The History of Dads Inc.

"If you want a successful child, you have to be a successful dad."-Christopher Maples

Dads Inc. was established on Father's Day 2005 by a small group of fathers and community activists dedicated to advancing fatherhood in Central Indiana. Incorporated within the State of Indiana on November 28th, 2005, Dads Inc. is a non-profit organization that received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS on May 17, 2006. Until that point, the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, located on Indianapolis' near-Westside, had generously agreed to serve as the fiscal agent and organizational mentor for Dads Inc. until its infrastructure was in place. This center still provides administrative office space for the Dads Inc. headquarters. Dads Inc. is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Committee, elected on February 7, 2005.

After being awarded an AmeriCorps*VISTA project from the Corporation for National & Community Service and a capacity-building grant from the Indianapolis Foundation, Dads Inc. hired its first Executive Director, Christopher Maples, and began to bring on AmeriCorps*VISTA members in September 2006. The staff worked tirelessly through the fall to raise money and build the infrastructure of the organization. Wanting to find its niche and become a true leader in the area, the Board of Directors decided in October to focus programming on expecting and new dads, as well as dads of toddlers up to school age.

While piloting some programs throughout the late summer and fall of 2006, Dads Inc. began to officially offer its full portfolio of programs in January 2007. As the organization grows and expands, it looks forward to many exciting partnerships and collaborations within the Central Indiana community.

Jimmy Dulin CRS, CREC, CLHMS

Re/Max Ability Plus

Jimmy Dulin has more than 15 years of experience in representing buyers and sellers in the Central Indiana market as a Broker/Owner of Re/Max Ability Plus. A member of the elite Re/Max Chairman's Club, Jimmy credits his success to being highly disciplined and goal oriented, and is known for his interpersonal skills, relationship building, and providing complete customer satisfaction. His sales volume for 2006 was over 20 million, and he has sold over 200 million during the course of his career. Jimmy is a dedicated family-man and lives in Carmel with his wife, Tamara, and their children JD and Alexandra. He is an active parishioner at St. Luke's Catholic Church and involved with The Realtor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Jimmy has numerous hobbies which include cooking, cars, and golf.

Eric Enochs

Board Secretary
Turner Construction

Eric is a Systems Engineer for Turner Construction Company, located in Indianapolis. He earned his Associates degree in Computer Information Systems from Ivy Tech. He is a single father of two wonderful children, Kayla and Ethan. After his divorce in 2003, he has been actively involved in helping single fathers in Indianapolis through various organizations, and by co-founding IndyDads, an social resource site for dads in Indiana. Eric and his two children currently reside in Greenfield, Indiana.

Christopher P. Felts, JD

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Christopher Felts is an associate in Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Business, Tax & Real Estate Department and the Governmental Services & Finance Department. He is a member of the firm's Global Services and Economic Development Practice Groups. He concentrates his efforts in the areas of general corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, economic development, and international business law. Prior to entering the legal profession, Chris enjoyed a career in public service, serving for one year in the office of Indiana Governor Evan Bayh and for seven years with the Indiana Department of Commerce. His final post in state government was as deputy director of the International Trade Division of the Indiana Department of Commerce. He is fluent in Spanish. Chris received his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude with majors in Political Science and Spanish from DePauw University, and his Juris Doctorate from the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis. He is admitted to practice in the state of Indiana and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. He is a member of the American and Indiana State Bar Associations, the World Trade Club of Indiana, and the Indianapolis-Cologne Sister Cities Committee. Chris is the former chairman of the Board of Directors of Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School and serves on the Indianapolis Archdiocesan Education Commission, as well as being named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Indiana Governor Joe Kernan. Chris resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Paje, and their four children, Patrick, Madeline, Jacqueline, and Ann Therese.

William Keith Manship, MSW

Meridian Services Corporation

Keith is a Child and Family Therapist with Meridian Service Corporation, located in Muncie, a position he's held since receiving his graduate degree. He earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Ball State University, and a Master of Social Work from Indiana University. Keith and his wife Renee live in Pendleton.

