Please Contribute!

The Ohio Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families is a non-profit organization, incorporated in the State of Ohio. We are committed to enhancing the outcomes of children, families and communities by providing training, support and strength to the professionalism of fatherhood practitioners.

Please consider making a donation to support our activities.

Mail donation checks, payable to OPNFF to:

All contributions are tax deductible. Thank you for your support of Ohio's fathers and families!

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Mission: To enhance the outcomes of children, families and communities by providing information, training and encouragement to father and family-serving practitioners.

Vision: OPNFF is recognized as the one-stop organization for fatherhood advocacy, information, resources and opportunities among public and private stakeholders.

Principles: Children, families, and communities will experience optimum outcomes when men and fathers are connected to trained, supported and strengthened practitioners; Fathers are essential in the lives of their children; A positively engaged father leads by example, and strengthens his family and community; A healthy community values and celebrates fathers. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Calvin L. Williams, President (S) Program Director Lighthouse Youth Services 6930 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45236 513-891-3347, ext 120 clwilliams@lys.org	James McDonald, Vice President (E) Forever Dads 333 Putman Avenue Zanesville, OH 43701 740-454-9766 jmcdonald@sixcounty.org
Steve Killpack, Secretary-Treasurer (NE) Community Endeavors Foundation 1951 W 26th Street, #511 Cleveland, OH 44113 216-502.4795 communityendeavors@earthlink.net Member, Ohio Commission on Fatherhood Rona Dorsey (W) Ohio Department of Rehabilitations and Corrections 1050 Freeway Drive North Columbus, OH 43229 614-752-1741 Rona.Dorsey@odrc.state.oh.us	Muqit Sabur, Immediate Past President (NE) Manager, Fathers and Families Together Center for Families and Children 4500 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44103 216.432.7200, x 403 msabur@c4fc.org Reverend Dr. B. A. Moore, Chair of Board Management Committee (NE) Passages, Inc. P.O. Box 91381 Cleveland, OH 44101-3831 216-881-6776 drbalex1@aol.com

Terry W. Miller, LSW, M.Ed. (E) Coshocton County Job & Family Services 1144 S 16th Street Coshocton, OH 43812 740-622-1020 miller03@odjfs.state.oh.us Mark Robinson, MSW Northcoast Fatherhood Collaborative 65 Birckhead Place Toledo, OH 43608 419-377-1488 marobisr@@aol.com	Scott Neely (W) Ohio Department of Rehabilitations and Corrections 1050 Freeway Drive North Columbus, OH 43229 614-752-1150 Scott.Neely@odrc.state.oh.us Member, Ohio Commission on Fatherhood Michelle Robinson (NW) LACCA Head Start 540 South Central Avenue Lima, OH 45804 419-227-9953 mrobinson@lacca.org

Luis Vazquez (NE) Cuyahoga County Office of Health and Human Services 310 W Lakeside, Suite 500 Cleveland, OH 44113 216.443.7297 lvazquez@cuyahogacounty.us James J Whitfield, Esq. (S) SUMA/Talbert House (Re-entry Program) 2330 Victory Parkway, 2nd floor Cincinnati, OH 45206 513-487-7862 jwhit@justice.com	Sue Ware (W) Prevent Child Abuse Ohio 655 East Livingston Ave Columbus, OH 43205 614-722-6800 ware s01@odjfs.state.oh.us Eli Williams Urban Light Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 3132 Springfield, OH 45501 937-328-0122 ewilliams@urbanlight.org

In May of 2003 the Center for Families and Children of Cleveland hosted the first Fathers Matter Conference in the State of Ohio. With the support of Lee Fisher, CEO of CFC and Andy Calladine, Executive Director of CFC's Fathers and Families Together Program, a diverse group of fatherhood practitioners and stakeholders was brought together to discuss the importance of Fatherhood and the barriers faced by practitioners. Conference participants provided input through a survey and comments offered during the event were instrumental in assisting the conference organizers in taking the next step towards supporting FATHERHOOD in Ohio.

Most participants agreed that there was a need for a Fatherhood Practitioner network in Ohio. Many offered to be part of a Council that would use the ideas submitted by participants at the Fathers Matter Conference in order to establish a grassroots effort to support and educate Practitioners in Ohio.

As a result, a Network Planning Council was formed and the first meeting was held in Columbus on August 8th, 2003. At this time all background information was reviewed in order to develop a strategic planning process. Monthly meetings were facilitated by consultant John Smith of NPNFF (National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families); the Council continued to meet monthly in Columbus developed an organizational frame work. A mission statement was crafted along with a vision, principles, goals and action steps. In April of 2004, the Planning Council completed its work and the first Board of Directors of OPNFF was elected. A statewide membership drive was launched in May 2004 at the second annual Fathers Matter Conference. In late 2007, membership reached 500 individuals.