Our Team
Brad and Niki Johnston - BOD President
Niki Johnston, Board Member
bjohnston@gigisplayhouse.org
njohnston@gigisplayhouse.org
Brad and Niki Johnston joined the GiGi's Playhouse team in mid 2022. They are proud grandparents to nine grandchildren, including Jack, born in 2019 with Down Syndrome. Niki is a retired registered nurse, specializing in IV Therapy, chemotherapy, patient teaching and outpatient services. She loved her career as a nurse and is now loving her grandparent years even more! Brad is a retired technology executive who spent his career leading global and national teams for companies such as AT&T, Cisco Systems and Poly. He made a career of building high performing teams who delivered excellence for customers and shareholders. He views GiGi's Playhouse and programs as a national "best practice" in serving the Down Syndrome community in Portland with educational, therapeutic and life skills training that enriches lives and engages the community.
Jordan Mura, BOD Treasurer
Jordan Mura, Director of Accounting and Finance at Embold Credit Union, embodies a commitment to both professional excellence and heartfelt community engagement. Armed with a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from Warner Pacific University, his expertise shines through in his financial leadership. Volunteering on the board of directors at GiGi’s Playhouse holds a special place in Jordan's heart as it aligns with his core values of inclusivity and support for individuals with Down syndrome. His involvement stems from a desire to contribute meaningfully to a cause he cares deeply about. When not immersed in financial matters or aiding GiGi’s Playhouse, Jordan enjoys spending time with his family—his wife Jessica, alongside their two children, Stella and Easton—in their cozy home in Colton, Oregon. Beyond his generous time spent out in the community, Jordan finds joy in exploring new destinations through his love for travel and relaxing while casting his fishing line, indulging in his passion for fishing. This multifaceted commitment exemplifies Jordan's unwavering dedication to both his community and his personal pursuits.
Kristal Watts, BOD Secretary
Kristal lives on the east side of the Greater Portland area with her husband, - Steve, her daughter - Claire, son -Thomas, and their golden retriever - Lily. After completing her undergraduate degree in biological studies at George Fox College (now university), Kristal completed her teaching credentials in Hawaii. Love called her back to Oregon where she is currently a back in a local high school teaching science." Thomas, Kristal’s smart and adorable son, has Down syndrome and is the guiding force for Kristal’s passion to bring GiGi’s to Portland. It’s been an ten-year dream to have a safe and fun place for families who have received a diagnosis of Down syndrome to hang out, make connections, and even have free therapy and tutoring services. The center will be amazing one, and it's finally coming!" Thomas, his friends and many others will be able to come, grow, and be all they can be. GiGi’s Playhouses benefit the community they are in by involving volunteers and family members in free therapy services and community events. Kristal is looking forward to changing how our community looks at a person with a Down syndrome diagnosis.
Kyle McCarthy, BOD, Marketing Lead
Kyle McCarthy is a writer and marketing professional originally from Michigan. Kyle and his girlfriend moved to Portland in the fall of 2016 and have lived in the southeast quadrant for the last six years. He is an avid reader, a terrible guitar player, and a massive sports fan — fiercely dedicated to Detroit and University of Michigan teams. He also has an 11-year old Corgi/Terrier mix named Izzy who we love to spoil with walks, treats, and belly rubs.
Establishing a Down Syndrome Achievement Center would mean the world to Kyle. In doing so, the Playhouse could provide a lot of really great people with more opportunities to improve their quality of life and further enrich our communities. And those sorts of things have a ripple effect that go well beyond the here and now — impacting our work, our relationships, and how we view ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
Roger Saulson, M.D.: BOD, Donor Development
Roger Saulson, M.D., is a recently retired (2021) ophthalmologist who practiced in Portland for 3 decades with Eye Health NW. During his career, he treated many patients with Down Syndrome. Now in retirement, Roger was looking for another way to contribute in a meaningful way. With two close friends who have family members with Down Syndrome, getting involved with Gigi’s Playhouse was a perfect fit. He also enjoys playing golf and traveling with his wife, Ginny, a recently retired surgical nurse. Ginny is also contributing to Gigi’s, helping with events.
