First Choice for Women names Maria French as New Executive Director

Muncie, Indiana – Local Nonprofit First Choice for Women announced the hire of Maria French as Executive Director.  

As a lifetime East Central Indiana resident, Maria earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from Ball State University. The majority of Maria’s career has been concentrated in English education at New Castle High School and Muncie Community Schools, while also holding supervisory and department chair positions. In Maria’s professional experience, she has also held the roles of Communications Director and Business Manager, giving her additional experience with public relations, strategic communications, and business logistics. Most recently, Maria served as part of the launch team for Summit Christian School.

Alongside her professional work, Maria is a devout Christian, wife, and mother. She is married to her best friend, Charlie, and is the proud mother of two grown sons, Aaron and Isaac, and a sweet daughter-in-law, Abby. Charlie and Maria enjoy worshiping and serving on the prayer team at church. In her personal time, Maria enjoys music, gardening, visiting national parks, and spending time with her family.

As a long-time Muncie resident, Maria has been familiar with First Choice for Women since its inception as Heart to Heart. Maria assumed her role as Executive Director in late July 2025 and will continue to lead our organization into an exciting future.

“Maria is an accomplished professional with many years of corporate and ministry experience,” says Michael Deutsch, Board President. “Maria is a polished and passionate communicator with a professional, yet loving approach to her work. Her outstanding character and passion for women and families in our community makes her the ideal fit to lead our organization.”

For over 30 years, First Choice for Women has existed to empower women to develop thriving relationships, pregnancies, and parenting practices in the East Central Indiana Region. First Choice for Women was originally founded in 1986 as Heart to Heart Pregnancy Resource Center with the primary purpose of creating a safe, confidential environment for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. We were founded on the belief that a woman’s life should be valued just as highly as the child she carries.

We continue to hold true to these values, and are committed not only to healthy mothers and babies, but to thriving families. In recent years, First Choice for Women has expanded its services to include material assistance of baby clothes, diapers, and formula, a fatherhood initiative to equip men in their parenting, as well as classes on healthy relationships to support teens in East Central Indiana schools.

Our confidential services meet each individual at their unique point of need, with a loving, non-judgmental approach, by offering free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, pregnancy options education, parenting classes, material assistance, abortion recovery support, healthy relationships education, and Bible study.  

We seek to achieve a community in which every individual is respected and every child is wanted, cared for, and nurtured. First Choice for Women welcomes and accepts all individuals in our region facing difficult life decisions, regardless of age, race, religion, or ability to pay.