Chris Brown served as a social marketing specialist and health communications
consultant with the Texas Department of Health before joining National Fatherhood Initiative.
Chris manages programming for National Fatherhood Initiative, which includes curricula and workshop
development and evaluation, National Fatherhood Initiative's Master Trainer program, and other
products and services. Chris trains individuals and organizations
in how to create father-friendly organizations and programs, and in
how to develop, manage, market, and evaluate services and programs
for dads. He is the creator of National Fatherhood Initiative's Father Friendly Check-Up, Best
Practices in Fatherhood Programs, and Social Marketing for Fatherhood
Programs. He earned his M.A. in Applied Anthropology from the University
of South Florida. He lives in the Austin, TX, area with his wife
and two daughters, ages eight and eleven.
Community-Based Programming
Erik Vecere
Associate Vice President of National Programming
Erik Vecere brings 11 years of professional experience in business management to his current position. In his role as National Fatherhood Initiative’s Associate Vice President of Community-based Programming, Erik is responsible for the development and implementation of National Fatherhood Initiative’s community-based programs and initiatives across the country, including the 24/7 Dad™ programs. Erik trains facilitators to lead various fatherhood programs and provides technical assistance to improve program quality and effectiveness. He also meets with local community and civic leaders to create a continual stream of programs and other resources to meet the needs of fathers and families nationally.
Erik received a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania in May of 2006, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Robert Morris University, Moon Township, Pennsylvania in 1991 and an Associates Degree in Letters, Arts and Sciences from Pennsylvania State University, Altoona, Pennsylvania in 1989.
Ron possesses over 10 years of local, state, and national experience coordinating services for fathers, fatherless males, and young unwed parents. Prior to National Fatherhood Initiative, he served as the Director of the Virginia Governor's Fatherhood Campaign for 7 years. He has also served as a State Program Administration Specialist for the Federal USDA WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program, under the Virginia Department of Health. As Director of Training and Technical Assistance, Ron oversees and coordinates National Fatherhood Initiative’s nationwide delivery of technical assistance and training to family services agencies. His academic accomplishments include an M.A. in Public Policy and a MBA Executive Education Certificate. Ron is happily married and the proud father of two sons.
Milton Scott
Program Specialist for Community-based Programming
Assisting National Fatherhood Initiative's Executive Director for Community-based programming,
Milton Scott helps conduct training programs and provides technical
assistance to agencies, funders, and community leaders for National Fatherhood Initiative's various
curricula. Additionally, Scott helps promote and support National Fatherhood Initiative's products
and services by participating in National Fatherhood Initiative's exhibits and presentations
throughout the country. Holding an undergraduate degree in math
and business administration, Scott went on to earn his M.B.A. at Harvard
University. Prior to joining National Fatherhood Initiative, Scott worked as a financial advisor
and investment broker.
Evelyn Hines
Executive Assistant, Community-based Programming and Healthcare Programming
Evelyn Hines manages administrative and program support activities
for National Fatherhood Initiative's Community-based Programming and Healthcare Program. She majored in Journalism and
Advertising at Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA. She and her husband,
Donald, have three children, Jason, Jesse, and Jacob.
Rebecca brings over 25 years of healthcare experience from pediatrics and research to National Fatherhood Initiative. Her concentration has been on patient and parent education, as well as nursing education. She has developed research training programs for nurses with a focus on the pediatric population. In her role as Director of Healthcare Programming for National Fatherhood Initiative, she encourages and promotes the use of National Fatherhood Initiative’s healthcare resources and services, offering ongoing technical assistance to organizations and agencies that use these resources. Rebecca received her undergraduate degree in Nursing from Carlow College and recieved her Master’s of Science in Organizational Leadership from Geneva College in April 2006. She and her husband, Hugh, live in Pittsburgh, PA, and have two children, Christopher and Brittany.
