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Meet The Team!
Our Goals:
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We have a positive impact on the epidemic of fatherlessness in America.
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We restore families by empowering absent fathers to be responsible family leaders.
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We stop the cycle of family violence and brokenness in order to improve the lives of children.
Administrative Staff
Staff
Marvin Charles
Co-Founder, CEO & President
Marvin Charles has emerged as a community and national leader in creating stronger fathers and healthier families. Because of his own powerful story of separation from and then reunification with his own family, parents and children, and his 15+ years of helping others reclaim the positive role of fathers to their families, he is an experienced and trusted mentor and advisor. He has traveled all over the U.S. to speak about empowering fathers, to learn from other national leaders and to share our successes with other organizations hoping to implement fatherhood programs. Marvin Charles is an ordained minister and his extraordinary effectiveness comes from his ability to see through the pain and threats of those he counsels to the powerful change possible by embracing a living God and larger purpose. Neither class or ethnicity poses an obstacle to him being heard.
Staff
Jeanett Charles
Co-Founder & Executive Vice President
Jeanett Charles leads DADS along with her husband Marvin. Out of their experience with drug abuse, homelessness, the loss of their children to the state and many other challenges, the Charles' built a community and a faith-based program to provide assistance to fathers who have lost their connection to their children. The commitment, love, time and attention given to Jeanett from her father gave her the confidence, courage and strength to overcome many of life’s challenges.
Staff
Bianca Lizaola
Executive Administrative Assistant
Bianca is the Executive Administrative Assistant to Marvin and Jeanett Charles. She joined the DADS family in September of 2020. She is a California native but calls Seattle home currently. She earned her AA at both Highline Community college as well as the Art Institute of Seattle in Culinary Arts. Before DADS she worked in the culinary field for as a cook, and chef which taught her organizational and leadership skills. For the past 10 years she served as the treasure, board member, and sunday school teacher for her church Crossroad Kingdom Ministries. She loves to travel, spend time with family & friends always in search for sunshine. Her attention to detail, and desire to constantly be learning has made her a wonderful addition to our family here at DADS.
Staff
Charles Woods
Pierce County Area Director
Tacoma Office
Charles serves as our Pierce County Area Director in our Lakewood office. Charles came to the D.A.D.S program after being incarcerated for a few years and seeking assistance to see his son and to become an active father in his children's lives again. Not only did he take all the necessary steps and recommendations to complete the court process to see his son, but he also became an employee to our program. He went on to obtain his AA degree in Audio Engineering from the Los Angeles Film School and enjoys his studio work during his downtime. He is a product of what we believe here at D.A.D.S. and strives to be a good father every day.
Staff
Larry Brooks
Program Facilitator & Intake Specialist
Larry Brooks is the Founder and Pastor of Crossroads Kingdom Ministries. His life is dedicated to living by example and encouraging men and women how to live up to their full potential in Christ. Pastor Larry has more than a decade of teaching, mentoring and counseling, which enables him to reach others with humor, warmth, transparency, and strength. He is a husband, father, grandfather, teacher, public speaker, role model, and mentor.
Staff
Maria Brooks
Bilingual Intake Specialist
Maria Brooks comes to DADS, alongside of her husband Larry, to support part-time in between both our Seattle and Lakewood offices. She was born and raised in California then moved to Washington in October of 1999. Maria retired from Safeway after 36 years of service and prides herself in helping people. She is expanding our client base as our Bilingual Intake Specialist to serve the Hispanic and Latino communities.
Staff
Curtis Ruffin
Intake Specialist
Curtis is a Human Services professional with over 20 years of experience providing intake services, case management, and recovery services throughout the Pacific Northwest. In various roles, Curtis has worked to coordinate treatment services to individuals in drug recovery, job training, and development for Felons seeking to re-enter the workforce, and program facilitation for work release settings for well-known and respected community-based organizations such as WorkSource Washington and Lutheran Compass Center. Curtis is presently focusing his efforts as an Intake Specialist for DADS. He calls Seattle, WA his home where he enjoys fishing, spending time with family, and attending the church where he serves as an usher. Curtis is committed to helping disenfranchised clientele to advance and achieve their life goals.
Staff
Gregory Adams
Program Manager & Intake Specialist
Gregory Adams is a graduate of the DADS program. His story of reentry into life outside of the Monroe Correctional Complex is inspiring. Now a co-facilitator of the DADS Quenching the Fathers Thirst classes at the Monroe Correctional Facility, Greg encourages men who are planning to reenter the community from prison to, “Make DADS your first stop!” He enjoys creating incredible meals and desserts as an executive chef with Upper Crust Catering and lives in Seattle with his wife Elaine.
Staff
Gregg Towery
Support Group & Donor Relations Specialist, Accounting
Gregg Towery has been involved at DADS since 2005 and hosts the Thursday night Bible study/support group. With a background in theology directed toward application in daily life, he has served in pastoral ministries to men for more than 20 years. He has a passion for fathering and seeks to "turn the hearts of fathers to their children." The deep pain and grief experienced in his own life helps him to connect with the needs of struggling fathers. Greg lives in Kent with his wife, has six adult children and six grandchildren.