T.J. McGovern, MPA

Board Vice President
Ivy Tech Community College

T.J. is the Director of Development at Ivy Tech Community College. Prior to that, he was the Director of Donor Services for the Independent Colleges of Indiana, and prior to that worked at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, serving as Alumni Director for his alma mater. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Illinois State University and is recently finished his Master's in Public Affairs at IUPUI.

T.J. lives in Fishers with his wife, Kristin, a professor at Ball State, and their twin children, Tommy and Lucy. He is a practitioner of aikido, having recently advanced to the rank of brown belt.

Barb Morgan

Liberty Mutual Agency Markets

Barb is currently Chief Information Architect for the Agency Markets sector of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Prior to relocating to her native Indiana in the summer of 2007, Barb resided most of her adult life as a single mom in the Chicago area. After her son Mick was born in 1977, she continued to pursue her career in Information Technology through a series of leadership positions with AC Nielsen, Allstate Insurance and JPMorgan Chase.

Barb has been active in the Data Management Association, and previously served on the Board of DAMA Chicago for 6 years, including 2 terms as President. Barb now calls Carmel home, with her mate Dan Pettinger and their 2 kitties Dusty & Potato. Since moving back to the Indianapolis area, she finds her enthusiasm and passion for her life's work closely matched by her love of clean air, open spaces and Hoosier down-home friendliness.

Matthew A. Pierce, BSN, RN, MSN

Board President
St. Francis Hospital and Health Corporation

Matthew was recently promoted to the Manager position of the Adult Inpatient Unit at the St. Francis Hospital - South Campus, where he has been working since his college internships. Matthew earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Indianapolis and a Master of Science in Nursing from the Indiana University School of Nursing. Matthew lives on Indianapolis' Southside, along with his wife, Heidi, and their son, Carter.

Carrie Schmitt, MBA

Indianapolis Star

Carrie Schmitt is an Advertising & Event Supervisor for The Indianapolis Star. She earned her MBA at Indiana Wesleyan University and her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Indiana University. Carrie journeys to Haiti annually for medical and education missionary trips. She resides on the Northeast side of Indianapolis with her fiancee Rick Bernhardt.

Greg Nordhoff, CPA

Board Treasurer
Crowe Chizek

Greg Nordhoff is a member of Crowe Chizek and Company, LLC's Assurance and Financial Advisory Group. He audits and reviews financial statements of public andprivate companies and advises clients in accounting, reporting, compliance, and internal control matters. He received a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Accounting and a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame.

Greg is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. He is a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and theUniversity of Notre Dame Alumni Association.

Ed Stohlman, CPA

Katz, Sapper & Miller

Ed Stohlman is a member of Katz, Sapper & Miller’s Business Advisory Group. He audits and reviews financial statements, prepares tax returns, and advises clients in accounting, reporting, compliance, and internal control matters. He received a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame.

Ed is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. He also serves on the board of directors of Meals on Wheels and is a member of the finance committee of AYS, Inc. Ed is a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. Ed, his wife Tasha and children Ella and Andrew, reside in Carmel.

Christopher D. Maples, MBA

Executive Director & CEO

Chris founded Dads Inc. and serves as its first Executive Director. Before moving to the non-profit sector, Chris enjoyed a career in politics, working on various campaigns across Indiana. He also has extensive experience in fundraising, program management, and community outreach for non-profits. Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Indiana University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is also pursing a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from The Fund Raising School at Indiana University. Chris resides on the southeast side of Indianapolis in Franklin Township with his wife, Colleen, his son, Jackson, and their dog, Venus. Chris & Colleen are expecting their second child this Fall.

Alicia Collins

Program Director

Alicia is a native of Waukegan, Illinois where she graduated cum laude, class of 1997. She received an Associates Degree in Computer Aided Drafting from ITT Technical Institute in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. She then re-located to Indianapolis to complete and receive her Bachelor's Degree in Computer Visualization Technology. After a few years of employment with Ameritech, her main focus became her family. She became a stay-at-home mother to her four children, Damontre', Daija, Daijon and Dorion. In her spare time, she did some freelance graphic designing, volunteered at Riley Hospital and helped establish a childcare at her church. Alicia, her husband, Tharoah and their family reside in Lawrence.