Roseanne graduated from Grove City College where she earned a B.S. in International Business and was active in her sorority as well as many other campus organizations. She is the daughter of deaf parents and the eldest of 4 girls. Prior to joining NFI, Roseanne served in a financial capacity for four years and was an Adviser Marketing Representative for American Funds. As the Healthcare Programming Specialist, she helps to manage several grants and projects on a local and national level.
Pam Austen
Executive Assistant for Healthcare and Military Programming
Capacity Building
Christophe Beard
Director, National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity-Building Initiative
Chris comes to National Fatherhood Initiative from the Urban League, where he directed responsible fatherhood programming. He also served two terms as the Vice President for the Northern Virginia Regional Fatherhood Coalition and now sits on its board of directors. As Associate Director of Corrections Programming, Chris will conduct trainings and assist with program and curricula development. Chris attended University of Southern California, School of International Relations. He and his wife Farah live in Washington, DC, with their two sons, Jean-Phillipe and Sebastien.
Ave Mulhern
Executive Coordinator, National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity-Building Initiative
Ave Mulhern is responsible for providing coordination and administrative support for the National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity Building Initiative (NRFCBI). Ave joins the National Fatherhood Initiative after a long and successful career with Verizon. Her work experience included management roles in Finance and Marketing as well as Training Specialist for Workforce Development.
Ave and her husband Joe have been married over 31 years and live in Willow Grove, PA. They have two children, Meghan and Joseph.
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
Frances Ballard
Executive Director, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
Frances Ballard is the Executive Director for the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC). She is responsible for the strategic direction and leadership for activities regarding the NRFC, including the coordination of the media campaign, clearinghouse and website, Training and Technical Assistance (T & TA) and Information Technology (IT) operations, providing T & TA to demonstration sites and building relationships and partnerships for NRFC. Her professional experiences include serving 12 years as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for The Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Revitalization; Consultant to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Making Connections Program; Director of Corporate Development and Clinical Manager-Ambulatory Care, Grace Hospital; and Nurse Consultant/Program Developer, The Institute For Responsible Fatherhood and Family Development. She holds a Masters of Science Degree in Nursing Administration, a B.A. in Social Work, an A.S. in Nursing, and numerous executive management certifications. She is married to Dr. Charles A. Ballard, (“pioneer” of the Fatherhood Movement) and she is the mother of their three children, Jonathan, Lydia and Christopher.
Nigel Vann
Director, Training & Technical Assistance
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
Mr. Vann has over 20 years of experience working with many programs for fathers and families in the United States and England, providing a wide range of technical assistance and training for staff of programs working on fatherhood and family relationship issues. He is currently the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. Most recently he has served as adviser to the PAIRS Foundation Healthy Marriage project in South Florida and has led efforts to establish a Fathers and Families Resource Center in Silver City, NM. He managed Maryland's Absent Parents Employment Program (1988-90); served as a Program Officer for Public/Private Ventures' Young Unwed Fathers Pilot Project (1991-95); led the development of a Baltimore Regional Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families (1996); was the National Partnership for Community Leadership's Director of Partnership Development (1996 - 2004) and Director of Training (2002-2004); and managed the Healthy Marriage and Family Formation project in Florida (2004 - 2006). Originally from England, Nigel now lives in Silver City, New Mexico with his wife Denise. His son Jesse is in his 20s and off exploring the world.
Corrections Programming
Ken Gosnell
Senior Director of National Programming
Ken Gosnell is the senior director of national programming at the National Fatherhood Initiative. In the area of work-family balance programming, Ken works with companies across the country in the development of father friendly policies and in providing workshops for companies on how to engage fathers in work-family programs. Ken is an experienced coach who has coached employees and managers in corporations, non-profits, and government agencies in areas of leadership development, generational issues, and project management. In corrections programming, Ken oversees trainings such as the InsideOut™ Dad program and is a specialist on reentry programming. Ken has written extensively on leadership issues and personal development and continues to write for several business and personal development magazines. Before coming to the National Fatherhood Initiative Ken worked with the National Institutes of Health and In 2004, Ken was one of only three selections made for the prestigious NIH Leadership Program – an executive level training program. While serving in this program, he was able to work with the NIH offices of Change Management and Strategic Planning; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Office of Workforce Effectiveness and the National Cancer Institute Office of Workforce Planning and Employee Development.
