COVINGTON, LA—As Avanti Senior Living of Covington prepares to open its doors this June, the revolutionary senior living community continues to expand its leadership team with the hiring of an Executive Director, Community Relations Director and Wellness Director.
Keri Marler is Executive Director at Avanti. Marler has years of related experience; she began her career as a paramedic, working in communities throughout South Louisiana for over 12 years. She is also well versed in working with seniors as she served as executive director of an assisted living community in Metairie and a retirement center in Baton Rouge, as well as director of admissions and marketing for a nursing home and rehabilitation center in Baton Rouge. Marler attended Louisiana Technical College, where she received certification in both EMT-Basic Training and EMT-Paramedic Training. Marler’s name may sound familiar to many because in 2015, she was crowned Mrs. Louisiana International. During her reign, she worked to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease as a member of the board of directors for the Alzheimer’s Association Baton Rouge area chapter, and as an ambassador with Representative Garret Graves’ office. She continues this work and is excited to join the team at Avanti Senior Living of Covington.
Rhonda Vahle joins Avanti as Community Relations Director. Vahle has vast experiences in senior care as she comes to Avanti after serving as Community Education Consultant at an area behavioral center. While there, Vahle’s responsibilities centered on inpatient psychiatric care for seniors and patient assessments and admissions for the outpatient and inpatient programs. She also has extensive experience in private home care for seniors and a clinical background in skilled nursing and rehabilitation care. Vahle holds two degrees from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette: a Bachelor of General Studies degree with an emphasis on Behavioral Sciences/ Communications Concentration and a Masters of Science, Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. Vahle is active in the Northshore community, having served on the Northshore Regional Advisory Board for the Alzheimer’s Association and on the board of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Kathy Dennis is named Avanti’s Wellness Director. Dennis joins Avanti with 39 years of nursing experience, much of it specializing in senior care. Most recently, Dennis served as Administrator and Director of Nurses for a large Northshore hospice company. Dennis has a passion for promoting wellness for seniors, combining her medical knowledge and love of exercise to became a certified fitness instructor with a certification in Senior fitness. Dennis is a Dominican High School and Charity Hospital School of Nursing graduate. In her spare time, she enjoys her grandchildren, gardening, exercising and volunteering at the Samaritan Center in Mandeville. She is committed to providing exceptional, compassionate care to seniors with dignity and respect.
The 77,000-square-foot, $15 million Avanti Senior Living of Covington community will provide 50 assisted living suites and 40 memory care suites, serving up to 98 seniors and creating 60 jobs. Avanti Senior Living of Covington will include a state-of-the-art wellness center with ballet barre and senior fitness programs, a theater area, a full-service salon and spa offering relaxation therapy, aromatherapy, therapeutic massages, hair styling and manicures/ pedicures. In addition, the community will have a fully-functional art studio with an abundance of natural light and a display wall for residents’ artwork. After opening in Covington, Avanti has plans to build a community in Lafayette.
Avanti Senior Living owns, develops and operates senior living communities in Texas, Louisiana and soon in Arizona. The company was launched in 2013 and is committed to redefining senior living through forward-thinking design, inspiring and innovative culture and state-of-the-art technology, reps said. Avanti’s vision emphasizes personal choice and control to preserve resident dignity while delivering world-class care and support and inspirational experiences, they said.
Rhonda Vahle
Kathy Dennis
