April 2013
| Business World Magazine | 33
this incredible honor.”
A caregiver who is passionate about ALFs
and their residents, Mr. Collazo has managed
and operated Palm Breeze Assisted Living
Facility since 1997. The 61-bed facility pre-
dominantly provides care for those individu-
als with severe and persistent mental illness.
Mr. Collazo has not only been president of
the Miami-Dade and Monroe County chap-
ters of FALA, but has initiated lobbying ef-
forts and grass roots movements to educate
the state legislature about the needs of the
assisted living facility industry.
Additionally, Mr. Collazo was appointed
to the Miami-Dade County Elder Abuse
Task Force, the Town of Miami Lakes Elder
Affairs Committee and Elderly Affairs Com-
mittee. He is also vice-president of the Flori-
da Coalition for Assisted Living and Mental
Health. Noted for his tireless advocacy and
lobbying efforts, in 1997 he received both
the State of Florida Department of Elder Af-
fairs Alliance for Aging Margaret Weedman
Elder Advocate Award and the South Flor-
ida Mental Health Association Hero in the
Fight Award.
FUTURE GOALS
FALA intends to continue to carry out its
vision of displaying integrity and profes-
sionalism, best practices in providing qual-
ity of care and innovation and commitment
to the profession. We have accomplished a
great deal in 20 years, and look forward to
20 more.
Pat Lange is Executive Director of the
Florida Assisted Living Association, which
is based in Tallahassee and represents more
than 600 assisted care communities and as-
sisted living facilities in Florida. She can be
reached at
