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Meet some Second Fiddles

Second Fiddle co-founders Gary and Peggy Nielsen have been blessed to know Moldovans who are on the front lines in the "Missio Dei"—the mission that God is undertaking in Moldova. With support, counsel and oversight from our Board of Directors, our objective is to be available to help where we can, to be attentive so we don't miss what God has to say, to be second fiddles in service to those on the front lines.

Gary Nielsen 
Executive Director
Peggy Nielsen 
Secretary/Treasurer

Gary and Peggy founded Second Fiddle in 2007, in response to a growing need to increase the support they had been providing to Moldovan Christ-followers who are engaged with university students/recent graduates and economic development.

Paul Nichols
Director
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Paul was a leader with CGSA (the InterVarsity fellowship of graduate students at Ohio State) and has served over a decade on our board. He and his wife Jona have effectively led events supporting Christ-centered economic development in Moldova. 

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Timothy Corrigan
Director

Timothy, who has a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Northwestern University, has held several academic and ministry positions. With his wife Linette he spent two years with Global Scholars, teaching at a university in China. Currently he leads the InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministry at The Ohio State University. Timothy and Linette have three children.

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Tom Smith
Director

Tom has been a Professor of Business at Hope College since 1993. He and his wife Cheryl, who live in Holland, Michigan, once lived in Romania and Tom has also worked with the Nielsens in Moldova. The Smiths, who have two daughters and four grandchildren, both love to travel and read. 

Sally Mikhail
Director

Sally, a physics professor who serves students at Purdue University-Fort Wayne, has been a part of our lives since she was a graduate student at Ohio State. As a student her insights were valuable, and now are an asset to our work with Moldova.

Meet a few of our front-line Moldovan friends...
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Ghena and Alina Russu

Ghena has led Invest Credit

since its beginning 

more than 20 years ago

Slavic and Doina with their children 

Slavic is National Director of CSC,

Doina leads CSC work with graduates

Rodica Rosior

Member of CSC board  Eurasia Project Coordinator 

IFES Global Impact

Valentin and Natalitza Metzger

with Peggy

Valentin, a successful IT entrepreneur,

has been a friend since 1995

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Anatol Malancea

In 2003 Anatol was co-founder of CSC

In this 2022 photo he is leading refugee support at the border with Ukraine  

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Yulia and Vladimir Ubeivolc

Founders of Beginning of Life

Working in a variety of ways to help the most vulnerable

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CSC staff Katya at Urbana 2022

Helping at the IFES display with

Saikhanaa and Unuruu from Mongolia

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