September 30th, 2026 – Christine Messick

About the event

Christine Messick brings three decades of nonprofit leadership to her role as Executive Director of GiGi’s Playhouse Charleston. A Charleston resident since right before Hugo, Christine has deep roots in the Lowcountry, she has spent her career doing what she loves most — connecting people with the resources and relationships that help them thrive.

From her early years fundraising at MUSC Children’s Hospital to leading Youth Service Charleston — where she helped elementary students successfully advocate for what is now the pedestrian and bicycle pathway on the Ravenel Bridge — to a decade as Community Engagement Director at Reading Partners SC, Christine has built a career around growing programs, mobilizing volunteers, securing funding, and strengthening the ties that hold communities together. Along the way, she has been gifted with an extraordinary network of colleagues, donors, and community champions whose generosity and belief in the power of people have shaped everything she does.

That same spirit is what brought her to GiGi’s Playhouse, where individuals with Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental differences and their families are celebrated, supported, and empowered to achieve.
Away from work, Christine cherishes time with her husband, Jeff, and their three grown children — Zachary, an attorney in San Diego and soon-to-be dad; Rachael, a finance professional on Seabrook Island and proud mom living in Hanahan; and Lindsey, an entrepreneur making her mark in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Suggested Reading:

https://gigisplayhouse.org/charleston/about/

Daniel Island Club
600 Island Park Drive
Charleston, SC 29492