Detroit Staff
The key to our success is the incredible enthusiasm and dedication of the Playworks staff. Please note: Our direct school programs are led by the efforts of our program coordinators in each school in each of the cities we serve. While they are too numerous to list here, they are essential to the success of the program.
Meet some of the people who are bringing play to Detroit:
Jeannine Gant
Detroit Executive Director Jeannine Gant brings over 20 years of non-proft experience to her new role at Playworks. She has spent most of her career raising money for disadvantaged children and families in metro Detroit. It was at The Children's Center were she discovered that fundraising was not so much about how much money you raise, but how many individual lives you will actually change. A versitile professional, Jeannine spent a few years out of the nonprofit sector helping JWT Advertising create a national cause marketing campaign for Ford Division, leveraging $32 million to help fight breast cancer. An all- American gymnast and state high jump champion (years ago!), Jeannine has an M.A. in Public Relations from Wayne State University. A mother of two totally fabulous, opionated, free thinking young teenagers, Jeannine enjoys play.
If given the chance Jeannine would double dutch jump rope in tandem with her father (now in a wheelchair), play foursquare with the main characters from the Color Purple, and a pick up game of sand volleyball with Charlie and his grandfather from Willie Wonka (the original of course!). Her goal is to ensure that every child in Detroit, and perhaps Michigan gets to play everyday!
Mike Caso
After serving two Americorps terms in the East Bay Playworks office, "MikeMike" has taken to the highways and bi-ways to serve the community of Detroit, Michigan as program manager. While in the big "D" MikeMike hopes to take in a few Tigers games and maybe see the Pistons. MikeMike knows Playworks has its work cut out for in Motown but the playful people here are ready to take the power of play to the recess yards.
Lily Kreimer
Program Manager Lily Kreimer is thrilled to be part of the new Playworks program in Detroit. Lily comes to Playworks with a diverse range of experiences from working for the NYC Department of Health Physical Activity and Nutrition program to teaching special education, and harvesting organically grown crops on farms in India. She believes in the power of play and tries to learn new games everywhere she goes. She recently learned that Cricket is much more complicated than she expected. Lily would love to play four-square against First Lady Michelle Obama, followed by a deliciously prepared meal made of locally grown ingredients.
Casey Kuzio
Playworks Detroit Program Director Casey Kuzio got her first taste working with youth as a proud member of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. Working alongside her Silver 1 teammates at an elementary school in North Charleston, South Carolina, Casey saw first hand the impact enthusiastic, energetic AmeriCorps members can have on a school community. She took that experience into a Windy City classroom, teaching 7th grade while earning her M.Ed. from Loyola University Chicago. Post graduate school, Casey relocated to Baltimore and began her career with Playworks, serving as a program coordinator for one year, and then program manager for three, before moving on again, this time to “the D”. Thankful to have worked with a stellar team of playful professionals on every step of her journey, a daily cup of coffee and yoga help keep Casey sane while she juggles the many buckets required of the program director role.
