The Mother of The Father Center of NJ Announces Her Retirement

Mercer County, NJ—As 2023 rounds the corner of the last quarter, and as The Father Center of New Jersey ends its 30th consecutive year of providing fatherhood programming to residents of the state of New Jersey, the organization just unveiled an important announcement. One of Trenton’s most accomplished matriarchs and a talented leader, lovingly referred to as The Mother of The Father Center of New Jersey, Karen Andrade-Mims, has announced her retirement and is providing a little more than six-month notice to prepare for her departure. June 1, 2024 will be her last day at the Center.

Karen Andrade-Mims began her tenure and leadership at The Father Center of NJ in 2008. She was, at that time, an existing board member and was asked to take on the leadership of the organization. After accepting the role, she was informed by the board that they wanted her to manage an orderly shutdown of all the programs, and ultimately, to dissolve the nonprofit. At the time, The Father Center of NJ was called the Union Industrial Home for Destitute Children of New Jersey and had been in existence since 1859.

Not prepared to stand by and watch a nearly 150-year-old organization wither away, especially under her leadership, Andrade-Mims did what she does best, she rolled up her sleeves, rallied her team, and began leveraging relationships. She led the transformation of the agency by re-focusing its mission on helping fathers gain independence through better informed social, emotional, and employment choices. This in turn helped support mothers, especially each of the father’s children, and helped significantly improve outcomes for families in the greater region of Mercer County.

The mission of The Father Center of NJ is to support men in gaining the skills and meeting the responsibilities of fatherhood. The goal is to create communities that are strengthened by men who embrace the challenge of fatherhood, accept financial responsibility for themselves and their families, and commit to the long-term health and stability of their children, their families, and themselves as individuals.

With office locations in Burlington and Mercer County, New Jersey, The Father Center of New Jersey is a nationally-recognized leader in the field of fatherhood with programs that assist men to take an active role in raising their children, and ultimately, to reconnect with their families if they have been separated. Programs are designed to encourage participants to make a positive impact on their families through active participation in carefully designed offerings that assist with employment and job readiness, job certification, re-entry after incarceration, parenting and life skills, anger management and improving health literacy. The agency’s Dress2Impress® program assists men by providing the clothing necessary to arrive at each interview feeling prepared, professionally dressed, and ready to highlight their skills to a prospective employer. Once employment has been secured, clothing is provided to help individuals to continue to present themselves as professionals in their field. Simply put, under Andrade-Mims’ leadership, the team assists each program participant in becoming the best versions of themselves each and every day.

Karen Andrade-Mims is an extraordinary force in the community. Her absence will be felt by all who have worked alongside her. Bryan Evans, Chair of the agency’s Board of Trustees stated, "Encapsulating Karen's profound influence on this organization within the confines of language proves to be an exercise in restraint, for the impact she leaves behind defies conventional articulation. However, if compelled to distill the sentiment echoing through the hearts of those acquainted with her, 'awesome' emerges as the prevailing epithet."

Marc Warren, the Chief Operating Officer said, “We’ve known for a while that at some point, the team would need to fly on our own without Karen’s steadfast leadership, but she has taught us all so much, and we are ready to continue down the path she has forged for us. Karen will definitely be missed, but she deserves a chance to seek out her own personal dreams of travel and loving on her two adorable grandchildren! We wish her the best, and it is comforting to know that she is just a phone call away!”

As for Andrade-Mims, she is looking forward to spending time with her two adorable grandchildren after she retires.

Colleagues, friends, and supporters will have an opportunity to celebrate during a retirement gathering which will be announced soon. In the meantime, the organization has announced a holiday appeal to raise much needed funds for 2024 services. Click here to go to the Annual Appeal page and donate.

To learn more about The Father Center of New Jersey visit the organizations website.