DIRECTOR
Brian Carter
Brian Carter, an amazing and dedicated seventeen-year long staff member of The Villages, assumed the role of Director of Dads Inc. on October 31, 2011. Brian is the “real deal”, as Governor Daniels described him , when he was recognized as Dads Inc.’s “Father of the Year” ….truly being a father to so many young men who have not had the influence of a positive male role model in their lives!!
Founder
Christopher Maples
Christopher Maples founded Dads Inc. on Father's Day Weekend of 2005. Unable to find a group that could provide some of the support and education he was looking for as a first-time expecting father, and coupled with his passion to encourage and educate men on the importance of a dad's role in the lives of his children, he brought some friends and colleagues together who also shared his passion to create that organization he was seeking. Maples, who now serves as the Director, has been a passionate advocate of involved and responsible fathering for many years. His passion stems from his desire to be a great father to his children, overcoming a bad relationship with his own father.
Before moving to the non-profit sector in 2001, Maples enjoyed a career in politics, serving in student political organizations and working on various campaigns across Indiana. But after a disheartening loss in the 2000 general election for the candidate he was working for, Maples decided to leave politics for good.
He first went to work as a Program Auditor for the Department of Workforce Development, where his primary responsibility was auditing AmeriCorps programs, and then got the opportunity to move to the non-profit sector. He became the Director of AmeriCorps Programs at Horizon House, a local day shelter for the homeless, where he gained extensive experience in program development and management, grants management, and community outreach in a position that he held for three years. In that capacity, he created a first-in-the-nation statewide partnership between various homeless agencies, sharing AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA members.
Maples left to expand his fundraising credentials, and he signed on as the Assistant Director of Resource Development at The Wellness Community, a support organization for cancer patients and their families. He gained extensive experience in special events, grant writing, donor development, Board development, and even a capital campaign, laying the foundation to create a successful new not-for-profit agency. He left TWC in September 2006 to become the first Director of Dads Inc.
Maples attended Franklin College, leaving in 1998 to follow his passion for political campaigns. He did go back to school, earning a BA in Political Science from IUPUI in 2004. He then earned MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2008.
A Note From Chris
Thanks so much for stopping by to learn more about Dads Inc. I'm very proud of what we've been able to accomplish together over the last five years. In just that short period of time, we've been able to advance the cause of responsible fatherhood across Central Indiana. We've also become a nationally-recognized leader in the fatherhood field becasue of our ingenuity and hard work on behalf of dads and kids.
I hope you'll take the time to look around some more, maybe attend one of our programs or events, or even volunteer for us. Please let us know if you ever have any questions! Thanks again!
