I Am Dad

A Father’s Day Conversation with the Commissioner of the Office of Child Support Services

Tanguler Gray serves as the commissioner of the Office of Child Support Services at the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 
Prior to her appointment in the Biden Administration in December 2021, Gray was a deputy commissioner in the Georgia Department of Human Services.  She previously served as the director for the division of child support services in Georgia, with over 26 years of leadership and child support experience there.  Gray has served as a member of the board for the National Child Support Enforcement Association, including president and secretary, and is serving a second term as a board member of the Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association.
She graduated from Valdosta State University and has a daughter and a son.

Transforming Loss into Action: A Journey in Addressing Black Maternal Health Disparities

Omari is a Brooklyn born artist. His use of color, dimension, and texture exhibits true raw, and natural talent. The evolution of artistry is evident in his work. His pieces tell stories that are thought provoking, intellectually inspiring, and technically sound.
Omari's life partner, Shamony Gibson, transitioned in 2019 due to medical malpractice after giving birth to their second child. In response, Omari co-founded The ARIAH Foundation. ARIAH utilizes art, education, AND advocacy to mitigate the long-lasting impact of systemic racism and oppression on the sexual, reproductive health and birth outcomes within BIPOC communities.

Fatherhood After Felony: Transformation and Advocacy for Successful Reintegration

Sharmain is a National Speaker, Author, and Trainer in areas of fatherhood and prison reentry. After serving time in prison, Sharmain reentered society with a plan, a passion, and a purpose. Despite the challenges of a felony conviction, Sharmain worked hard to overcome the barriers to a successful entry into society. The birth of his first child in 2014 gave him a deeper reason to achieve success after prison.
In 2015, Sharmain attended a heavily promoted fatherhood event in which he was the only father to show. Seeing an opportunity, he volunteered to host a fatherhood workshop himself. His event was successful and he eventually landed a full-time job as a Father Involvement Coordinator at WIC (Women, Infants & Children). In the first year, he successfully recruited and completed over 100 fathers. During his time at WIC, Sharmain would travel the country to other WIC and Family service organizations to inspire them to focus on fatherhood. His success with the WIC Fathers program was his launching pad to his current success as a speaker and trainer.
In 2020, Sharmain graduated with degrees in Business Management and Marketing at Carthage College. In 2021, he completed his Master’s in Business Design and Innovation at Carthage College.
His turnaround story has led to many awards including the NAACP positive impact and the 20 under 40 award. His story has inspired so many that even the district attorney and his original sentencing judge worked together to release Sharmain from parole 4 years earlier than anticipated. All of his work led to one of the most honorable accomplishments that can be given to someone who turns their life around after prison.
In 2022, Sharmain had all of his legal rights restored after receiving a FULL PARDON from Governor Tony Evers in Wisconsin. He now has a mission to help hundreds of justice-impacted people to be granted a pardon.

Reframing Child Support Outcomes to Strengthen Family Engagement - Sharon Pizzuti

Sharon Pizzuti is an Executive Director at Courtland Consulting – a child support consulting firm in East Lansing, Michigan. She has more than 35 years of combined government and consulting leadership in child support. Her career includes roles as a public servant for the two largest Michigan child support offices, consulting for the Federal and State of Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Federal Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics, and for the Michigan Supreme Court, State Court Administrative Office. She’s spent the last 19 years focused on court and human service improvement programs including Fatherhood, Mediation, and Equal Access to Justice work. She is an ERICSA (Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association) Executive Board Member, VP of Conference Operations, Chair of the Onsite Committee and serves on finance, exhibitor and sponsor, conference planning, and communications committees. She is a member of the WICSEC (Western Intergovernmental Child Support Engagement Council) Communication and DEI committees. She also serves on the NTCSA (National Tribal Child Support Association) conference planning and advisory committee. Sharon serves as an Executive Board Member and Treasurer for NCSEA (National Child Support Engagement Association) and is an active committee member dedicated to improving court & human services. Her experience, research, and online presence highlights her passion for creating partnerships and intersections for fatherhood programs, community partners and child support agencies. She understands the impact of trauma, barriers, and biases as well as how to connect the right people and agencies to promote equity and inclusion in child support programs and focus on the best interests of children and their families.

Why Fathers Cry at Night w/ Kwame Alexander

Why Fathers Cry at Night is an intimate and non-traditional (or "new-fashioned") memoir, Kwame Alexander shares snapshots of a man learning how to love. He takes us through stories of his parents: from being awkward newlyweds in the sticky Chicago summer of 1967, to the sometimes-confusing ways they showed their love to each other, and for him. He explores his own relationships—his difficulties as a newly wedded, 22-year-old father, and the precariousness of his early marriage working in a jazz club with his second wife. Alexander attempts to deal with the unravelling of his marriage and the grief of his mother's recent passing while sharing the solace he found in learning how to perfect her famous fried chicken dish. With an open heart, Alexander weaves together memories of his past to try and understand his greatest love: his daughters. Full of heartfelt reminisces, family recipes, love poems, and personal letters, Why Fathers Cry at Night inspires bravery and vulnerability in every reader who has experienced the reckless passion, heartbreak, failure, and joy that define the whirlwind woes and wonders of love. 
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, producer, and #1 New York Times Bestselling author of 36 books, including THE DOOR OF NO RETURN, AN AMERICAN STORY, BECOMING MUHAMMAD ALI, co-authored with James Patterson, REBOUND, which was shortlisted for prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, The Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book, THE UNDEFEATED, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and his NEWBERY medal-winning middle grade novel, THE CROSSOVER. A regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Kwame is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Three NAACP Image Award Nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded. He is the writer and executive producer of THE CROSSOVER TV series on Disney+.

