Building Community by Connecting Families.
About Us
The Grant Park Parents Network (GPPN)’s mission is to cultivate and foster relationships among families residing within Neighborhood Planning Unit W and adjacent neighborhoods. We sponsor events for children of all ages and offer opportunities for parents to become involved in the community through improving education, creating neighborhood resources, and partnering with other community organizations. The GPPN has a board of eleven volunteers. We continually need volunteers to help on the planning and implementation committees.
If you are interested in volunteering, please vicepresident@grantparkparents.org.
GPPN Board
President - Morgan Tannenbaum
president@grantparkparents.org
Morgan is an Atlanta native (rise up!) and has called the east side neighborhoods home for the past 10 years, living in Old Fourth Ward, East Atlanta Village, and now Grant Park. She lives in Grant Park with her husband, Tommy, and their two young sons. Morgan loves this city and neighborhood and is passionate about building community and fostering connections in Grant Park.
Vice President – TBD
Co-Treasurer - Nirva Dhaya
treasurer@grantparkparents.org
Nirva, originally from Memphis, TN, has lived in Atlanta for 4.5 years. He spent the first two years in Virginia Highlands before moving to Grant Park. He loves spending time out and about with his wife, Charlotte, their son, and their pup, Mithi. Nirva firmly believes in the immeasurable value of a strong community and is excited to give back through the GPPN.
Co-Treasurer – Chetsi Khare
treasurer@grantparkparents.org
Chetsi relocated back to Atlanta in 2015 after a few years in Houston and Little Rock for work. She and her husband, Sachin moved to Summerhill in 2020 and has since grown their family with two sons and their pup, Jack. Chetsi loves exploring the city with her family. Their favorite spots are Little Tart and the many playgrounds within walking distance. They also enjoy all the GPPN events and meeting other families in the same phase of life. Chetsi is looking forward to continue growing the community through the board. 
Community – Kris Ford
community@grantparkparents.org
Hi! I’m Kris, born and raised in New Orleans, currently loving Atlanta with my partner and child. I am a lover of archaic needlework, good French bread, and the kinds of friends who just show up and hang out on the couch. I work in libraries and archives by trade, and I’m currently on book 10 of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series.
Playgroup Chair – Lauren Mattingly
playgroups@grantparkparents.org
Lauren and her family relocated to Atlanta from Brooklyn, NY in 2022 and have enjoyed exploring the city and making Grant Park their home. Her son, Graham, is two and Lauren truly feels like she has found such a wonderful gem of a community for him through GPPN. She has an extensive background in education having earned a MAT in Childhood Education and has worked as a teacher, school leader, and school improvement consultant for New York City public schools and the Arkansas Department of Education. When she’s not working or volunteering, you can find Lauren at a yoga class or out hunting for Atlanta’s best Americano.
Communications Chair – Kelly Balcarczyk
communications@grantparkparents.org
Kelly is originally from Buffalo, NY and came to Atlanta for her work with the USDA Forest Service. She moved to Ormewood Park with her husband Sanjay in 2016. Since then, Kelly and Sanjay expanded their family - welcoming two children (Issa, April 2020 and Zari, May 2023). As a family they love biking to local breweries (Eventide and Halfway Crooks are favs!), exploring the Beltline, and visiting all the great playgrounds within walking distance. Kelly shares her love of nature with her family and you can often find them hiking or camping in the many parks and forests around Atlanta.
Executive Creative Director - Heather Devine
Hi, I'm Heather. I've been in Grant Park since 2012 with my husband Mike. We welcomed our daughter, Penny (4), in 2020 and have enjoyed the GPPN events along with all the great things this neighborhood has to offer! During the day I work as an Art Director for an apparel brand and have recently returned back to ballet at The Neighborhood Ballet. We love to walk Oakland, play at the playgrounds, eat at all the local spots and are pretty much regulars at Little Tart. I'm excited to join the board this year and help continue to grow this great organization while supporting the GP community!
Member at Large – Alison Sawyer
Alison currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded strategic, corporate, and consumer communications initiatives across diverse industries, including sports and entertainment, philanthropy, retail, and tech.
Originally from San Diego, Alison has called Atlanta home for the past 20 years. She lives in Grant Park with her 5 year-old son.
Marketing Chair – Dan Gardner
marketing@grantparkparents.org
Dan was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2021, Dan, his wife Annelys, and their bulldog Milo made the cross country journey to settle in Atlanta, and officially moved to Grant Park in 2022. In 2023, we welcomed our daughter. Dan works currently as an Associate Director of Engineering at OneMain Financial. As a family, we love to travel and road trip to new places, discover new restaurants, watch/play sports, and explore Atlanta.
Member at Large – Mary Alice Tudor
Mary Alice is an Augusta, GA native (but has called many cities around the US home since birth). She moved to Atlanta after 13 years in NYC with her husband Frank in 2020, and has since found a home in Grant Park with their young son Arthur and pup Dolly. She has a communications degree from Miami University (Ohio) and a fulfilling career in Brand Marketing in Architecture & Design. She is passionate about music, road trips, and time with family and friends. She is looking forward to exploring ways to give back and engage in the community through the GPPN.
Fundraising Chair - Katherine Connell
fundraising@grantparkparents.org
Katherine and her husband, Jeremy, moved to Grant Park in June 2024 after living in Miami, FL. Originally from Birmingham, AL, they have loved getting to know their new neighborhood by exploring the park, zoo, and great local shops and restaurants. In August 2024, they welcomed their first child, Violet. Katherine has spent her career in nonprofit fundraising, focusing on foster care and education. She is excited to build connections in Grant Park and be part of an organization that supports families.
Member at Large - Jenna Quinn
Member at Large - Laura Canning
Member at Large - Mary Douglas
Interested in joining us? We would love to have you volunteer! We are always in need of help planning and operating our events. Please email president@grantparkparents.org for more information