Staff

Denise

Denise Bayles

Executive Director

For more than 16 years, Denise Bayles has been a nonprofit executive for local, regional, and national organizations. During her career, she has been fiercely dedicated to changing the lives of others by finding much-needed funding to support crucial programming for non-profit organizations such as Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Starlight Children's Hospital, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, CureSearch for Children's Cancer along with several others. Denise brings an expertise in developing innovative strategic plans to achieve both revenue and program growth and brand awareness.

Originally from Indianapolis, Denise received a Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University and is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). After graduating, Denise moved to Los Angeles where she began her career. In 2020, Denise moved from Los Angeles to Nashville and lives in Leiper's Fork with her pack of dogs. Denise is thrilled to be part of the GiGi's family and honored to support GiGi's participants and families in the Greater Nashville area.

Emma

Emma Fleet

Operations Coordinator

Emma grew up in Franklin, TN and graduated from Tennessee Tech with a communications degree.  She moved away from the middle Tennessee area for a year but quickly realized the Nashville area was where her and her husband, Nash, were supposed to live. Emma has found herself drawn towards working in the nonprofit world where she can give back to the community that she lives in, and has experience in teaching, youth development, and office management. She heard about GiGi’s Playhouse through a mutual friend of the playhouse and their CrossFit partnership. Outside of the playhouse, Emma and her husband like to explore the outdoors with their dog, Josi, travel, and attend Nashville Predators and Nashville SC games. Emma is so excited to be a part of the GiGi’s family!

Amy

Amy Hirt

Tutoring Coordinator

Amy joined the team as our Tutoring Coordinator after spending several years volunteering at GiGi’s and a longtime involvement in the local disability community. She is a Nashville native and a proud University of Tennessee, Knoxville graduate, where she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in special education. She taught in Metro Nashville Public Schools for five years—in a resource classroom as well as typical second grade classroom to start an inclusive program. After having her three children, she spent twelve years as an Early Interventionist with the Tennessee Early Intervention System. She is thrilled to be working with the tutoring programs to continue the growth of GiGi's Playhouse Nashville's mission.

Hayley

Hayley Maurer

Site Coordinator - Sumner County

Hayley has lived and worked in the Nashville area for most of her life, and moved with her family to Sumner County in 2019. Since graduating from Belmont University in 2011, she has worked with many arts nonprofits and small businesses in Nashville to understand and serve the diverse communities around her. As a parent to a child with Down syndrome, Hayley has seen how important and enriching GiGi’s programming is to families and individuals in the Down syndrome community, and hopes to use her skills and enthusiasm to help the GiGi’s impact grow. She spends most of her free time with her husband, Justin, and two kids, Jack and Rosemary, and enjoys attending local theatre and music events. She is thrilled to be a part of the GiGi’s mission in Sumner County.