Ken lives with his wife Shonda and their three children in the DC metro area.
Rev. E. Gregory Austen, Jr. (Greg) is the Director of Corrections Programming for the National Fatherhood Initiative. Greg’s background is that of a seasoned pastor and holds a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Studies from Philadelphia Biblical University.
As Director of Corrections Programming, Greg is responsible for new product development, sales , training, and technical assistance related to NFI’s Corrections programming. He is th e primary author of InsideOut Dad™ Christian, Men’s Ministry Remodeled™, Father Friendly Check-Up™ for Churches and the Christian-based overlay for the 24/7 Dad™ Christian-based Facilitator’s Kit. Greg speaks frequently and to diverse audiences on the topic of men’s ministry, and specifically on getting dads involved in spiritual transformation.
Greg lives in the Millville, NJ with his wife of twenty-one years, Pam, and his three children: Matthew who is sixteen, Tim who is fourteen, and Emily who is twelve.
Nate Mathis is currently one of two Directors of Corrections Programs at NFI. In this role, he is responsible for extending the reach, influence and acceptance of NFI among corrections professionals through seminars, writings, and delivery of the InsideOut™ Dad program. He brings to this role a passion to positively impact the lives of children and incarcerated fathers through involved, responsible and committed fathering. That passion stems from his prior re-entry program development experience, and his current engagement in teaching at a local correctional institution.
Prior to NFI, Nate invested 15+ years in business and communications consulting as well as sales of consulting services all focused on business performance, quality standards, leadership, and web technology implementations in the U.S. and Europe. He is a past Board Member of the Christian Homes for Children adoption agency in northern NJ.
Nate holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications & Literature from the University of Pittsburgh, and has engaged advanced study in law and organizational communications at University of Detroit and Fairleigh Dickenson University respectively. He and his wife, Danielle, enjoy running a local track club in the Atlanta’s southern crescent – the Southside Pioneers, and working to guide local youth. They are made parents by three terrific young adults, namely – Nicole, J. Paul & David
Before joining National Fatherhood Initiative, Elaine was the Catering/Convention Services (CS) Manager for Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. She served as the CS manager at the Hyatt for the 3rd Annual National Summit on Fatherhood in 2000. As National Fatherhood Initiative's Special Events
Manager, Elaine plans logistics
for National Fatherhood Initiative's special events
including: National Fatherhood Initiative's Golden
Dads™ campaign, Fatherhood
Awards Gala, exhibits, and
training institutes. She
is a graduate of the Cornell
University School of Hotel
Administration, where she
received a Bachelor of Science
degree. She was married on May 12, 2006
Jillian graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in May of 2006 and received a B.A. in Communication with a Public Relations and Advertising concentration. Before joining National Fatherhood Initiative, she interned at the Johnstown Convention & Visitors Bureau in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She has volunteered for Easter Seals, Habitat for Humanity and St. Vincent DePaul Society. As the Events Assistant, she helps Elaine Barber with the behind the scenes planning of training institutes, exhibits, Fatherhood Awards Gala, Golden Dads campaign, and other special projects. As the office assistant, she is responsible for completing the tasks that make the office run smoothly.
Prior to joining the National Fatherhood Initiative, Kristy worked for Infinity Concept, a marketing and consulting firm, as an Account Executive where she offered clients a clear understanding of the dynamics of business administration. She received her B.A. from Grove City College in Psychology with minors in Business and Religion. Her role at the National Fatherhood Initiative is to assist in the operation of NFI's research-related activities and to collect and analyze data related to tracking NFI's success in achieving its strategic and tactical objectives. Kristy, her husband, Michael, and their daughter, Julia, live in Pittsburgh, PA.
