Our Team

Nathan works as an HVAC journeyman for the pipefitters union in Portland OR. When he's not at work, he is donating his time at The Lasko Refuge mentoring other addicts and building a space for them to feel safe, respected, and loved. Nathan is a prime example of someone who's life was turned upside-down by drugs and alcohol. You can read all about his crazy story in the "tales of a professional alcoholic" blog section. (Spoiler alert: Its a comeback story). 

Nathan has two beautiful children and two German shepherds named Cadence and Jerry Lee. He works everyday to raise awareness of the dangers of substance abuse and addiction and fights tirelessly to end the stigma that surrounds it.

With a BA in Children's Studies, Breeun works at Liberty Lake Children's Academy as a Preschool/Pre-K teacher. She also works as a cello instructor and is the owner/instructor at Satori Dance Studio. For fun she enjoys reading, dancing, and spending time with friends and family. Having been in recovery for seven years, she recognizes the importance of abstinence-based recovery for a holistic and happy life. Breeun loves helping with every challenge recovery presents. Helping others champion each step towards a life free from addiction is for her, a strong personal mission.

Dr. Alexander Lapidus graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz in 1990 with a degree in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology. He completed medical school at University of California, Davis in 2000, followed by a residency in Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University. He has practiced emergency medicine for 16 years in the Portland area.

In the emergency department he met countless people struggling with addiction and became dedicated to serving them. He has practiced addiction medicine in the Portland area for over 6 years, and believes that a successful approach to treatment involves a balance of appropriate medications, introspection, counseling, and personal growth. He is eager to participate in each patient's path to a life free from addiction. He understands this path is not always a straight line, but rather one that may require constant redirection. He remains dedicated to his patients as they work towards a better life.

He lives in southeast Portland with his wife, two daughters, and Basset Hound, Larry. He enjoys motorcycles, mountain bikes, cooking, and tinkering.

Robert is a US Navy Veteran and Chemcore Industries Sales Representative. His personal connection to alcoholism and addiction comes from a son who has struggled with substance abuse for over a decade. Robert is very passionate about our startup, having found many parallels between objectives of The Lasko Refuge, and a personal desire to see his son overcome addiction. His goal is to help foster and witness multitudes toward the realization of a life on solid foundations, freed from many burdens of substance abuse/addiction.