GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta Announces New Board President and Officers!

We are pleased to announce the appointment of three new board officers to carry out the GiGi’s Playhouse mission throughout metro Atlanta. Angie Champsaur has been appointed to board president, John Leland will serve as treasurer and Emilee Manning will serve as secretary.

“I’m excited about our new board appointments, and most importantly, their dedication to making a difference,” said Howie Rosenberg, executive director for GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta. “Every year brings new opportunity, and our board leadership will be instrumental in shaping our future. We have a lot of exciting things to accomplish this year.”

As board president, Angie is responsible for the strategic direction for GiGi’s two metro Atlanta Playhouses. She has been actively involved in the organization for four years and most recently served as vice president of the board. Passionate about her work with GiGi’s Playhouse, she continues to lead our “Friends, Fun and Fitness” program for GiGi’s on the Road. Angie also leads public relations for McAlister’s Deli®, a FOCUS Brands company, and is responsible for national PR campaigns, crisis communications, special needs initiatives and executive visibility. Prior to joining FOCUS Brands, she worked for industry leading companies including Newell Brands and Robert Half International. She is Accredited in Public Relations and serves on the Board of Directors for the Public Relations Society of America, Georgia Chapter.

John Leland, CPA, now serves as board treasurer for GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta. In 2017, he founded his own accounting practice, The Honest Accountant. Through this firm, John seeks to give Founders/CEOs/Business Owners more time to pursue their passion by taking on the task of managing their accounting and tax obligations. Prior to this, John worked for Hohepa Canterbury, a nonprofit in New Zealand, whose primary purpose is to provide residential and day services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. John’s six-year-old daughter, Layna, was born with Down syndrome and enjoys the fun and learning at GiGi’s Playhouse.

Emilee Manning began her service in 2015 as the junior board president at GiGi’s Playhouse Atlanta and currently serves as board secretary and co-chair of the Communication Committee. She is also the mentorship coordinator for the Excel Program at Georgia Tech, which is a structured, supportive, and inclusive four-year post-secondary educational opportunity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Emilee also coordinates an individualized Mentorship Team for each of the 38 students served by more than 80 traditional Georgia Tech students.

GiGi’s Playhouse 2019 Board of Directors At Large: Jill Neff, Jennifer Lieb, Gretchen Lehane, Marti Blincoe, Nick Harper, Nadia Papagni and Sean Mahyari. Advisory Board: Past President Scott Jeffries, Metro Atlanta Founder Adrienne Mulligan, Reshell Baldini, Eileen Schofield and Jennifer Gaffney.