Staff
Johnnie Gage
Director of Operations
Johnnie Gage, joined DADS in 2022 and brings a 20-year track record in senior management, marked by a results-driven approach and proficiency in new business development, fiscal management, and program development. Currently based in Seattle, Washington, Johnnie contributes to leadership and successfully implementing operational strategies. Among many responsibilities, Johnnie's, role includes overseeing program development, introducing innovative programs such as a fatherhood support group, and implementing the new internship initiative.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Board President
William is an experienced human resources professional with a demonstrated history of working in the for-profit & non-profit organizations. Skilled in nonprofit organizations, negotiation, talent management, employee relations, labor relations, employment law, and consultation. Masters of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law, Tulane University Law School.
Board of Directors
Board Vice President
Eddie is a dedicated Father of four sons and a retired US veteran. He has been a close friend of D.A.D.S. for the last 20 years. His first meeting with D.A.D.S. was seeking help with his child support issues. He has firsthand experience with how D.A.D.S. not only helps and serves but builds lasting relationships with all that cross their path. He currently works for the Department of Veteran Affairs and is focused on raising his teenage son.
Board of Directors
Board Treasurer
Chris currently works as corporate counsel for Carta, Inc. and received his degree in politics and theology from the University of San Francisco. During his undergraduate studies, he spent a semester at American University in Washington, DC, where he took a justice seminar that opened his eyes to the inequitable way justice is distributed, and the staggering recidivism rates in the United States. This experience was the birth of his passion for this specific work and what led him to attend law school at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, where he had the opportunity to intern as a student attorney with the Wisconsin Innocence Project. After moving to Seattle, he served as a volunteer attorney for Disability Rights Washington in their AVID Prison Project, and volunteered with the Washington Innocence Project at the University of Washington. This path ultimately led him to DADS, where he is grateful for the opportunity to combine his faith and experience to support the organization in helping fathers become more involved in the lives of their children, and to overcome the collateral consequences of being involved with the justice system.
“You don’t change the world with the ideas in your mind, but with the conviction in your heart.” – Bryan Stevenson
Board of Directors
Board Secretary
Joe has been an attorney at the Seattle law firm Davis Grimm Payne & Marra for over thirty years. His practice focuses on representing employers in all areas related to private and public sector labor and employment law. Prior to entering private practice, Joe was an attorney at the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Joe is a frequent and popular speaker for associations, companies and non-profit organizations. Although a litigator, Joe’s priority is enabling clients to avoid costly lawsuits and legal risks by utilizing proactive, preventative business practices. Joe is admitted to all state and federal courts in Washington and Montana. He has received the Distinguished Citizen Award from WA. Independent Business Association and has been repeatedly recognized by the Washington State Bar Association for his pro bono work. "A lawyer must be much more than a litigator for his clients. He must be an honest and realistic advisor, strategist, risk assessor, counselor and advocate."
Board of Directors
Board Member
Debbie Jacobsen has been associated with DADS for a number of years through her deep ties to its founders Marvin and Jeanett. Debbie holds a master’s degree in theology (MAT) from Fuller Theological Seminary and eagerly serves as the Lord leads. There is a tremendous gulf of despair fatherlessness has created in the greater Seattle area and helping to break down the barriers impeding the course towards a future that closes the gap separating fathers from their families is a tremendous need. Debbie also serves on the King County Advisory Board for The Salvation Army. She shares five adult children and five grandchildren (and counting), with her husband Mark.
Board of Directors
Board Member
Paul is a Managing Partner at Fortis Financial Group, an investments and wealth management firm based in Bellevue, WA. Prior to Fortis, Paul spent nine years at Ernst & Young in Audit and Transaction Services spending time in San Diego, San Francisco and London. Paul is currently the Treasurer for Divine Alternatives for Dads and the President of the University Kiwanis organization. In his free time he loves to spend time with his wife and daughter, cook, read and write.
Board of Directors
Board Member
Tim has been involved with DADS for several years as a participant in the Wednesday morning Bible study/support group/prayer meeting. He describes this as “the most meaningful Bible study I’ve ever experienced. Men come with vulnerable honesty about our lives, combined with a deep hunger to grow both as fathers and husbands, and as followers of Christ.” This fellowship connected Tim with other men from richly diverse backgrounds, and to led to deep appreciation for the exceptional work of DADS. He admits that “Marvin and Jeanett are two of my heroes and I treasure every opportunity to learn from them.” Tim is a retired Presbyterian pastor, and has been a professor of theology, ethics and spirituality for Seattle Pacific University, Fuller Seminary, Regent College, the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), and the French Evangelical Seminary (Paris). Prior to retirement he led a team at World Vision International who were responsible for the spiritual formation of WVI’s 45,000 staff around the world, as well as church and interfaith relations. He has graduate degrees in theology from Harvard Divinity School, Fuller Seminary, and the University of Aberdeen and is the author of a dozen books. He and his wife enjoy learning from and celebrating life with their three grown daughters, their husbands, and the gift of eight grandchildren.