Our Team
President: Denise Moore
Vice President: Amy Tyrrell & Mark Buckley
Treasurer: Heather Sullivan
Secretary: Rose Busque
Additional Board Members
Site Manager: Samantha Masserant
Director of Programs: Kathleen Tynes
Volunteer Coordinator: Erin Whaley
GiGi University Prep Instructor: Alexis Adams
Supervising Speech & Language Pathologist: Kathleen Bungart
Committee Leads
- Marketing & Communications: Jocelyn Cook & Sujay Kolli
- Facility/IT: Jeff Harper
- Grants: Amy Tyrrell
- Events (Major): Rose Busque
- Job & Volunteer Opportunities for Participants with DS: Latonya Morgan
- Outreach: Luke Voelker
Alexis Adams
Lexi is a Recreational Therapist originally from Muncie, IN, but has recently lived in Boston, MA and Dublin, Ireland. She has worked with individuals with disabilities since she was elementary school age, and considers it her life’s work. She is passionate about advocating for individuals with Down syndrome and enjoys getting to know each person she works with and always tries to have fun while doing it.
Lexi graduated from Indiana University in 2021 and obtained certification from the NCTRC in June 2021. She recently moved to Birmingham, MI and is happy to be back living in the Midwest. Lexi is outgoing, driven, loves to make new connections, and has never met a stranger.
Mark Buckley
Mark lives in Royal Oak with his wife Jessica, son Joseph, and their dog, Jenison. They grew up in Battle Creek, MI and he graduated from Albion College. He enjoys his role as an advocate for the clients he serve as a financial advisor. Jessica earned her master's degree in special education and currently teaches in Troy Public Schools. They were blessed with Joseph in 2020, who is always the biggest personality in the room. They were, thankfully, given time and resources before Joseph’s birth to gain an understanding of what to expect, and to find that nothing could prepare them for the joy and satisfaction Joseph would bring to their lives. Mark's family is excited to be a part of GiGis Playhouse Detroit and to have an opportunity to serve and support a community that’s given them so much.
Kathleen Callahan Bungart
Kathleen Callahan Bungart is a clinical instructor for speech-language pathology graduate students at Wayne State University, guiding them through their practical training and development. She joins GGPH as an effective communicator, positive leader, and task-oriented team player with 29 years of experience working in public schools and hospital settings. She is Spartan and a Bronco earning her BS from Michigan State University and her MA from Western Michigan University.
Living in Bloomfield Hills with her husband Joe of 27 years, two dogs, and keeping an open door to her three sons—JP (23), Jack (21), and Peter (19)—she balances family life with her passion for helping others communicate. JP recently graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology (NY), Jack is attending Kalamazoo College, and Peter is studying at the University of Michigan. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and gardening.
Thrilled to be a part of the GGPH community, she is committed to helping others shine.
Rose Busque
Rose Busque resides in Oak Park with her husband, Noel and two children, Henry (7) and Maevis (2). After Maevis was born, Rose has been shouting about the worth of people with Down syndrome and aiming to make the world a more inclusive place. Rose graduated from Wayne State University with a B.S. in Marketing Communications. She has been in the event industry for over 10 years and currently is an Account Executive at Czarnowski. In her free time, Rose enjoys traveling and having adventures with her family. The Busques have been going to GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit since Maevis was almost 2 months old. They love all the programs that GiGi’s has to offer and cherish the friendships that they’ve made.
Jocelyn Cook
Hello! My name is Jocelyn Cook and I live in Birmingham with my husband Chris and our daughter Julia (9) who has Down syndrome. Shortly after Julia was born, I became an advocate for inclusion and early intervention for children with Down syndrome after experiencing the large disparity families were facing in access to support services for their children. Serving on my school district Inclusion Task Force and with Friends of Different Learners, a support organization in our school district, have provided an avenue to help families navigating the unique needs of their children. Professionally I am the Director of Marketing and Client Services for a local therapy clinic serving children and teens with autism, Down syndrome and other special needs, which merges my personal and professional experience in an amazing way. I joined the GiGi's Playhouse Detroit start up team in 2017 and have supported our efforts since then with marketing and strategy for our events and Playhouse initiatives. Our local Metro Detroit area now has an incredible resource for families impacted by Down syndrome and I'm excited to be serving an organization changing the way the world views Down syndrome!
