Our Team
Lori Keller, Executive Director
Lori Keller has been passionately connected to the special needs community since childhood, inspired early on by a close family member with a disability. Her commitment grew as she began volunteering and working with individuals with disabilities as a teenager, an experience that shaped her lifelong dedication to advocacy and inclusion.
A proud graduate of Campbell University, Lori earned her Bachelor’s degree along with educator licensure, launching a career that has spanned public, nonprofit, and private educational settings. She has served as a special educator, Exceptional Children’s Coordinator, Director of Special Services, and Head of School, consistently championing the success and well‑being of diverse learners.
Lori’s involvement in nonprofit work began in the early 2000s, and she is thrilled to bring her passion, experience, and energy to GiGi’s Playhouse as the new Executive Director. She is deeply committed to expanding opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and strengthening a culture of inclusion across the entire community.
At home in Charlotte, Lori lives with her husband of 11 years and their two daughters. When she’s not leading, teaching, or advocating, you’ll find her hiking, traveling with her family, or enjoying a cozy game night at home.
Laura Schlesing, Board President
Laura Schlesing joined Advocacy Trust as a Trust Officer in October 2023. Laura graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in trust management and a minor in financial planning from Campbell University Trust. She holds the ATFA certification and has over 15 years of experience in trust administration.
After graduating from college, Laura worked in both the personal trust and philanthropic sectors. Upon the birth of her first son, Laura decided to pursue a new career path closer to her home, leading one of Charlotte's largest child development centers. Her path took an unexpected turn when her second child was born with Down Syndrome and then diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two. Now that her boys are healthy and off to elementary and middle school, she has returned to the trust profession. Laura's mission to serve families affected by loss or adversity led her to Advocacy Trust.
Laura is active in the Charlotte community. She serves on the Levine Children's Cancer Champions Board and is Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Gigi's Playhouse Charlotte. Because of Laura's tireless efforts with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, she was nominated to participate in their Visionary of the Year fundraiser for 2024 and is currently serving on the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation committee raising money to save lives. Laura lives with her husband of 19 years, their three sons, and two golden retrievers. When not working, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, running, dancing, and watching her boys play soccer and baseball.
Carla Miller, Board Vice President
Carla Miller is a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual and is also the Market Leader for their Lake Norman/Huntersville office. Though Carla works with business owners, individuals, and families from various backgrounds and industries, she holds the ChSNC (Chartered Special Needs Consultant) designation, which allows her to uniquely serve families with their financial planning, to include helping to plan for the future of their loved one with disabilities. Having a son with Down syndrome (Noah), she personally knows the “what ifs” that many families face as they consider their future.
Carla completed her BS in Business Administration and BA in Communication at Colorado Christian University. Before her financial planning career, Carla spent 8 years as the Executive Director of a crisis intervention nonprofit in New Mexico. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her three kids, Noah, Micah, and Kate. Outside of the office you can find Carla at her kids’ sports practices or games, spending time with friends and family, working out, or reading.
Joyce Mesick, Board Member
Joyce has over 20 years of experience in the special needs field. In 2022, she founded Finding Trusted Care, a platform that connects families of special needs loved ones to qualified and experienced caregivers. Joyce became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2007 and holds a Master's degree in Special Education, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Lehigh University. She is married to her wonderful husband of 19 years and is a mom to three beautiful girls. Joyce is also an advocate for PANDAS treatment and FAPE for all families.
Thomas Dority, Board Member
Thomas is a strategy & operations consultant who specializes in mid-size, high-growth technology companies. Having demonstrated success transforming several 'for-profit' companies, Thomas decided that the same talent & energy should also be directed to our non-profits in the Charlotte region. In addition to serving on the Board of GiGi's Playhouse Charlotte, Thomas is also actively engaged as a mentor in the local start-up community and also regularly engages with Apparo Nonprofit Technology and Process Improvement.
Dwayne Foster, Board Member
Dwayne currently works for Eventbrite (NYSE: EB), a global event ticketing platform, in the role of Director, Strategic Initiatives. In this role he is responsible for working with cross-functional stakeholders and senior leaders to define the strategy to transform and enhance Eventbrite’s Customers Team (sales, service, and support). He and his team are also responsible for partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to oversee the successful completion of key projects required to achieve the company’s
Prior to Eventbrite Dwayne served in S&O roles at Twitter and Spectrum Enterprise after spending more than 8 years in S&O roles for management consulting firms Deloitte Consulting and Jabian Consulting.
Dwayne received his undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy, Economics, and Law (PPEL) from the University of Richmond in Richmond, Va and he also holds an MBA with a concentration in Innovation and Growth Strategies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, NC.
Dwayne currently resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife and three daughters
Our Intern
GiGi’s Playhouse Charlotte is currently accepting applications for interns who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities. Join our team to gain hands-on experience while supporting our mission of acceptance and achievement for all. Please email your application for an internship to [email protected].
Our Ambassador
We are currently accepting applications for the new Playhouse Ambassador! Click here to download the application.
Melia Simon, Ambassador
Melia is a vibrant young lady known for her radiant personality, warm spirit, and natural ability to connect with people. Her life is a shining example of perseverance, positivity, and purpose. She loves learning (especially reading and math) and she also loves helping others learn and enjoys tutoring young children in fundamental learning skills. She often shares that one day she would love to help children learn even more, maybe even as a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, acting, building puzzles, and doing word searches. Melia also enjoys spending time with close friends and family.
As the daughter of a proud U.S. Army veteran, Melia had the opportunity to live in many places and meet amazing people and make lifelong friendships. She was born at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, lived in Florida, and also in Maryland near Washington, DC, before moving to the Charlotte area of North Carolina. Melia lives with her parents, and she has two brothers and two sisters, all of whom love her beyond words.
Melia is an employee of three years at a bagel shoppe in her community, and she proudly serves as an advocate and spokesperson for Smart Me Educational Products, founded by her mother, Melanie, who created a doll in Melia's honor—the Smart Me Melia doll. You can follow Melia’s journey on the Smart Me Melia's Chapter Facebook page, and on YouTube through the Smart Me YouTube channel, where Melia helps teach children letters, colors, math, and more in fun, engaging ways.
Melia is most honored to serve as Ambassador for GiGi's Playhouse-Charlotte. As GiGi's Playhouse shares, Melia is a well-spoken, hardworking leader who brings warmth and encouragement to everyone she meets, and she inspires others to be the best they can be. Melia lives by her signature hope for all:
LEARN. GROW. THRIVE.