Meet Our Team

Meredith Lagasse is the Executive Director at The Blake at Colonial Club. She is originally from River Ridge, Louisiana, and she has 25 years of experience in public education, as a special education teacher, a principal, and a director of human resources. Her favorite part of working with seniors is being energized by their enthusiasm and warmth every day. She loves to see the smiles on their faces when her team works together to make a great community. Meredith loves working with her admin team to make every day the best day for her community.

When Meredith isn’t working, she loves spending time with her family! She has a supportive husband of 20 years, three great kids (aged 30, 19, and 18) and two four-legged friends, Jagger and Paisley. She also loves to cross-stitch.

Missy is the Director of Sales for the Blake at Colonial Club. A mom of two beautiful girls, Missy was born and raised in New Orleans and attended the University of South Alabama, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Adult Communications and Behaviors with a minor in Gerontology. After graduation, Missy worked in senior living, where she blossomed as a Sales Director. Missy’s favorite part of working with seniors is listening to their love stories and their amazing life experiences. Her favorite part of working at The Blake is having a supportive and amazing leadership team – “Truly a family,” she says. When she’s not working, Missy is an avid runner. She also enjoys spending time with her family, “especially my two incredible daughters, Katherine and Abigail, and my rescue dog, Luna Bear.”

Tish Albarado is the Assistant Director of Wellness at The Blake at Colonial Club. She is originally from Norco, Louisiana, and is an LPN, having received her license from Delgado Community College. She was a medical assistant for 15 years before attending nursing school. Once she graduated, she worked with the pediatric community.

Tish's favorite part of working with seniors is hearing the stories of their past and seeing the excitement when they speak about it. She also enjoys making relationships with residents and their families. Her favorite part of working at the Blake is being able to work with seniors. As she puts it, "There is nothing better than caring for our seniors. I know coming to work every day, I'm living by our motto: 'We Serve Others'."

When Tish isn't working, she loves traveling and spending time with her husband, 2 children (age 24 and 26), and, of course, her fur babies, Gizmo and Lola.

Janene Pelas is the Director of Activities at The Blake at Colonial Club. She is from Wichita, KS, and has seven years of experience in an Independent and Assisted Living Facility and one year of experience in Memory Care. Her favorite part of working with seniors is making their days better and getting to know them. Her favorite part of working at The Blake is laughing with the residents. In her spare time, she enjoys walking around the Frenchmen and listening to music.

Maria is the Director of Memory Care here at The Blake at Colonial Club. She was born in New Orleans and raised in Chalmette, Louisiana. She holds an associate degree with an emphasis in health and wellness from Pearl River Community College.

Maria's favorite part about working with seniors is seeing them smile during activities. She says that there is something special about engaging with them and having them respond with a smile so genuine it lights up the room.

Additionally, her favorite thing about working at The Blake is the community atmosphere.

When she is not working, she enjoys volunteering with her husband at their church or at other community events. Fun Fact: Her family was named the Family of The Year in 2023 by the local Knights of Columbus.

Allison Bhatia is our Reunion Program Coordinator. Originally from Indiana, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Alabama and is a board-certified music therapist. Allison has extensive experience working with individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities, as well as in hospice care and nursing homes. She treasures gaining the residents' perspectives on life and finds joy in seeing them light up while engaging in activities they love. Her favorite part of working at The Blake is enjoying Mr. Tyrone's famous bread pudding and participating in the holiday events. Outside of work, Allison loves spending time with her children, visiting the park, and working on cross-stitch projects. She also wanted to share her enthusiasm by saying, “Roll Tide!”