Lutheran Services Carolinas LSC, a nonprofit health and human services organization, recently announced the appointment of Nixmarie Ruiz as the new executive director of its New Americans Program, which spans both North and South Carolina. The program operates from seven offices located in Salisbury, Raleigh, and Asheville in North Carolina, and Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Ruiz will oversee the operations of each of these offices.
Ruiz, who has more than eight years of experience in human services, holds a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Anderson University in South Carolina. She joined LSC in 2019 and has since held roles such as home study and post-release case manager for unaccompanied immigrant youth, and immigrant services program director. Her leadership of LSC’s Survivors Assistance Program and Home Study and Post-Release Services led to her current promotion.
Ruiz is known for her passion and advocacy for refugees and immigrants. LSC President and CEO Ted Goins praised her leadership, stating, Her commitment to LSC’s vision and mission will translate into abundant living for thousands escaping death and persecution.
The LSC New Americans Program focuses on helping refugees achieve self-sufficiency in the U.S. Services include resettlement, employment assistance, family reunification, and legal services, among others. Locally, Grace Knight serves as the resettlement director for the Salisbury office.