Lutheran Services Carolinas, a nonprofit health and human services organization, has announced that Nixmarie Ruiz is the new executive director of its entire two-state New Americans Program.

LSC offers the New Americans Program in seven offices across North and South Carolina, and Ruiz will oversee each of the offices. The North Carolina offices are located in Salisbury, Raleigh and Asheville, and South Carolina locations are Columbia, Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach.

On a local level, Grace Knight serves as the resettlement director of the Salisbury office, which is located at 1416 Martin Luther King Jr., Ave. S., Salisbury.

“Nixmarie is a passionate advocate for refugees and immigrants, and a proven, collaborative leader,” LSC President and CEO Ted Goins said. “Her commitment to LSC’s vision and mission will translate into abundant living for thousands escaping death and persecution and those searching for freedom and a better life.”

As noted in a release, Ruiz has more than eight years of experience in the human services field. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology from the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Anderson University in Anderson, S.C.

Ruiz joined LSC in 2019 as the home study and post-release case manager for unaccompanied immigrant youth in South Carolina and was named immigrant services program director in 2022.

In that role, she oversaw LSC’s Survivors Assistance Program and its Home Study and Post-Release Services.

“I have been deeply inspired by the organization’s mission and vision. My commitment to LSC has only grown stronger over the past five years as I have witnessed the profound impact we have on the lives of the most vulnerable, helping them achieve the abundant life they deserve,” Ruiz said. “I remain enthusiastic about LSC’s continued efforts to serve those in need and am dedicated to advancing our mission in these evolving times.”

The LSC New Americans Program is designed to welcome refugees to the United States and help them on their journey to achieve self-sufficiency.

On the LSC website, the various services offered through the New Americans Program include resettlement; Circle of Welcome where individuals walk alongside the New American families to help them in the acclimation process; employment; extended services, which supports long-term success; support for New Americans; family reunification; immigrant services program; and legal services. 

For additional information about the program, its services, ways to support it; and contact information, go to https://lscarolinas.net/new-americans-program/.