Effective immediately, United Way of Central Georgia will assume management and operational responsibility for Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia. The relationship dates to 1957 when United Way of Central Georgia and the Junior League started FCC. Over the years, Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia grew as its own 501c3 offering professional counseling services in Central Georgia including crime victim counseling, individual, marital, and family counseling, adoption and custody evaluations, family in transition services, and more. As demand for services continued to grow, like most nonprofits, the funding did not grow along with the need and growth. At the announcing of Frank Mack’s (current FCC Executive Director) retirement, FCC’s Board of Trustees engaged an outside consultant, and their recommendation as to the best course of action was to merge with United Way.

“We don’t typically run other nonprofits, we fund other nonprofits.  But there’s a reason that Family Counseling is one of the largest recipients of United Way funds. We feel that this is an agency that the community cannot afford to lose,” said George McCanless, President and CEO of United Way of Central Georgia.  “Our board did not take this step lightly, but after careful analysis, they agreed this was the best path forward to FCC.  This is not a permanent solution. We are looking at this as a temporary solution where we are going to step in and hopefully solidify the resources and needs of Family Counseling Center. It will remain a separate 501c3 and our hope is in a few years to be able to spin it back off so that it can operate totally independent of United Way.”

United Way of Central Georgia will assist with the leadership change from Frank Mack, who tirelessly served FCC for 14.5 years, upon his retirement on December 31st. The new Executive Director, Patty Gibbs (pictured left), will begin her role in January. Gibbs is currently the Director of Development at Ronald McDonald House Charities and is very active in the community. Gibbs will be only the 6th Director of Family Counseling Center in its 62 years.