Board of Directors
Lori McGrew | Chairman and Co-Founder
Lori McGrew was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in May 2002. Lori is a Realtor at Keaty Real Estate and is the co-founder of Maddie’s Footprints. She also works as General Manager for Grant Ethridge Construction. Lori is married to Travis and is the mother of Madeline “Maddie”, Noelle and Avery Anne.
Travis McGrew | Co-Founder
Travis McGrew was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. Travis has an Associate’s Degree in Network Administration and is currently Co-Owner/Agent at Shield 365 Insurance. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom ’04 and ’05. Travis is the father of Madeline Noelle McGrew and co-founder of Maddie’s Footprints. He is also the proud father of Noelle Elizabeth and Avery Anne.
Mike Collado | Vice Chairman
With more than two decades of experience as a licensed Louisiana funeral director, Mike has helped many families cope with the loss of a loved one. He graduated from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Science in Houston Texas in 1988. He began his career in 1988 working as a funeral director and began managing in 2000. Mike is presently managing Fountain Memorial Funeral Home in Lafayette Louisiana since 2007. His experience in the funeral industry is extensive; and has held numerous offices with the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association. He is the past president of the Southwest Louisiana Funeral Directors Association and has been on many committees since his presidency. He has held the Certified Funeral Service Practitioner designation. Mike also owns an Allstate insurance agency since 2005. His agency has been recognized as a premier service agency and has won Honor Ring numerous times and the Presidents Award.
Amber Trett | Treasurer
Maggie Simar | Secretary
Since 2003, Maggie has been the Hearing Officer for the 16th Judicial District’s Family Court docket. In that capacity, Maggie hears and makes recommendations on all family filings, including custody, child support, domestic violence litigation, spousal support, use of property, community property and any other ancillary issue pending from divorce, custody or domestic violence litigation, including criminal non support. Maggie graduated with her Bachelor of Arts, Broadcast Journalism, Louisiana State University in 1995 and her Juris Doctor, Louisiana State University Law School in 1998.
Jen Arceneaux
Jen was born and raised in Lafayette, La. but never considered herself a “true” Cajun because her family roots were planted in Oklahoma and Texas. She is a 2001 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She began her career in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) while residing in Dallas, Texas. After returning to south Louisiana in 2005, she and her husband, Casey began to build their family. She now has two children, Cole and Cate, who are healthy NICU graduates. Her dedication to the NICU continues today at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital where she’s spent the last 14 years. She earned her National Certification as a neonatal nurse. She is an active member of the hospital’s transport team, which serves outlying communities. Jen served on the founding Board of Maddie’s Footprints in 2010, but stepped down due to pregnancy complications. She was honored when asked to return to the Board of Directors in 2018.
Jen enjoys carrying on true Cajun traditions with her family and community. She’s an avid Ragin’ Cajuns fan.
Luke Blalock
Although a native of Louisiana, Luke grew up in Texas, graduating from Lewisville High School (Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex) in 2005. He then headed southeast to Louisiana and has called Baton Rouge home ever since. In 2010, Luke received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of New Orleans in 2011. He began his career at Guaranty Income Life Insurance Company, where he worked for over 10 years, finding his niche of accounting and finance in the insurance industry. In 2021, Luke was blessed with the opportunity to take on the role of Vice President and Controller at LUBA Workers’ Comp. Luke has been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 2015 and has served on the boards of industry organizations throughout his career. He is a member of the Cortana Kiwanis Club of Baton Rouge and serves as treasurer of LUBA’s community outreach program, LUBA Hope. He and his wife Samantha, a Baton Rouge native, have been blessed with four children: Charlie, Olivia, James and their heavenly angel Sophie Grace. Luke enjoys coaching his kids’ various sports teams, playing tennis, barbecuing, and watching LSU sports.
Aleisha Johnson Cook
Aleisha Johnson Cook is a Lafayette, LA, native with a passion for leadership, community service, and process improvement. After earning her bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she pursued her MBA in Global Supply Chain and Marketing; leading to a dynamic career 12-year career with a Fortune 100 manufacturing company where she held various roles in supply chain, operations, and project management, before returning home in 2019. Back in Lafayette, Aleisha continued making an impact—first as a Supply Chain Services Manager at Our Lady of the Lake, then as an Administrative Fellow at Our Lady of Lourdes, focusing on project management and process improvement for the Acadiana Region. Now, as the Principal Consultant for AJC Business Solutions, she helps businesses streamline operations and implement effective strategies. She also shares her expertise as an adjunct professor in the College of Business at UL Lafayette. Passionate about professional development, diversity and inclusion, and mentorship, Aleisha is deeply involved in the community. She is an active member of the Junior League of Lafayette and Women of Wisdom and serves on several boards, including the Acadiana Center for the Arts, the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the705 Young Professionals of Acadiana, and the Leadership Institute of Acadiana. When she’s not working or giving back, Aleisha enjoys spending time with her husband, Ronnie Cook, and miniature schnauzer, Gigi.
Andre Hebert
As a native of Lafayette, LA, Andre received his B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from The University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2011. After working in the Oil & Gas industry for 5 years, and countless moves around the Gulf, he transitioned back home in January 2016 where he is currently a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones. He is a member of The Rotary Club of Lafayette and BNI. He and his bride Kaitlyn have a loving son, Oliver, and best companion pup, Bowden. You can always catch him at a Cajuns game or lining up his third putt on the golf course.
Ben Powers
Ben is the man behind the well-known blog, Developing Lafayette , where he reports on new businesses and construction in the Acadiana area. Originally from Turkey Creek, Ben moved to Lafayette back in 2010 for a job in graphic design. Fast forward 2 years and Developing Lafayette was created. Quickly after its inception, the blog rapidly gained interest and now has a following of 54k on Facebook.
Staci Talbot, LCSW
Staci was born and raised in Lafayette, LA. She is the proud mom of her son, Lane, who loves all things football. Staci graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of West Florida and obtained her Master of Social Work from Florida State University in 2006. Once she completed her Master's Degree, Staci moved back to Louisiana, where she obtained her clinical licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. During her career at Our Lady of Lourdes Women's and Children's Hospital, Staci worked in the labor and delivery and postpartum departments, where she formed meaningful relationships with staff at Maddie's Footprints and witnessed firsthand the beautiful impact Maddie's has on the bereaved families. Over that time, she developed a passion for working with families experiencing grief and end-of-life challenges.
Dr. Katie Vignes
Dr. Katie Vignes is a Baton Rouge native and graduate of St. Joseph's Academy and LSU- Baton Rouge. After undergraduate, she pursued her medical degree at LSU- New Orleans and fell in love with women's health, pursuing OBGYN residency and Maternal Fetal Medicine fellowship in Kentucky. After training, she relocated closer to home to Lafayette where she serves the community as a board certified Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist at Ochsner Lafayette General. She is passionate about reducing maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality and is actively involved in continuing education, the society of Maternal Fetal Medicine and the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative . She has witnessed firsthand the devastation of fetal and infant loss for the families she cares for and was enamored by the support Maddie's Footprints brings to Acadiana. She joined the Board in 2025 to further advocate for the families of our community experiencing pregnancy loss. Katie is married to Jonathan Vignes, a physician with GBR Pulmonary Group, and has three children, Margaret, Andy and Jack. She is a lover of her dachshund, is an equestrian, and loves Taylor Swift and Ted Lasso.
