As
a young father with a demanding career and time-consuming church and civic
responsibilities, Wayne Parker found himself floundering as a husband and a
father. As was described by one of his mentors, the late Dr. Stephen R.
Covey, Wayne was climbing the ladder to success only to find that it was
leaning against the wrong wall. A recommitment to marriage and family
followed, and Wayne was awakened to the plight of many fathers facing similar
challenges.
In 2002, Wayne began writing about fatherhood for
About.com (now VerywellFamily.com). Over the last 16 years, he was
written hundreds of articles, blog posts, book reviews and more to contribute
to the well-being of fathers and families across the world. Wayne has
responded to thousands of emails over that time period, hearing the stories of
the real-life challenges of single dads, divorced dads, deployed dads, stay at
home dads, and fathers just needing better work-life balance. Particularly,
Wayne has been moved by the stories of the impact of fatherlessness in America,
where 40% of all children will go to bed tonight in a home without a father.
In an effort to better spread his concerns and some possible
solutions, Wayne wrote a book called Power Dads – The Ten Basic
Principles Successful Fathers Use to Raise Happy and Responsible Children. He has been interviewed by radio
hosts, parenting podcasters, mommy bloggers and more where he has worked to
share these key principles with other parents. His articles have been
republished in countless parenting and PTA newsletters and the book has been
used by fathering groups in many cities.
With
the alarming trend of fatherless homes or homes where fathers are not
engaged as parents, Wayne and others are working hard to turn the tide and to
re-engage fathers in their most important role. More education, improved
work-life balance, stronger marriages and a firm commitment to principle based
parenting are the keys to fortifying families and fathers. Wayne has been
committed to that end for more than a decade now and continues to share the
message with all fathers who will listen.
Wayne
and his wife Julie have been married for 41 years and live in Provo,
Utah. They have five children and 13 grandchildren. Professionally,
Wayne is the chief administrative officer for the City of Provo.
From his unique perspective as a senior local government manager and a
passionate advocate for strong families, he understands as few do the importance
that good, solid families bring to our communities and our nation.
