Kansas City, MO — The National Center for Fathering has named Carey Casey as chief executive officer, bringing to the national research and educational organization a wealth of experience and special skill as a powerful and dynamic communicatorer, especially on the topic of men being good fathers. “I want to build on the expertise of the center to give men workable, practical solutions to help them be better fathers,” Casey said. “Our children have a right to grow up with their fathers present, active and positive in their lives.”

Casey most recently was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Foundation, a unit of the Kansas City-based non-profit, interdenominational ministry that reaches out to the coaches and athletes of the world. Casey worked with that group in various capacities for 18 years.

Casey’s career has included serving as an NFL team chaplain and serving as pastor of an inner-city church in an Illinois community recognized by the Points of Light Foundation. He is a motivational speaker, delivering speeches and making friends with the many athletes and leaders he met, including Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State and former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Barry McCaffrey, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and National Football League notables ranging from Herschel Walker to Tony Dungy.

Consistently throughout his career, Casey has brought passion to the importance of instilling high values in others, a feature that he intends to bring to the National Center for Fathering, which is established to champion the role of responsible fatherhood by conducting research and providing practical resources for men.

More than 39 percent of all children in the United States live apart from their fathers. Children with little or no contact with their fathers are more likely to drop out of school and to abuse drugs and alcohol. Girls are more likely to become pregnant as teens, and boys are more likely to become involved in crime and violence.

Casey said he learned a lot from his own father, and the elder Casey’s death in 2000 hasn’t stopped the learning.

“He’s teaching me even more from the grave than he did in life,” Casey said of his father. “I’ll put that teaching to work in my new job.”

Casey’s own experience as a father also will be put to good use with the Center. Casey and his wife, Melanie, have been married 28 years and are parents of four: Christie, Patrice, Marcellus and Chance.

Casey graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he helped lead the school to the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship in 1977.

At the National Center for Fathering, Casey succeeds Ken Canfield, who founded the Center in 1990 and who resigned to run for public office.

The National Center for Fathering is a leading national organization focused primarily on educating and encouraging men to be better fathers. The group serves fathers through its Web site, http://www.fathers.com/; through email distributions, and with a nationwide radio program. The radio program and the Web site provide daily encouragement and practical tips, helpful articles and information for fathers in a variety of fathering stages and situations. The Center also offers live seminars and small-group materials to help men develop and deepen their fathering skills.

—    30 —

Note to editors: To obtain a photo of Carey Casey, contact Kasey Finnigan at Corporate Communications Group Inc., (913) 451-2990 or (800) 726-2990 or kfinnigan@ccgcorp.com.