OUR LEADERSHIP
Built on Experience. Strengthened by Expertise.
Frat Dads is led by two professionals whose complementary experience across early childhood, fatherhood, family engagement, education, counseling, human development, and professional learning strengthens the organization's ability to serve fathers, families, and the professionals and organizations that support them.
United by a shared commitment to practical education, meaningful engagement, and stronger families, Melvin White, MS and Dr. Christopher Hawkins bring different areas of expertise to one mission.
Founder &
Managing Partner
Founder & Managing Partner | Frat Dads LLC
Melvin L. White, M.S.
Melvin White is the Founder & Managing Partner of Frat Dads LLC, creator of Dads on Duty™, fatherhood educator, facilitator, speaker, author, and practitioner whose work is rooted in more than four decades of connection to early childhood education.
Melvin's foundation began at age 15 when he entered the Early Childhood Education Program at East High School in Cleveland. That experience introduced him to child development, classroom practice, and working directly with children and families—knowledge that would eventually shape both his professional work and his own approach to fatherhood.
After graduating, Melvin began his professional career as a preschool and early childhood teacher, spending more than twenty years working directly in the classroom with young children and partnering closely with their families. His understanding of early childhood development was shaped not only through education and training, but through years of hands-on teaching—supporting children as they learned, developed, and built the foundations that would shape their growth. While continuing to teach, he earned an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education from Cuyahoga Community College, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Organizational Management from Tiffin University, and a Master of Science in Leadership from Walden University.
His work with fathers expanded through more than a decade of service with the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative, including involvement with the Men in Early Childhood Education initiative, and eight years facilitating the nationally recognized Boot Camp for New Dads®.
In June 2026, Melvin was among 25 individuals honored with the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative's inaugural Trailblazer Award, recognizing his dedicated service and contributions to fatherhood work in the community.
Across those experiences, Melvin saw the connection between what fathers were asking for, what he understood about child development, and what he had experienced through fatherhood himself. One question from new fathers continued to surface:
“What do we do after we bring the baby home?”
That question became an important part of a much larger journey that ultimately led to Frat Dads and the development of Dads on Duty™—a comprehensive birth-to-five fatherhood education system designed to help fathers better understand their children and become more informed, confident, and engaged.
Today, Melvin's work extends across fatherhood education, family engagement, professional learning, facilitation, program and educational-system development, and organizational partnership. He uses decades of practitioner experience to help fathers strengthen their role within their families and to help professionals and organizations engage fathers and families more intentionally.
His published works include Breaking the Cycles of Abandonment (I Am Not My Father), Disconnected: Love in the Gray Areas, and the Daddy & Desi children's book series.
As Founder & Managing Partner, Melvin continues to build Frat Dads around a simple belief: fathers should be seen, supported, equipped, and intentionally included in the lives of their children, families, and communities.
Dr. Christopher Hawkins, Ph.D., LPCC-S, CCJS
Managing Partner | Frat Dads LLC
Dr. Christopher Hawkins is Managing Partner of Frat Dads LLC and brings more than 26 years of experience across counseling, mental health, education, higher education, research, facilitation, leadership, mentorship, and human development.
As an Associate Professor at Cuyahoga Community College, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Supervisor (LPCC-S), Nationally Certified Clinical Forensic Criminal Justice Specialist (CCJS), researcher, and published author, Dr. Hawkins has worked extensively with children, adolescents, adults, families, school districts, juvenile justice systems, community organizations, and developing professionals.
His professional background brings an important perspective to Frat Dads—helping strengthen the organization's understanding of human development, relationships, mental wellness, family dynamics, facilitation, professional learning, and the complex experiences that shape men and families.
Melvin White and Dr. Hawkins had known one another professionally for years before their work became more closely connected through Brother-to-Brother Conversation (B2B). As they began facilitating conversations and Frat Dads experiences together, their complementary approaches became clear.
Managing Partner
Melvin's practitioner background in early childhood, fatherhood, family engagement, and program development combined naturally with Dr. Hawkins' experience in counseling, education, human development, research, and facilitation.
That shared work eventually led Melvin to invite Dr. Hawkins to become Managing Partner of Frat Dads.
COMPLEMENTARY EXPERTISE. SHARED PURPOSE.
Together, Melvin White and Dr. Christopher Hawkins bring complementary professional and lived experience to Frat Dads.
Their leadership reflects the organization's commitment to fatherhood, family, education, human development, meaningful relationships, and practical solutions that can be applied in real homes, classrooms, organizations, and communities.
Their goal is not simply to deliver programs. It is to help fathers, families, and the professionals who serve them grow stronger together.