Amanda Borges, BOD
Amanda is native to Oregon where she met her husband of 18 years. Together they raise two beautiful and spirited daughters, two dogs, two chickens, as well as a bountiful garden to help nourish all those hungry mouths! Their youngest, Cameron, has Down syndrome. Amanda learned of the diagnosis at 13 weeks gestation giving her family many months to learn, grow, and build lifelong relationships within the Down syndrome community prior to welcoming their little miracle.
Amanda brings nearly 20 years of experience as an Executive Director for medical non-profits. Her dedication to building community resources aligns with her volunteer work at GiGi’s Playhouse and various other organizations. ”I feel both honored and grateful to be part of such a vibrant community of people who love to serve.”
Radha Joy, Programs Committee
Radha Joy, is a licensed speech language pathologist (SLP), Advocate, Educator, and CEO of Pepp Now. She graduated from The Evergreen State College in 1998 where she served as the Services and Activities Board Coordinator and went on to get her Masters in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Portland State University in 2005. Radha is a Speech Language Pathologist who has served in the public school system for 17 years. She continues to work as a SLP and brings with her 20+ years of working with special needs children to the table. Radha also owns a business with a mission of hearing conservation and educating people about the importance of wearing personal ear protection plugs and creates custom ear plugs for comfort for the purpose of preserving hearing, known as PEPPlugs. Radha is also a mother of 11-year-old twins, Zach, who experiences Down Syndrome and his brother Gabe. In addition to all of this, Radha is also fluent in sign language. Radha believes everything related to community, communication, conservation, education and inclusion is important. She is passionate about making a difference for people experiencing disabilities and is eager to bring GiGi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center to Portland. She has been an Oregon Resident for 37 of her 47 years of life. Radha says, "Let's get a Down Syndrome Achievement Center here in Portland- like Yesterday!"
Randall Wagenmann, Facilities Committee Lead
Randall Wagenmann is the father to two children: an 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son who has Down syndrome. He is motivated to support the Down syndrome community to ensure his son, Lincoln and others in the community have the support they need to live a happy and fulfilling life as fully included members of society. Randall brings strong organizational skills, attention to detail and project management experience from managing enterprise technology expansions for college campuses and manufacturing facilities. He looks forward to contributing these skills in his role with Gigi’s Playhouse and making a lasting difference in his community.
Kara Shuster, Facilities Committee
Kara Shuster is a Portland native. She and her husband are parents to Essaiah, 7, and Seraphina, 5 (who has Down syndrome). Kara has her degree in dance performance and is a semi-retired professional dancer/instructor and full-time real estate agent. She runs her own business, PDX Homes by Kara LLC, and enjoys putting her in-depth knowledge of the NW to work helping families buy, sell, invest, flip and rent homes in the Portland area.
Rae Hofstedt, Site Manager
After spending 5 years working in public K-12 education, Rae is ecstatic to use her passion for the zone of proximal development at GiGi’s Playhouse Portland. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from California State University Northridge in 2019, and has been challenging students to succeed ever since. As an educator, artist, and wellness enthusiast, Rae loves connecting with the creativity and resilience of the Down syndrome community. She strives to make GiGi’s Playhouse Portland a fun, safe place for families and individuals with Down syndrome to explore their abilities through novel experiences.
Alex Sklar, Volunteer Coordinator
Shan Nixon, Program Coordinator
Shan discovered GiGi’s Playhouse a few months ago and immediately connected with its mission. With several years of experience working with children and adults in special needs classrooms, Shan was eager to return to meaningful work that aligned with personal values. Outside of work, Shan enjoys running forest trails, hiking up volcanoes, cuddling with two Persian cats, and spending time with friends. Grateful for the opportunity to promote acceptance for all, Shan is excited to be part of the wonderful team at GiGi’s Playhouse.
Thank you to past and present team members for getting us here!