INDIANAPOLIS — Five dedicated and highly-successful fathers were recognized for their accomplishments by Fathers and Families Center as it celebrated responsible and nurturing dads at its 13th annual Faces of Fatherhood Luncheon, presented by Ryan Consulting Group.
The five deserving fathers were honored with the Heart of a Father Award, presented by Managed Health Services (MHS) at a noon luncheon on Friday, June 16. Those fathers are:
• Rafael Sanchez
• John Dickerson
• Gregg Keesling
• Earl Townsend
• Thomas Alex Frey
Rafael Sanchez is the president and CEO of Indianapolis Power & Light Company. He is passionate about giving back to the community. The recently retired Executive Director of the Arc of Indiana, John Dickerson is enthusiastic about transforming lives and communities and is a tireless advocate for people with disabilities, which most recently included the development of a new app – Quillo – which helps to improve company culture and boost morale for those who care for adults with disabilities. Among his numerous good works in the community, Gregg Keesling and his wife Jannett established Keys to Work: a for-profit staffing agency connecting welfare recipients with clerical, cleaning and light-industrial temp work. In 2005, the Keeslings founded RecyleForce, which is a social enterprise offering comprehensive and innovative recycling services while providing life-changing workforce training to formerly incarcerated individuals. Earl Townsend and his wife Ro have developed GROE, Inc., Claim the Throne and Open Bite Night, which are events and programs that provide a wide variety of valuable services to the community, including daily after school snack bags for IPS children in the 34th Street and Clifton Street area, and celebrate the successes and contributions of traditionally vulnerable populations. Thomas Alex Frey endured a difficult childhood that included time at Indiana’s Kokomo Academy Boys School where he earned his GED. As a young man, Frey became the father of three daughters and was referred to the Fathers and Families Center to help him adopt the role of a responsible father. Frey started focusing on his life and worked hard to improve his relationship with his children, placing his responsibilities as a father as a top priority.
