer before then to assistant manager. He was later recruited by Results Fitness Studio for the head trainer position. During his time at Results Fitness, he also worked with the United Teaches of Dade County (UTD)creating and implementing dynamic fitness programs which resulted in a 90% increase in productivity, lower insurance premiums, and a raised level of moral. In 2005, Jamie and his wife, Laura, relocated to Laura’s hometown of Atlanta where Jamie set about realizing his lifelong goal: opening his own fitness studio. After thinking of the name and discovering the perfect location, Pinnacle Fitness opened in May 2008 in the heart of Buckhead.  Since his first certification, he has continued to obtain additional certifications in Sports Performance such as Nutrition, Arthritis, Special Population and Sports Posifice Training, and Core/Functional Training. Jamie prides himself on understanding his clients’ needs and desires and seeing their potential. Jamie has worked with every type of client across the spectrum, from people in their late sixties who had never used free weights to high school athletes to improve their performance. No matter what fitness level, he will design a program that will suit your needs, whether it’s to make everyday activities easier or to make you a stronger competitive athlete. Jamie will always encourage you, pulling your inner strength out with a smile. Along with instructing you on the gym floor, he will also share with you the latest research he finds on nutrition and health. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t start or stop in the gym; he wants you to have the tools you need to reach your goals. He asks every client, “You know you are doing your best when you are here at Pinnacle for your workout. Are you doing the best outside of the gym?” Jamie will ensure that you will.  Having been overweight as a child at the age of twelve, Jamie fully understand the difficulties and humiliation that is faced daily by those who are overweight and out-of-shape. That’s why Jamies first became interested in fitness, weight training, and health – and that’s why Jamie can be your special advoicate in finally geting yourself in-shape.

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Mary Kathryn Wells/Buckhead Atlanta
Director of Marketing

What is Buckhead Atlanta?  Buckhead Atlanta is a 1.5 million-square-foot mixed-use neighborhood covering six city blocks and eight acres in the heart of the Buckhead Village. The project features in its first phase 370 high-end apartments, luxury retail and dining and office space that will include the headquarters of shapewear company Spanx. Planning for a second phase is in the works.  The project started its life as the Streets of Buckhead, a $1 billion-plus mini-city atop Buckhead former rowdy bar scene, that also veered heavily toward world-class luxury retail. It also included plans for ritzy hotels and residences. That project stalled after the recession started, and California-based OliverMcMillan took over at the end of 2010 and restarted the project on a smaller, but still ambitious scale.

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