Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries onboarded three new employees—Michelle Geiser, Vice President for Programs & Services; Angelina Mojica, Associate Vice President for Programs & Services; and Mike Blackwood, Director of Church Engagement—this spring to support the Decade of Dreams, a visionary goal to help vulnerable children and families.
“The mantel piece of our 10-year strategic plan is our 40,000 square foot healing and trauma center,” said Danny Nicholson, President of Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries. The healing and trauma center will be an avenue for life-changing research and carry out a neurosequential model, which examines how the brain responds to trauma to provide a roadmap to healing.
In her new role as the Vice President for Programs & Services, Geiser will be helping shape a healing and trauma center that provides holistic, Christ-centered trauma care to children and families.
“The healing center is a cornerstone of Connie Maxwell’s Decade of Dreams, and I see my work as helping to build both the physical structure and the spiritual, emotional, and clinical framework needed to offer transformative healing,” Geiser said. “We want every child who walks through our doors to encounter not just safety, but the redeeming love of Jesus.”
Geiser came to Connie Maxwell from Hendersonville, North Carolina, where she served as Co-founder and Program Director for the Hope Coalition Corp., a nonprofit committed to help build a healthier community through prevention, intervention, and recovery support. Through this work, she had the opportunity to play a key role in developing several cornerstone programs in her region, including Hendersonville’s first Adult Recovery Court, the Recovery Community Center, the Youth Connections Center, and Teen Court.
Additionally, Geiser has spoken at numerous national and state conferences, including presentations with Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) at both the National Leadership Forum and Mid-Year Training Institute for five consecutive years; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Prevention Day; the Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery (JMYPTR); Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC); and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), sharing insights on youth prevention, trauma, recovery, and systems-level change. She regularly speaks at local schools, civic organizations, and professional audiences to help bridge national best practices with local implementation strategies that are trauma-informed and rooted in community collaboration.
Geiser holds a Doctorate of Education in Community Care and Counseling Traumatology from Liberty University. She also has several licenses and certifications in non-profit management and trauma studies from Duke University and Florida State University. Michelle is a Certified Clinical Supervisor, a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counseling Associate, a Certified Trauma Professional, and a licensed school counselor.
Working alongside Geiser, Mojica will help lead the vision and development of the healing and trauma center by designing trauma-informed programs, supporting staff and caregivers, and creating a safe space for children to recover, grow, and dream again.
“I want to create systems that outlast me—programs and spaces that reflect God’s love and restore hope in children who’ve been through more than most of us could imagine. I want to build partnerships, empower staff, and ensure that every child who walks through our doors feels seen, safe, and supported,” Mojica said. “Ultimately, I want to help Connie Maxwell become the standard of what healing and restoration can look like in child welfare—faithful, intentional, and transformational.”
Mojica has spent the past decade walking alongside children and families through their hardest seasons. Most recently, she served as the Foster Care Director of Saint Francis Ministries in Lubbock, Texas. She spent seven years at Buckner Children and Family Services and became the Program Director of Buckner’s Family Hope Center. She has served on several boards, including as the President of Building Strong Families Coalition and Vice President of the Optimist Club of Lubbock.
Mojica holds a Masters of Human Services with studies in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lubbock Christian University. In addition, Mojica is a Certified Family and Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations.
Mojica and Geiser will collaborate with President Danny Nicholson and Michelle Maikoetter, Director of Special Projects at The Neurosequential Network, to organizationally structure Connie Maxwell’s Programs & Services department to align with the building of the healing and trauma center.
“Michelle and Angelina will be instrumental in helping us implement the programming and models of care to help children and families on the highest levels,” President Danny Nicholson said. “They possess the heart, mind, and spirit to elevate our programs so that we can become a national leader in healing and ministry for vulnerable children and families.”
In his new role as Director of Church Engagement, Blackwood is connecting South Carolina churches with opportunities to support and serve kids and families from hard places through the mission of Connie Maxwell. Blackwood’s role will serve as a bridge that connects churches to a healthy, transformational partnership as they seek to care for the fatherless, support foster care efforts, and mobilize their people into missional opportunities with Connie Maxwell.
“I cannot think of anyone more fitting than Mike Blackwood for this important role,” said President Danny Nicholson. “His heart for the Lord, love for local churches, and wealth of experience working with South Carolina ministries makes him the perfect person to help us advance our 10-year strategic plan, A Decade of Dreams!”
Blackwood brings over 30 years of ministry experience, having served as a worship pastor and music evangelist. He recently worked as the South Carolina Director of Development for Christian Adoption Services.
“My hope through my position is to engage churches in the world of foster care and Connie Maxwell,” Blackwood said. “Ultimately, we want to see people’s lives changed for Christ … and experience healing from the trauma that may come from being an orphan and or being a child who maybe felt unloved or unwanted.”
