Dads Ink

Little did I know when I woke up on the morning of June 17, 2005, that the upcoming day would be one of the most monumental of my life.  Later that day my best friend, Matt Pierce, and I had planned on meeting up for at a luncheon to talk some about this idea that I had for a new non-profit that serves dads.  I bet you can guess what came out of that luncheon.  But what I hadn’t planned on was a visit from my wife, Colleen, at work that morning telling me that we were going to be parents for the first time – she was pregnant with our first son, Jackson.  I was going to be a dad!  Looking back on that sunny Friday before Father’s Day, it’s hard for me to fathom that those two events, so closely linked, could only be mere coincidence.  I’ve always felt that the events were Divinely planned, a serendipitous sign of what God had in mind for me.

Six and a half years later, I still believe that my work with Dads Inc. has been Divinely supervised.  Through all of the mountains and valleys that go along with being a new non-profit agency (and especially the valleys, which have sometimes been very deep), I have just always known that the work would continue, even with the odds stacked against us.  It was too important not to.

And it has.  Two years ago, when Dads Inc. merged with The Villages of Indiana, the mission, I knew, was finally safe.  Not that things are always easy in a horrible economy and a politically-charged climate which has seen donations, sponsorships and grants shrink.  But I knew that Sharon Pierce, the CEO of The Villages, understood the importance of dads in the lives of their children and is as committed as I have been to keeping the work of Dads Inc. alive and growing.

With the future of Dads Inc. secured, it is now time for me to turn over the keys to someone else and face the next challenge that God has planned for me in a new season of my life.  It is with bittersweet excitement that I’m letting you know that my last day with Dads Inc. will be on Friday, October 28th. 

I have accepted the position of Director of Fundraising and Communications with another non-profit agency called Partners In Housing Development Corporation (www.pihdc.org).  I am most definitely in for a challenge as this organization seeks to start a brand new chapter in its history.  I will be joining an Executive Director - who will have been on the job just one week when I begin - in leading Partners in new efforts of fundraising and spreading information about their mission to the community at-large.  Working to house the homeless is sort of a homecoming for me because my first job in the non-profit sector was at Horizon House, a day center for the homeless that I spent three years at.  It is a subject that I still care deeply about and look forward to supporting again.

Let me be clear – I am not leaving Dads Inc. under any dark cloud.  I know Dads Inc.’s best days are yet to come.  This is simply me following the next serendipitous sign I was given.

I am also excited to let you know that the next chief of Dads Inc. will be Mr. Brian Carter.  There are very few people with who I would be comfortable turning this organization over to.  Of those few people, Brian is at the top of the list.  Brian is a dedicated family man with wonderful wife and two grown sons.  He has been an employee of The Villages for over 18 years, championing the needs of children from all walks of life.  In fact, in 2009, Brian was selected as the very first Father of the Year by Dads Inc.  Not only does he do great work for the children he serves, but in his spare time, he already works with young men to become better fathers.  Brian and I have spoken extensively, and I know that the original vision of Dads Inc. – to serve any father who seeks help – will be maintained while he institutes new programs, events and ideas.  I am very excited to see where Brian leads Dads Inc. into the next chapter in its history!

Friends, it has been one of my life’s great privileges to work with you in building that idea I had into the great organization that Dads Inc. is today.  I hope that you continue to work with Brian to help him make it even greater.  And I hope that our paths continue to cross.  Thank you!

Chris Maples