Margaret Kleiman Joins Distinguished List of Lenbrook Residents Honored for Positive Aging
From helping coordinate the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta to decades of volunteer work with local healthcare organizations, Margaret Kleiman has built a life around finding ways to help others. Now a Profiles in Positive Aging honoree selected by the LeadingAge Georgia Center for Positive Aging, Margaret joins a distinguished group of Lenbrook Residents who have received this recognition every year since 2012.
LeadingAge Georgia is a statewide association representing organizations that provide housing, health care, and community-based services for older adults. Its Profiles in Positive Aging program celebrates those who lead purposeful lives and make meaningful contributions through service to others. Margaret’s life quote, “Live with an Attitude of Gratitude,” offers a glimpse into the outlook that has guided her throughout her career and volunteer work both in her community and at Lenbrook, making her a natural for this honor.
After a successful 25-year marketing career with IBM, Margaret chose early retirement to pursue her interests in sports and community service. She spent three years with the Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee as Senior Director of the Paralympic Village, overseeing planning and operations for housing, feeding, and entertaining 6,000 athletes, coaches, and officials from 120 countries during the 16 days of the 1996 Paralympic Games.
Margaret later returned to the corporate world, where she worked for Norell, Northern Trust Retirement Consulting, and Hewitt Associates. At Hewitt, she served as Atlanta Community Relations and Philanthropic Team Leader and helped expand the company’s charitable outreach.
Much of Margaret’s time and energy, however, has gone toward volunteer service. For more than 40 years, she volunteered with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. During that time, she organized fundraising events and provided books and gifts for young patients. For 30 years, she has supported Shepherd Center events and brought books and games to patients. She also volunteered regularly with Angel Flight of Georgia on its Outreach Committee.
Her involvement extended to numerous other organizations, including the Atlanta Track Club, the Sports Council Event Management Group, Atlanta Symphony, Cobb Performing Arts Center, Ronald McDonald House, and Peachtree Road United Methodist Church’s Christmas Kindness Program. She also served as a marshal for the PGA TOUR Championship benefiting First Tee. Whether organizing events or helping meet practical needs, Margaret has always been willing to step in where she can be useful.
When Margaret moved to Lenbrook in 2022, she brought that same willingness to get involved. She quickly became an active leader in the Lenbrook Residents Association Council, serving as Secretary, Vice President, and President. In each role, she focused on strengthening communication, improving processes, and finding practical ways to enhance life for residents.
Her approach to leadership has been consistent throughout her life: when she sees a need, she takes action. At Lenbrook, that has meant working collaboratively and looking for ways to make the community a better place. For Margaret, volunteering is about building connections and leaving every place better than she found it. Her continued involvement at Lenbrook is the latest chapter in a lifetime spent giving her time and energy to others.
