Our Team
Michael Swiger
Michael serves as our Executive Director. While a student at Case Western Reserve University, Michael was convicted as an accomplice to a crime his older brother committed and ended up serving 17 years for involuntary manslaughter. While incarcerated Michael earned two Associates Degrees with a 4.0 GPA, went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, before receiving a full scholarship to study theology at the Reformed Theological Seminary. Also, while incarcerated Michael has authored five books, three of which appeared on Amazon.com's best seller list.
Executive Director
David Wessel
David serves as our Director of Development. David has 11 years of administrative experience. He is the former principal of Nordonia Middle School and Chagrin Falls Middle School. David graduated from the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VA) with a BA in government. He later received his Master’s degree in Administration from Ursuline College. David is looking forward to helping find partners and resources to grow Prospera Reentry throughout the state of Ohio.
David enjoys hiking and spending time with his family.
Director of Development
Marc Houk
Marc serves as our Director of Operations. He worked in the field of rehabilitation and corrections for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections for over 36 years. During that time, he has served at eight (8) of the state prisons and central office. Throughout his career he has served as Warden, Parole Board Member, Deputy Warden and various other positions. He began his career as a Correction Officer. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Additionally, he is an Ohio Certified Public Manager. He serves as a member of the Ohio University, Patton College Dean’s Circle of Engagement. Marc has also enjoyed coaching youth ice hockey in the greater Cleveland area.
Director of Operations
Keisha Mitchell-Knight
Keisha serves as the Senior Director of Development with more than 20 years of experience in leadership, fundraising and ministry. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public administration from Wright State University, equipping her with both spiritual and professional insight to lead with excellence and clarity.
Before serving at True Freedom Ministries, Keisha served as Director of Advancement at Cleveland State University, Senior Director of Development at Elizabeth’s New Life Center, and Director of Community Engagement for a Federally Qualified Health Center, Primary Health Solutions. Keisha has served on numerous boards and has volunteered to serve her community through various organizations and causes.
Keisha is the author of a 21-Day Devotion and Prayer Journal, Saved Under My Skirt, Restoring Sexual Integrity, which encourages single women to live a life of celibacy.
Keisha draws daily encouragement and strength from Galatians 6:9: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Senior Director of Development
Board of Trustees
Vince Ciepiel
Vince Ciepiel, CFA is a Senior Analyst and Partner at Cleveland Research Company (CRC), an independent equity research firm. Vince leads CRC’s travel and luxury research team, with a focus on hotel, cruise, online travel agencies, and luxury brands. His team provides in-depth financial analysis and conducts proprietary surveys of industry participants to identify inflections, generating unique research that is respected both within industry and on Wall Street.
Vince is the holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He graduated summa cum laude from Miami University with a concentration in Finance and Statistics. Vince and his wife Karolina, also a Miami grad, have three children.
Chairman of the Board
Josh Lusk
Josh Lusk is an attorney at Baker & Hostetler LLP, representing private equity firms and public and privately-owned companies locally, nationally, and internationally in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Josh graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a B.S. in Accounting and went on to obtain his Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Josh and his wife, Lisa, reside in Highland Heights and have three daughters, Sophia, Chloe and Olivia. Outside of work, Josh enjoys traveling, playing guitar, exploring the Cleveland food scene, strolling the Cleveland Metroparks and visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art. Josh and his family also attend church at Parkside Church in Solon, Ohio.
Treasurer
Timothy F. Geisse
Timothy F. Geisse is a retired attorney living in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a Trustee of The John F. and Mary A. Geisse Foundation, a private foundation devoted to helping extremely poor people improve their lives and work their way out of poverty. Tim has an M.A. in Biblical Studies and volunteers in various capacities in his church and other Christian ministries.
Tim is married with two adult children and four grandchildren.
Secretary
J. Kevin McHugh
J. Kevin McHugh is an executive coach, speaker, and leadership development expert with more than 30 years of experience working with CEOs and senior leadership teams. He coaches C-Suites executives to develop and strengthen emotional intelligence and create organization cultures based on trust, honesty, and appropriate vulnerability.
He began serving on the board of Prospera in 2012. He is also a True Freedom Ministries volunteer who supports and advocates for the ODRC Normalcy Initiative at Grafton Correctional Institution. He works with incarcerated persons, the staff, and the warden by applying his business and coaching skills. He was named GCI Volunteer of the Year in 2025.
Ross Walthall
Ross Walthall works as an equity analyst and partner at Cleveland Research Company, conducting investigative analysis on large public companies on behalf of institutional investors and F500 clients.
Over the past 12 years with the firm, he has held various research-oriented roles analyzing companies in internet/media, semiconductors and restaurant/retail industries.
He is married to Susie and the Lord has blessed them with 4 children. Ross is passionate about seeing the gospel proclaimed to the ends of the earth and supporting the mission of Prospera through its reentry programs.
Drew Martin
Drew Martin is a seasoned banking professional with nearly 25 years of professional experience. He is actively engaged across the Greater Akron/Cleveland area and serves on boards including the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and Say Yes to Education.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Evangel University and his master's degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Drew and his wife, Amber, live in Akron with their three sons (Brady/Luke/Jack). He is passionate about the role Prospera can play in advancing the Gospel message throughout Ohio.