Introducing Martha Newsome, President and CEO of Medical Teams International, who is the new Integral Board Chair. The Integral Board is made up of the Presidents and CEOs our 21 Members, and they oversee all of Integral’s work.
What is your name and job title?
Martha Newsome, President and CEO of Medical Teams International.
How long have you been in that role?
5 years.
What did you do before?
I worked for 20 years with World Vision International. About 15 years of my time with them was in Mozambique and South Africa. My last position was a Partnership Leader responsible for our global health, food, water and sanitation programmes. During my time in Mozambique, I served as the Country Director.
You have served on the Integral Board for a number of years. What would you say is the main benefit to you of being part of the Integral Board?
I would say being able to develop strong partnerships with like-minded, Christian International non-profits has been beneficial to both my leadership and to my organisation, Medical Teams International. I also value the peer learning opportunities with other CEO’s that the partnership creates.
What would you say is the main added value of your organisation being part of Integral?
Integral has helped Medical Teams extend both its reach and coverage for refugees and displaced people through strong partnerships and support among the Integral membership. This has been of great value to our programming impact.
Do you have a most treasured ‘Integral’ memory?
I have really appreciated our shared times of reflection and prayer, especially what Otto de Bruijne shared on Elijah in the Netherlands and the conversation that followed. Likewise, I enjoyed the spiritual input from Chris Hall who spoke to us when we met in Phoenix about the wisdom of the Desert Fathers. Also, being able to connect on a deeper level at the Board dinners and group nights out with fellow Integral Members is always a highlight.
What is your vision for Integral going forward?
We just changed our Integral strategy to ask, “Does our participation allow us to do more than we would do individually?” This is a significant question we will explore. I want to see the multiplier effect of partnering together (i.e., achieving far more than is possible individually) during my time as Chair.
Tell us one thing about yourself we may not know!
I was an ‘army brat’ growing up, living in many places during my childhood. Also, I love to cross country ski.
Q&A with the new Integral Programme Group Chair
Q&A with the new Integral Marketing Group Chair