The Importance of Fatherhood Engagement in Youth Educational Outcomes - Vito Borrello

Vito J. Borrello is the first Executive Director for the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE), appointed in September 2014. Since its founding, NAFSCE has addressed systemic issues to advance family, school and community engagement as a strategy for child development, student achievement and school improvement. Initiatives include Reframing the Family Engagement Conversation and the establishment of the National Alliance for Family Engagement; the 18-state State Consortium on Family Engagement in partnership with the Council for Chief State School Officers; and its Family Engagement Consortium on Pre-service Educator Preparation. Prior to his current position, Mr. Borrello served as the 19-year president of Every Person Influences Children, a New York-based organization providing parenting education, and family engagement in education programs. Current National Advisory Board Member roles include Scholastic, and the Center for Education Equity. Recent previous national roles include membership on the National Family, School and Community Engagement Working Group; and two completed terms as both an Appointed and At-Large Board Member for National PTA, where he also served on committees for finance, legislation, resource development, strategic planning and leadership recruitment. He is co-founder and Chairman Emeritus for the NY State Family Engagement Coalition. Prior to his NAFSCE appointment, Mr. Borrello was Chairman of the NY State PTA Urban Initiatives Task Force, Steering Committee member of the NY State Parenting Education Partnership, and a past appointee to NY State Education Department workgroups for Teacher Standards, Striving Readers, and Safe Schools. In his home community of Western New York, Mr. Borrello is a past Board Member for the State University of NY at Buffalo's Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention; past Chairman for the Care Management Coalition of Western New York, and past Board member for Buffalo's Read to Succeed literacy initiative. He is a graduate of the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York Fellowship program and a 1998 graduate of Leadership Buffalo. Mr. Borrello has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Wittenberg University and resides in East Amherst, New York with his wife, Maria, and has two daughters, Marisa and Samantha. He commutes to the NAFSCE offices located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Interviews from the 3rd Annual National Returning Citizens Conference

As the CEO of Fathers Incorporated, I am honored to support the White House’s proclamation for Second Chance Month. This significant initiative recognizes the potential for change and growth in every individual, regardless of their past. In our work to empower fathers and strengthen families, we understand the importance of providing opportunities for redemption and transformation.
In the spirit of Second Chance Month, we want to acknowledge the graduates of our Gentle Warriors Academy. These dedicated fathers have come to understand the crucial role they play in the lives of their children, even after making mistakes. They have embraced their journey towards self-improvement and have become a shining example of the power of second chances.

The World of Sideline Dads in Youth Sports

Fathers Incorporated introducing an "new" podcast called "SIDELINE DAD"
The podcast that's all about promoting positive father involvement in youth sports. This podcast is designed to help dads navigate the world of youth sports, providing tips, advice, and inspiration to help them support their children and make the most of their sports experience.
As a sideline dad, you have an important role to play in your child's sports journey. This podcast is dedicated to helping you fulfill that role to the best of your ability, by sharing stories and insights from experts, coaches, and other dads who have been there before.
In each episode, we'll explore a different topic related to youth sports, from strategies for staying positive in the face of setbacks, to tips for helping your child develop good sportsmanship and teamwork skills. We'll also tackle some of the challenges that can arise in the world of youth sports, such as dealing with overly competitive parents or navigating the complexities of sports travel.
Whether you're a seasoned sports dad or just starting out on this journey, "Sideline Dad" is the podcast for you. So grab a seat on the sideline, put on your headphones, and join us as we explore the world of youth sports and help you become the best sideline dad you can be!
You can subscribe to learn more about the podcast launch in September 2023. You can subscribe and follow the up-to-date news at www.sidelinedad.com

What Does Hip Hop Lyrics Have to Say About Fatherhood w/ Dr. J. L. Adolph

In 2018, Dr. J. L. Adolph completed his Ph.D. in English/African Diaspora Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia; his dissertation centered on Fatherhood Narratives in Hip-hop Lyricism.  He received an MA from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2009 and a BA in English with a minor in Africana Studies from Central Missouri State University, May 2005.  
Dr. JL Adolph has a professional background in utilizing hip-hop culture as a tool to teach at-promise youth and families with histories of trauma successfully. The English professor employs innovative communication methods furnishing an educational space to discuss urban male parenting in Contemporary America. His keynote speeches and interactive online series Dad Cypher: A Hip-hop Guide to Fatherhood challenges critics' skepticism of hip-hop culture and the mythology of African American fatherhood. As a media literacy specialist and researcher, Adolph utilizes his expertise to empower inner-city marginalized dads. Hence, his works seek to alter or “remix” the mainstream narrative of African-American fatherhood. 

Navigating the Cornerstones of Responsible Fatherhood w/ Dr. Jeff Johnson

Dr. Jeffery M. Johnson is President and CEO of the National Partnership for Community  Leadership (NPCL)whose mission is to strengthen the service capacity of public/private agencies to empower low-income parents and youth through innovative training techniques,  practical program management tools and evidence-based practices. 
As president of NPCL, Dr. Johnson has overseen the planning and implementation of two of the nation's most significant social welfare research projects involving low-income men and fathers. 
Since 1997, under Dr. Johnson leadership, NPCL has convened an annual international fatherhood conference that attracts policymakers, family practitioners, and parents worldwide. 
He was also the visionary and national planning committee chair for the 100th anniversary of  Father’s Day. Dr. Johnson also presided over the National Youth Development Practitioner’s Institute for the Department of Labor’s Youth Opportunities Unlimited Program. Additionally, Dr. Johnson currently serves as Dean of the Fatherhood Learning Academy for the Healthy Start Technical Assistance and Support Center.