Meet Our Staff
Administration
Marie Collins, MA, LPC, LMFT, LAC, NSI Practitioner
(She, Her, Hers)
Executive Director
mcollins@acadianafamilytree.org
Mrs. Marie Collins is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Addictions Counselor, and Neuro-Somatic Intelligence Practitioner. She joined The Family Tree in 2016 after working for ten years at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. Prior to that, she worked in residential and outpatient addiction treatment. She is originally from Acadiana and graduated with her Master’s in Counseling from Louisiana State University. Mrs. Collins is passionate about enhancing meaningful programs that assist the community and working families. Her experience in working with both adults and youth makes her a wonderful asset to The Tree. She enjoys working with people from all walks of life and assisting them in their personal growth journey. She also enjoys her time working with staff on skills to regulate their nervous system.
She has been married since 2003 and has two sons. Marie loves self-care and advocacy! She enjoys growing a jungle of plants and can be found walking in nature.
Toni Bailey
Director of Operations
tbailey@acadianafamilytree.org
Mrs. Bailey is a lifetime resident of the Acadiana area and loves that her position as Director of Operations allows her to work with members of her hometown community and make big impacts in a place she holds near and dear to her heart. She joined the team after 18 years as an Executive Administrative Assistant and Billing Supervisor with an Inpatient Treatment Facility governed by a cooperative agreement between Lafayette Consolidated Government, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the State of Louisiana Office of Behavioral Health. Throughout her career, she has had the pleasure of working with diverse populations and applies her experience of working with clients, community stakeholders, law enforcement, and government officials to ensure impeccable implementation of all agency programs/services that will result in optimal outcomes for clients and participants. She is passionate about getting the best possible care for her clients and is an advocate for service affordability, program accountability, and equitable access to care.
Toni is married to one of Lafayette’s finest firefighters and has two adult children. She also has two furbabies, a boxer and a Maltese. As a family, they enjoy spending time together, cooking, dancing, and sports. Toni is also an essential oil enthusiast. She’s crazy about the powerful benefits of essential oils and believes there’s nothing they can’t help with.
Kristen Romero
Operations Supervisor
kromero@acadianafamilytree.org
Kristen became a part of our team in January 2020. She is originally from New Iberia, Louisiana and has resided in Lafayette since 2017. Kristen obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Child and Family Studies from The University of Louisiana at Lafayette in December 2019. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart and welcomed their first child in September 2023. During her free time, she cherishes spending time with loved ones.
Kristen finds fulfillment in life by positively impacting others, no matter how small the gesture and she is dedicated to offering assistance and support to those in need.
Tahjarell Angelette
(She, Her, Hers)
Support Coordinator
tangelette@acadianafamilytree.org
Lana Venable
Support Coordinator
lvenable@acadianafamilytree.org
Laurie LaFleur
Fund Development Specialist
LLaFleur@acadianafamilytree.org
Laurie was born and raised in Broussard, La. She is genuinely honored and overjoyed to join The Family Tree Healthy Start team as the Community Action Network (CAN) Coordinator. She has worked two previous tenors with The Family Tree Healthy Start Program from 2005-2010 and in 2014- 2016 when Healthy Start was relaunched and again in 2023. Her previous experience of over 15 years with the Healthy Start program and other non-profits will be vital to making connections with the community to create new and lasting relationships and collaborations. Her unwavering commitment remains dedicated, strong, and passionate to fulfilling the mission of The Family Tree Healthy Start program. She is fully dedicated to serving and meeting the needs to provide community resources for mothers, babies, and families in our community. Laurie and her husband Chris, enjoy traveling, home projects, traveling with Chris’ Cajun band, sharing quality time with their 3 beautiful grandchildren, and daughter and son-in-law, and rescue cat Kalle.
Amber Savoy
Lead Support Coordinator
asavoy@acadianafamilytree.org
After plenty of years providing direct services to numerous groups of individuals, Amber is ready to embark on a new adventure in her career. As the former Lead Case Manager for the Lafayette Healthy Start Program, she has garnered invaluable insights into the needs and aspirations of those she has served. With an urge to create a lasting impact from behind the scenes, she will take on the Lead Support Coordinator position, helping to streamline operations and support the growing agency’s mission.
“Life is like an arrow; the father back you’re pulled, the farther forward you will end up.” This quote resonates deeply with Amber’s journey, as she recognizes that each step backward has only prepared her to launch forward with greater strength and clarity. When life challenges us to stretch our limits, we find new ways to innovate, adapt, and lead.
Amber’s shift focuses not only on her professional growth but also on amplifying the voices of those she once directly served. By fine-tuning the operations of the agency, she aspires to create an environment where both staff and clients can thrive. In this new role, Amber blends her history of hands-on care with strategic insight, driven by the knowledge that a strong foundation is essential for lasting change. Together, she believes they can build a bridge that ushers transformative services into countless lives- and that journey begins now.
Outside of work-, you can find her in her garden, sipping on a hot cup of coffee. She takes these moments to reconnect with nature, breathe deeply, and remind herself that every challenge encountered, every setback faced is merely a stepping-stone toward a greater joy. With her best friend/husband, Austin, by her side, supporting her dreams and ambitions, and her daughters adding to the laughter and love in their home, Amber embraces the small setbacks. They remind her to stay focused, to aim high- not just for her personal goals, but for the greater good of others.
So, with each new challenge life presents, she views it as a slingshot, launching her into unchartered territories rich with opportunity and hope. After all, “When life is dragging you back, it’s merely holding you for a grand release.” And that is how Amber lives- looking forward and reaching for the sky.