Meet the Lassa Family

This month, Stroll Inside the Gates spotlights the Lassa family. Norine was born and raised on Long Island, NY where she and her six siblings spent all their free time at the beach. Scott, on the other hand, was born in a small town in Wisconsin. He grew up on a lake and thoroughly enjoyed spending time on the water. 

For her undergraduate studies, Norine attended Elizabeth Seton, an all-girls catholic college. She went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business. Scott first attended Wisconsin State University – Oshkosh, but then he furthered his education at Marquette and The Milwaukee Area Technical College. Scott first focused on a degree in business, but then he switched paths to study chemistry and engineering. 

After graduating from Elizabeth Seton, Norine developed her own Mid-Atlantic sales agency, which sold to all the major sporting goods and department stores at a corporate level. Her work was primarily focused on the sale of athletic apparel, including brands like Thorlo, Champion, TYR, Reebok, and many more. 

Following his decision to focus on chemistry and engineering, Scott’s career was shaped by a number of outside influences. “My uncle was a manufacturing supervisor at the PPG Industries Milwaukee facility,” recounts Scott. “Through this connection, I was able to land summer jobs working in the plant. When I got out of school, I again got a job with PPG, and over a 40-year period worked my way from the back end of a broom to managing a chemical division within the company. 

Norine and Scott first met by accident in a restaurant in Washington, D.C. At the time, Norine was on a business trip promoting a new product from Jogbra with the founder of the company. When she came down from her room for dinner, she and her friend were sent to the bar to await a table. Scott and Norine struck up a conversation, and the rest is history. Two weeks later, Scott flew to NY to see Norine, which began a wonderful long-distance relationship for the couple. They both commuted between Wisconsin and NY for two years before marrying. Scott was very grateful that his company let him transfer to a new location, allowing the couple to finally live close to each other. Scott and Norine have been happily married for 35 years and counting. 

Scott and Norine were blessed with one incredible son, Malcolm Hetzer. Malcolm graduated from Gatewood Schools, then he went on to attend Georgia Southern and Athens Tech. Now he operates a very successful electrical business (Hetzer Electric) here at the lake. He and his wife Morgan have two wonderful sons of their own, Maddux (11) and Maher (8) who also now attend Gatewood. Scott and Norine love having family so close to home, and they take any opportunity they can to spend quality time with their grandchildren. Their family also wouldn’t be complete without Casey, their 8-year-old English Black Lab that gives sweet a whole new meaning. 

Scott and Norine first discovered Georgia’s Lake Country while on a golf vacation to Savanah in 2001. “We swung by Reynolds with some friends and stopped in for a few rounds of golf,” Norine adds. “During the second round, while standing on the 11th tee box at Great Waters looking out at a beautiful golf hole feeding into a spectacular lake, we said to each other that 'we should talk to a realtor’. Shortly after our next round, we signed the papers on our new lot.” 

“We spent the next four years coming down quarterly and staying a week at a time, enjoying what the varied seasons had to offer,” Norine continues. “We were trying to punch holes in the magic of Reynolds, but we had no luck.” Due to their family dynamics changing and Norine deciding it was time to shake up her career, the couple started building in April of 2005 and moved in soon after. Long story short, the Lassa’s have now been living inside the gates for 20 years. For both Scott and Norine, their favorite aspects of life here are the people, the impeccable quality of the facilities, the restaurants, the unparalleled golf courses, and the continuous effort put forward to always enhance member experiences. 

To give back to her community, Norine first got involved with St. Vincent DePaul at C.O.K.A.S. She worked with C.O.K.A.S. for about 5 years as a caseworker, then she took on pet therapy with her previous Lab, Benelli. She would visit local nursing homes and take trips to the VA Hospital in Augusta. Now, she is dedicating her time to The Pete Nance Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro, organizing fundraisers. Scott, on the other hand, gives back by volunteering with the Greene County Food Pantry. He works behind the scenes, dealing with transportation equipment and other necessities. 

In her free time, Norine loves taking numerous wellness classes offered at Reynolds, golfing, and boating. Scott is all about the outdoors, so he can often be found either golfing, hunting, traipsing around in the woods, or spending time out on the lake. 

Lake Oconee Boat Tours 

“About four years Norine and I were discussing how so many people in this area never really get to appreciate what Lake Oconee has to offer,” recounts Scott. “We thought that perhaps a boat tour business would help give people a completely new perspective on the size and beauty of Reynolds and everything else contained in this ‘bubble’ we call ‘The Lake Country’. We had the boat, we had the time, and we had a love for this lake - so we started Lake Oconee Boat Tours.” 

From March through November, Norine and Scott welcome guests aboard their spacious Barletta Tritoon for a relaxed two-hour cruise filled with history, hidden gems, beauty, and tranquility. The entire experience is designed to leave guests relaxed, smiling and with a whole new appreciation for Reynold’s Lake Oconee and the surrounding lake area. Each guest becomes part of their lake family, and each trip usually ends with hugs and an enthusiastic promise to visit again. Norine and Scott also bake delicious cookies for all their Lake Oconee Boat Tour guests!

 “We’ve really enjoyed meeting people not only from inside Reynolds but from all over the world,” adds Norine. “Some of the countries our customers have come from include Japan, India, Australia, St. Croix, Anguilla, Germany, Ireland, and Canada!”