For the past two decades this award has been given annually to a recognized leader in the field of fatherhood who passionately promotes the value of fathers to families, children, and communities with effectiveness and integrity. NPCL is a national leader in fatherhood promotion, convening twenty-five fatherhood and family-strengthening national conferences over its 28-year history.

NPCL’s work has also included the active involvement of philanthropy, corporate leaders, and federal government officials in addressing the importance of father engagement. Additionally, NPCL has extensive experience providing leadership in connecting local, state, and national fatherhood initiatives with community- based efforts and managing multi-site demonstration projects.

This award is presented annually in honor of Dr. Charles Augustus Ballard, founder and longtime President and CEO of the Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Revitalization (IRFFR).

Dedicated to reconnecting marginalized fathers with their children, he launched the “Teen Father Program: A Family Service” in Cleveland in 1982 and, to expand the model nationally, moved IRFFR’s headquarters to Washington, D.C., in 1994.

Born in Underwood, Alabama (June 1936), Ballard was shaped by segregation and poverty, including his father’s institutionalization when Ballard was about three—an experience that later informed his work on father absence. He became a father at seventeen, served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division (“Screaming Eagles”), and was honorably discharged in December 1959. After years of addiction, violence, and incarceration, he experienced a profound Christian conversion in prison and connected his behavior to unresolved trauma from his father’s disappearance.

Following his release, Ballard pursued restorative justice, including formally adopting the son he had previously abandoned, and completed his education—earning a high school diploma and a B.A. in sociology and psychology from Oakwood College (Huntsville, Alabama). He later received a full scholarship to Case Western Reserve University and earned an M.S.W. from the Mandel School of Applied Social Science in 1972.

In 1976, while working in the Cleveland Metro Hospital System, Ballard observed that most expectant mothers came to clinics alone. He located nearly 600 non-residential fathers and engaged them through peer and group counseling, demonstrating that early paternal involvement could improve maternal health outcomes and increase infant birth weights.

In 1982, he formalized this approach through the “Teen Father Program: A Family Service,” centered on 24/7 in-home paraprofessional outreach rather than office-based, punitive welfare models. The program provided parenting education, conflict management, AIDS-prevention education, and job- search skills, and required participants to adopt a “risk-free lifestyle,” including ending substance 3 abuse and violence—supporting stable co-parenting, marriage where appropriate, and the father’s emotional integration into family life.

During mid-1990s welfare reform, Ballard was widely cited as a leading family revitalization practitioner and testified before Congressional committees, urging caution about overreliance on punitive child support enforcement and about promoting marriage without effective counseling. His contributions were recognized with the 1999 CATCH (Committed Adults to Children in Hartford) award, and The Ohio State University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree on December 13, 2002.

This award is given annually to a community-based organization or nonprofit agency for outstanding

leadership in promoting responsible fatherhood and building strong families. The late Ronald F.

Johnson was an outstanding community leader and spokesperson for fathers and families. As a

successful program administrator and advocate throughout the State of California and the nation, Mr.

Johnson was founder and creator of the Ten Rites of Passage Program in Los Angeles, California.

Mr. Johnson provided Ten Rites consultation and trainings across the United States and presented

widely in conferences and the media. He received numerous awards and accolades for his work

from across the country.

This award is given annually to a woman who is providing exemplary leadership in advancing the field of responsible fatherhood and family strengthening. Ms. Vicki Turetsky. She served from 2009 to 2016 as Commissioner of the Office Support Enforcement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Without a doubt, she is one of the premier women in advancing the fatherhood field. Appointed by President Obama, she was the architect of President Obama’s fatherhood legislative proposals. During her tenure as Commissioner, her accomplishments were significant and will have a lasting effect on how child support is perceived and does its work. She created and championed the idea of family- centered child support.

Her commitment to social change and her interests underscores her holistic approach to leadership and empowerment.

This award is given annually to the public sector official (government or policymaker) for outstanding contributions in the advancement of government efforts that promote responsible fatherhood and strong families. Judge David Gray Ross was Commissioner for the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (1983-2000). During his tenure, Judge Ross fundamentally changed the way that the federal child support system interfaces with low-income fathers. As a result of Judge Ross’s leadership, significant changes occurred resulting in “Father-friendly” practices and customer service approaches within the child support system. Recipients of this annual award have demonstrated a track record that reflects Judge Ross.

This award is given annually to a leader or researcher for outstanding contributions to the

advancement of the responsible fatherhood field and the strengthening of fragile families. This

award was established in 1999 in honor of the historic and significant contributions of Dr. Ronald B.

Mincy. Dr. Mincy has long been considered one of the nation’s top researchers in fatherhood, he is

the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters and is the editor of Black Males Left

Behind (2006). His grant making to the responsible fatherhood field while at the Ford Foundation

(1995-2000) is legendary. Dr. Mincy funded more than 30 million dollars in new research programs,

communication, activities, and evaluation efforts targeting low-income fathers and fragile families

during his tenure at the Foundation. His leadership of the Strengthening Fragile Families Initiative

laid the groundwork for contemporary private foundation grant making to the fatherhood field.

This award is given annually in honor of the late Halbert Sullivan to an individual whose life's work and commitment have contributed to the positive promotion of responsible fatherhood and family strengthening reflected in a lifelong career of service of dedicated service and achievement.

Halbert Sullivan, 69, founded the St. Louis Fathers & Families Support Center (FFSC) in 1997 to transform absent fathers into nurturing parents. During his tenure as Chief Executive Officer, FFSC helped more than 18,000 fathers become financially and emotionally involved parents with the skills necessary to hold a job and support a family, making a positive impact in the lives of nearly 45,000 children. This experience made him one of the most successful practitioners and fatherhood leaders in the United States.

Sullivan was born in Memphis, TN, but moved to Rochester, NY, as a teenager. While in Rochester became addicted to drugs and was an absent father to his child. After multiple arrests, convictions, and incarcerations, he relocated to St. Louis, where he got back in touch with his children, earned a college degree, and then, at age 47, a master's degree in social work from Washington University.

Community leaders approached him about creating a program to help children by helping their fathers, and the organization was Sullivan, who received the Gold Pin for the President's Volunteer Service Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Partnership of Community Leadership, was named the 2017 Nonprofit Executive of the Year in St. Louis, and received honors from the NAACP, Missouri Association of Social Welfare, Washington University, and the governor of Missouri.scription text goes here