Jeff Harper
Jeff Harper is a Principal Training Engineer with MathWorks. He teaches people across the country how to use MathWorks software for engineering and science applications. He has a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University, and an MBA from Walsh College. Jeff is a co-inventor on two U.S. patents. In his spare time, he likes to visit amusement parks and ride roller coasters, having ridden more than 900 different coasters. He is the proud father of two beautiful children, Katie and Grant.
David Kocab
Dave Kocab graduated from John Carroll University in 1994 and earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan in 1997. He is currently Associate General Counsel at Aptiv, a global automotive supplier, and lives with his wife Lisa and their five sons in Brighton. Their fifth son, PJ, was born in 2011 while the family lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. PJ’s diagnosis of Down syndrome was a surprise and Dave and Lisa struggled to find anything they could about PJ’s extra chromosome and the possibilities for his future. When Lisa discovered GiGi’s Playhouse, the two immediately decided to bring one to Milwaukee and formed the team that opened the first playhouse in Wisconsin in 2014. Their family relocated back to the Detroit area in 2016 and began work with a new team to bring the first GiGi's Playhouse to Michigan in 2019. In addition to his involvement with GiGi’s Playhouse of Detroit, Dave coaches his sons’ sports teams whenever he can, including football and basketball. Dave has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit since 2011, helping with a multi-million-dollar campaign to open their new state-of-the-art animal adoption and education center in 2018.
Lisa Kocab
Lisa lives in Brighton with her husband David of 23 years. Together they have five children, all boys, ranging in age from 22 years down to 9 years old. Their youngest child, PJ, has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism. Lisa has been teaching on and off since 1994 and currently teaches fourth grade in Brighton Area Schools. Lisa was the board chair for the special education advisory board for the Mequon-Thiensville School District while her family was living in Wisconsin. Lisa was the board president and the led the startup and opening of the Milwaukee playhouse. Lisa and David returned to Michigan two years ago and feel so blessed to have such a great group of families that have bonded together to open the first playhouse in Michigan.
Samantha Masserant
Samantha brings a diverse background in program development, case management, and workforce development to Gigi’s, specializing in support for individuals with disabilities. Growing up with a cousin who has Down syndrome, she quickly recognized the gaps in resources and programming for families and individuals.
A Purdue University graduate in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, with studies in Dance and Photography, Samantha is known for her approachable and collaborative style. Her skills in public speaking, project management, and behavioral health contribute to successful program implementation. Passionate about community engagement, she has volunteered with Miss Amazing, Special Olympics, and Best Buddies, aiming to create inclusive environments that empower everyone involved.
Outside of work, Samantha enjoys photography, dance classes, visiting amusement parks, spending time with her dog, Zeus, and traveling. After exploring the world, she hopes to promote inclusion, acceptance, and belonging on a global scale.
Denise Moore
Denise lives in Birmingham, Michigan with her husband Bob and three children – twin sons Evan and Kyle and daughter Amber, who has Down syndrome. Denise graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Business. Denise’s professional background is commercial insurance underwriting. After the birth of her daughter, Denise quit the insurance business and became a special needs advocate. From 2012 - 2016, she served on the Board of Friends of Different Learners (a special needs PTA for Birmingham School District), 2 years of those years as President. In addition to serving on the steering committee to open GiGi’s Playhouse - Detroit, Denise runs Disability Awareness Workshops for all 4th grade students in the Birmingham School District. Denise and her family are excited to have a GiGi's Playhouse in Detroit and are especially glad it offers programs for people of all ages.
Latonya Morgan
I am a proud Detroiter, born & bred! I’m also a Spartan, having earned a BA in Employment/Labor Relations from Michigan State University. I have worked for the State of Michigan for the past 32 years, 14 as a Probation Officer and entering my 19th year as a Regulation Officer with the Michigan Gaming Control board.
