Our Team

Site Manager: Bethany Wells

Program Coordinator: Kathleen Tynes

Volunteer Coordinator: Lauren Leotti

Math & Literacy Coordinator: Erin Whaley 

Committee Leads

  • Outreach - Taylor Johnson
  • Marketing & Communications: Bethany Wells & Jocelyn Cook
  • Facility/IT: Jeff Harper
  • Grants: Amy Tyrrell
  • Events (Major): Rose Busque
  • Events (3rd Party): Jen Seiler
  • Donor Relations: Mark Brincat
  • Job & Volunteer Opportunities for Participants with DS: Latonya Morgan
Lisa Kocab, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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.

Amy Tyrell, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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.

Heather Sulivan, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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

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Elizabeth Larson

My name is Elizabeth (Betsy) Larson, and I am the big sister to four amazing ladies with Down syndrome. Sammy, Jayne, Agnes, and Rosie have been some of the biggest blessings in my life. From an early age, I surrounded myself with people from the special needs community – this included being a buddy in elementary school and volunteering at the Special Olympics in high school and college. These experiences helped develop my career in financial planning for families with loved ones who have disabilities. I live in Southfield with my husband, Bob, and my daughter, Esther. Soon after moving here, Esther and I started volunteering at Fantastic Friends and I became a literacy tutor. I’m also the new program leader of Teen Tastic. I feel lucky to be a part of this wonderful community of people. I’m excited to contribute to the growth of GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit and enhance awareness of Acceptance for All! 

Kathleen Tynes, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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!

Wendy Arabo, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

Wendy Arabo

My name is Wendy Arabo. I am an interior designer and have owned my own company for the past 17 years. I am now Managing Cercan Tile USA located at the MI Design Center. I’m a mother to 3 wonderful children. My oldest Rio is a surgical tech, my youngest Reno is an attorney and my middle daughter is Mary is 26 years old and has Down syndrome. When Mary was born, my late father told me “God has blessed you with the most amazing challenge” and a blessing she is to me, her siblings which she is extremely close to and our entire family. Owning my company has afforded me the opportunity to be involved in my children’s school, from being a room mom, PTA, sports, Forensics and fundraising events. I was also involved in DSG fundraising and other projects. Spending time with my family brings me most joy. I enjoy traveling, reading and going to the movies. My family and are committed to support GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit in any way we are needed. GiGi’s offers Mary a wonderful community of her pears to belong to!

Jocelyn Cook, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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.

Taylor-Johnson

Taylor Johnson

Taylor Johnson resides in Warren, Michigan, with her husband, Kyle, and son, George. Taylor holds a BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University and an MA in Applied Drama/Theatre for Young Audiences from Eastern Michigan University and has been working in the professional theatre space for 7 years. In 2012, she began working for OpenSpot Theatre (formerly 4th Wall Theatre Company) and began teaching theatre to people of all ages with disabilities. Her work there inspired her in more ways than one and in 2019, Taylor and her husband joined the registry of hopeful adoptive parents with the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network. Just a few weeks after GiGi's Playhouse Detroit opened their doors for the first time, a baby boy with Down syndrome was born on the other side of the country and would eventually be brought home to the Detroit area. The Johnson family welcomed their chromosomally enhanced kiddo, George, in March of 2019. Since then, Taylor has become very passionate about ensuring that George has equal opportunity and appreciation in his community. Very soon after he came home, George visited GiGi's Playhouse Detroit for the first time, and has continued to attend since. The Johnsons are so very grateful for a community to celebrate our wonderful kiddos with Down syndrome! 

David Kocab, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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.

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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.

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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. 

Luke Tyrrell, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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.

Denise Moore, GiGi's Plahouse Detroit Board Member

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.

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Bethany Wells

After two decades of traveling the world and living in some incredible places, Bethany moved back to her beloved home state. She now resides in Ferndale with her partner, Kirk, and their son, Langston. Bethany holds two master’s degrees, one in School Counseling (University of Colorado, Denver) and another in Expressive Art Therapy (Naropa University, Boulder). She also has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies; Social Justice Issues and Multiculturalism (California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco). With roughly 15 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector, Bethany has worked with populations including adults with disabilities, senior citizens, survivors of gender-based violence, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals, people with mental illness, and homeless youth.

When she received Langston's prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, it was a natural progression to direct her passion and advocacy skills toward changing old, ablest paradigms and creating a more inclusive world for her son (and everyone else!). Bethany is thrilled for the opportunity to further connect and contribute to the Down syndrome community,

erin-whaley

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!

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Mark Brincat

Mark Brincat lives in Commerce Township with his wife, Sandy, of 34 yrs. They have two children, Megan and Joey, and two granddaughters. He also sits on the Mallory Brincat Memorial board, a foundation his family started 23 years ago in memory of his daughter, Mallory. He graduated from Madonna University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. After serving several years as a financial crimes' investigator, he transitioned to sales and now has 25+ years of sales experience. He has also held Director and VP of Business Development and Sales positions with various healthcare start-ups for the last 14 years. Mark and his family are passionate about raising money for children’s charities, so becoming a board member for GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit is a natural fit. He is honored to be part of a great organization helping bring awareness to Down syndrome.

mark-buckley

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.

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Jen Seiler

I live in downtown Ferndale with my fiancé, Bruce, and we share a home in Naples, Florida as well. I am a local Realtor and Mortgage Lender in metro Detroit, and very active in the small business community of Ferndale. Proud to be in the top 5% of all Realtors in SE Michigan. I have been practicing Real Estate for over 25 years and I LOVE it. I graduated from Wayne State with an undergraduate and Masters Degree in Social Work. During my education and internships I worked with children with disabilities. Although I absolutely enjoy my career, my heart is truly into giving back and making a difference. I found GiGi’s Playhouse through a client of mine and as we stayed in touch, she told me about this organization. I am excited to be a part of this amazing community, and can’t wait to see where it goes, how it grows, and the lives we can change together!

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Lauren Leotti

Lauren Leotti was born in NJ, raised in Florida, and after living in several states in between, moved to Michigan in 2020 with her husband, Tony, and their two sons, Bobby and Will.  She received her B.A. in psychology from Georgetown University, and her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University. She currently works as a research psychologist at the Child Study Center at Rutgers University-Newark. Once a former dance and theater kid, Lauren has now become a full-fledged sports mom, and she enjoys watching her boys play football and basketball. Lauren’s family started volunteering at GiGi’s Detroit in 2022, and attending GiGi’s programs is always the highlight of each week!