We seek individuals with a devotion to supporting our community, uplifting our organizations' vision and advocating for families with special needs youth.
BOARD MEMBERS
Steve Williams
President
Auburn, WA I currently serve as Board President of Dads M.O.V.E. I am also the parent of a daughter on the autism spectrum and an adopted daughter with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and the grandparent of three grandchildren with behavioral health concerns. I began this work after struggling to find services to help my family. I feel both honored and blessed that I now have the opportunity to help families navigate the system, find new supports and learn new skills, increasing the opportunity for our children to become all they can be. At the age of 63, I was blessed with the opportunity to go back to college and received an AA degree in Human Services. During school, I interned at Rebuilding Hope Pierce County Sexual Assault Center as a sexual assault advocate. Then, I worked part-time for Service Alternatives as a Behavior Intervention Support Specialist. I am now retired, filling my time by working with Dads M.O.V.E. and serving on the board of Auburn Church of the Nazarene. |
Robert Hartle
Vice President
Tacoma, WA Hello, my name is Robert Hartle. I have been married for 20 years to my loving wife Kari. We have two sons, one with special needs. I have been with Dads M.OV.E. for five years now. I was looking for some help with my son and to learn some new things about de-escalation. I was online and came across Dads M.O.V.E. and found out that they were having a dad’s weekend. I met all dads with children who have behavioral needs, among other types as well. I was able to connect with them. It has helped me out tremendously with my son and at work in the Tacoma School District. The training they provide can help anyone who is struggling with children, or others for that matter with trying to gain control of their life in these trying times. I highly recommend getting in touch with Dads M.O.V.E. and see how we can help each other. |
Andrea BrownTreasurer
Spokane, WA Hi, my name is Andrea Brown. I am a caregiver for individuals who have intellectual disabilities and a mother of children who have special needs and behaviors. Between my husband and I we have 8 kids total. 4 of which have behavior and learning disabilities. I joined Dads M.O.V.E. back over the summer of 2020 so I can learn more and how to approach when the behavior starts. The men I have been with are my mentors and are teaching me so much. Come join our team. We need more women to join us since I am the only female in the group. |
Andrew CarlsonAt-Large
Tonasket, WA I am a 61-year-old father of three children; one of who has down syndrome. I have been with Dads M.O.V.E. for three years now and enjoy being on a board that helps so many families in our state. |
Paul BrownSecretary
Spokane, WA I currently serve as the Secretary for Dads M.O.V.E. I became involved with this non-profit as a result of having a child with special needs. It was in 2014 that I was at my wit's end of not knowing what to do. I had been raising my daughter on my own since 2006. I had this attitude of I must fix her. I had driven from Spokane, WA to Stanwood, WA for help. After this weekend, I wanted to bring this back to Spokane with me as there was nothing like this out here and hadn’t heard of anything like this. For the past four years, I've been working to get this up and going in Spokane. |
Todd Homer
Board Member
St. Louis, MO I currently serve on the Board of Directors for DadsMOVE. I am married with three kids, three step kids, and three grandkids. Six of us are autistic. I work as a self development Copywriter with a focus on emotional intelligence. An associate of mine referred me to Dads MOVE where I found an opportunity to give back. I am honored to be the first Board member outside of Washington state, and glad to help secure their goal of expanding nationally. |
Cora L. BelgardeProsser, WA.
My name is Cora L. Belgarde. I am the mother of 5 adult children. All my children are SED children. they deal with a wide range of disorders. I have dealt with schools, doctors, psychiatrists and sociologies. We lived on a reservation for many years as my children are half Native American. I have fostered 11 children, all of them with some sort of SED. I have 3 B.A. and 2 A.A. I have been a special ed. Teacher and have taught reading to older than average students. I've worked for a Rural fire dept. As office manager and dispatcher. I wrote up grant requests for them which help then purchase new equipment and a new fire engine. I volunteered at the local heritage center and wrote up several proposals that resulted in the receiving of grants that helped update the show cases and improved many of the displays. I've worked with the museum to organize fund raisers and a showing of local artists the proceeds were given to the local run away shelter. I’ve worked with a local zoo that needed updated shelters and displays. we organized fund raisers and wrote up grant requests which included getting new shelters built and new displays and helped create new programs for local children to take in the summer. The programs taught them about the various animals and other wildlife in the zoo. I currently live in Prosser, Wa. and live with a son who has schizophrenia as well as other disorders that make it impossible for him to live alone at this time. I am in a wheelchair because I have MS and have suffered several strokes. I love being of help to others and would like to be a part of Dads MOVE. |
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STAFF
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NELSON RASCON
Tacoma, WA I currently serve as the Executive Director for Dads M.O.V.E. My involvement with the nonprofit world started as I was raising my three special needs children. While searching for support for my children, I collaborated and built relationships with several nonprofits and parent support groups. I have shared my life experiences helping my family and began helping others. From this work, I developed a passion for helping other parents, particularly fathers, navigate the challenges of parenthood. My expertise is rooted in personal experience, National Peer Certification (2012), certification in additional training modules, certified training module development, and serving as a Peer Certified Counselor. I have also attended and presented at several national conferences. It was in 2007 that I decided to launch Dads M.O.V.E. with a host of dadvocates. I seek to expand awareness about mental health and special needs for my community. |
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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
JOHN BODKINS
Tonasket, WA John is the Assistant Director of the nonprofit Dads M.O.V.E. and holds several certifications as a trainer in mental health. He is always seeking to break new ground and share his knowledge of education advocacy. He started working with Children Family Services as a visiting supervisor, using his experience to support children and families impacted by mental health challenges. Today, he works closely with Children Family Services, Children Protective Services, Court Appointed Special Advocates and Guardian Enlightens. John monitors and documents the visitations between Parent and Children with Emotional and Behavioral issues, advocates for children to return to their homes. He also brings a wealth of knowledge, including Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Parenting Skills, Anti-Bullying program, Right Response De-escalation, Collaborative Problem Solving (Based on "The Explosive Child"), Ending Isolation and Stigma, Parents Empowering Parents, Mental Health First Aid, Wraparound and High Fidelity Wraparound, WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), Crisis Intervention Training (for Law Enforcement/First Responders), Peer to Peer counseling. John is also certified in group facilitation and speaking. |
JOIN THE BOARD |
Dads M.O.V.E. is seeking candidates for our Board of Directors and we would enjoy hearing from you. We are looking for community members who are passionate about our mission: to strengthen the father's role in raising children with behavioral health needs through education, peer support, and advocacy.
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