In 1992, I was blessed with the gift of becoming Blake’s mother. Our journey has presented an awesome opportunity for personal growth and appreciation. Blake’s growth and happiness became my primary concern and our village’s chief aspiration. We set out to create an opportunity for Blake to have experiences which would instill and enhance self-esteem, grow his awareness and self-advocacy, perpetually develop his independence and confidence in the fact that he too deserves “a seat at the table”. Blake and I have always sought opportunities for ourselves and to enjoin others’ participation in groups and activities which would increase awareness, exposure, growth, inclusion and acceptance not only for Blake and myself but for our family, friends, neighbors and our community, at large.
I had the pleasure of serving as a board member of VSAMI, the local arm of an international arts agency started by Jean Kennedy Smith of the Kennedy Center which provides opportunity for artistic growth and expression of individuals with varied disabilities. I also had the great opportunity to represent the Children’s Hospital of Michigan (CHM) Family Centered Care Advisory Council as the parent representative to the CHM Quality Assurance Committee.
I became aware of GiGi’s Playhouse at its beginning through one of Blake’s Godmothers who resides in the Chicagoland area. With the current challenge of identifying and accessing adult opportunities for Blake and his peers, I was excited to hear GiGi’s had made its way to Michigan and wanted to contribute to the development of this great resource for our Down syndrome community.
Heather Sullivan
Heather Sullivan lives in Beverly Hills, MI with her husband David. They have two children, Katie (23) and Sean (19). Heather has a Master of Accounting and Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. She has worked at Pricewaterhouse Coopers for 30 years and is currently an Assurance Director in PwC's Private Company Services practice
Kathleen Tynes
I grew up in Michigan and graduated from Michigan State with a BA in Special Education. I moved to Atlanta, GA straight after college and taught special education for 6 years. I became a stay-at-home mom after the birth of our 1st daughter, and we moved to Chicago to be closer to family. In preparation for the birth of our 2nd daughter, we moved to Royal Oak to be even closer to family. I have a very strong passion for GiGi’s Playhouse. I have a brother who is 25 years old with Down syndrome; my husband has an uncle with Down syndrome, and we’ve spent many years coaching the Special Olympics. I discovered GiGi’s in Atlanta where I was a literary tutor and started their math program before I moved. After getting settled in Chicago I started volunteering at their playhouse with their tutoring program. I took a part time position there as their project coordinator. It was very hard to leave Chicago, but I am so excited to get to know the Detroit families and volunteers!
Amy Tyrrell
Amy Tyrrell lives in Beverly Hills MI with her husband David of 23 years and her children Luke (20) and Daniel (16). Amy is an Executive Recruiter and has had her own business since 2007 called Zeal Recruiting Services. She has worked in corporate and agency settings leading recruiting functions since 1994 in the metro Detroit area after graduating from Michigan State University with a BS in Employment Relations. She is active with both boys' activities and schools.
Luke Tyrrell
My name is Luke Tyrrell. I’m a self-advocate on the Board at GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit. I have 1 younger brother Danny, my parents are David and Amy, and we also have a golden retriever named Ziggy. My family rocks! I am an Assistant Literacy Tutor for a young boy. I also participate in many programs at GiGi’s like Fantastic Friends and GiGiFIT Adult. I attend a post-secondary program with job training through Birmingham Public Schools.
Erin Whaley
Erin lives in Troy with her husband, Curtis, and their kiddos Ryan (5) and Lincoln (2). She graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Elementary Education and went on to receive her ZS in Early Childhood Special Education. Erin taught kindergarten for several years as well as first grade and pre-K. She eventually ended up as the director of a preschool for 2 years before "retiring” to become a Stay at Home Mom. After Ryan received his postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, Erin felt so lucky she could make this decision and spend all her time advocating for Ryan and taking him to the therapies he needed. She is excited to now give some of that time to GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit, in appreciation for all they do for Ryan and kiddos/adults like him!