Tim Red joined NFI after 30 years of military service with the last twenty in an Active Duty status. He served four years as the State Family Program Director for the Texas National Guard. At the end of his career he was mobilized and then deployed overseas in support of the Kosovo Peacekeeping mission for seventeen months. Tim is married to his wife Paula and has four kids, Travis, Nathan, Zach and Nikki. He enjoys watching his kids play baseball, tennis and soccer.
Business Programming
Ken Gosnell
Senior Director of National Programming
Ken Gosnell is the senior director of work-family balance programming and corrections programming at the National Fatherhood Initiative. In the area of work-family balance programming, Ken works with companies across the country in the development of father friendly policies and in providing workshops for companies on how to engage fathers in work-family programs. Ken is an experienced coach who has coached employees and managers in corporations, non-profits, and government agencies in areas of leadership development, generational issues, and project management. As the Director of Corrections Programming, Ken oversees trainings such as the InsideOut™ Dad program and is a specialist on reentry programming. Ken has written extensively on leadership issues and personal development and continues to write for several business and personal development magazines. Before coming to the National Fatherhood Initiative Ken worked with the National Institutes of Health and In 2004, Ken was one of only three selections made for the prestigious NIH Leadership Program – an executive level training program. While serving in this program, he was able to work with the NIH offices of Change Management and Strategic Planning; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Office of Workforce Effectiveness and the National Cancer Institute Office of Workforce Planning and Employee Development.
Ken lives with his wife Shonda and their two children in the DC metro area.
Kayla Cates-Brown
Executive Assistant, Work-Family Balance and Corrections Programming
Prior to joining The National Fatherhood Initiative, Kayla worked in the educational field as an assistant director for a child care center and as a pre-school teacher. At National Fatherhood Initiative, Kayla provides administrative support to National Fatherhood Initiative’s Work-Family Balance and Corrections Programming Directors. She received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of North Texas. She enjoys reading, swimming, and traveling with her family. She and her husband live in Austin, TX and have two daughters.
Strategic Project Management
Bill Covey Associate Director of Strategic Project Management
Before joining National Fatherhood Initiative, Bill served as the Senior Committee Clerk for
the Committee on Ways and Means in the U.S. House of Representatives.
As National Fatherhood Initiative's Associate Director of Strategic Project Management, Bill
oversees National Fatherhood Initiative's strategic planning and project management processes,
manages content for National Fatherhood Initiative’s Dad E-mail service, and manages information
technology processes for National Fatherhood Initiative. Bill holds a Master of Arts degree in
Organizational Leadership from Regent University in Virginia Beach,
VA, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Plattsburgh
State University in Plattsburgh, NY. Bill and his wife, Jen, are happily
married and have one son, William J. Covey III.
In her role as National Fatherhood Initiative’s Director of School-Based programming, Ms. Tate is responsible for the implementation of National Fatherhood Initiative’s programs and initiatives within local and national education systems across the country.
Ms. Tate provides training and technical assistance to school-based organizations such as public schools, private schools, Head Starts and parent-teacher groups to help them increase father involvement in their child’s education and in the schools Ms. Tate provides presentations on the benefits children receive from father-child involvement within these educational settings. She is also responsible for enhancing current National Fatherhood Initiative resources used in education systems and assisting in new product development.
Ms. Tate brings an extensive history of working with children and families in the community service arena to her current position at National Fatherhood Initiative. Prior to joining National Fatherhood Initiative, she worked for Opportunities Alternatives and Resources (OAR) of Fairfax Inc., where she facilitated a revolving 10-week Responsible Fatherhood Workshop to male inmates at the Fairfax County Jail in Northern VA. She also served as co-chair of the Fairfax Fatherhood Collaborative and has appeared as a guest on a local VA television show entitled “It Takes a Village”. Ms. Tate obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Child and Family Community Services from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green Ohio.
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