Michael Chupp, MD, FACS, FCS (ECSA)
Mike grew up in Mooresville, lndiana, the oldest of six kids. As an Eisenhower Scholar, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a premed degree from Taylor in 1984 and then graduated with an MD degree as an AOA scholar from Indiana University in 1988. During his fourth year of medical school, he volunteered for two months at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya where he met CEO, Dr. Ernie Steury and Medical Director, Dr. David Stevens. During his third year of surgical residency, God brought Mike’s high school sweetheart, Pam, back into his life and they married in August 1991. A few months later they traveled to Kenya and Tenwek Hospital in 1992 for two months. In those two months, both enjoyed getting to know the Tenwek community and Mike was immersed in surgical care in a very busy surgery referral center in rural Africa.
Mike completed a general surgery residency at Methodist Hospital in 1993 and then joined Southwestern Medical Clinic, a group in southwest Michigan, dedicated to global healthcare missions. Former CMDA and ICMDA president, Dr. Bob Schindler and his wife Marian, mentored Mike and Pam until their departure for Tenwek in 1996. Mike was Board certified in General surgery in 1995 while working with Southwestern.
Mike was drawn to the orthopedic surgery service as Tenwek had no long term bone surgeon. He was also named Medical Director in mid-1997. Tenwek grew remarkably during Mike’s tenure as surgeon and medical director to a clinical staff of over 80 physicians and clinical officers and more than 700 total staff. Training programs for interns, family medicine, general surgery, and orthopedics were also developed and launched during those years.
Mike and Pam left for Kenya in August of 1996 with two small children and added two more while at Tenwek Hospital. Their son Steven is now 25; and their three daughters, Melody (23), Kayla (20), and Ashley (17).
In 2015, Dr. David Stevens invited Mike to consider returning to the States to assume the role of CMDA Executive Vice President. After 7 months of prayer and seeking counsel from mission leaders, mentors, and close friends, Pam and Mike decided to leave their Kenya home and mission life of 20 years and moved to Bristol, TN in July 2016. Mike has counted it an amazing privilege to serve alongside David Stevens and Gene Rudd and all the national CMDA staff for nearly 3 years. In September 2018, after an 8-month CEO search process, the Board of Trustees asked Mike to become the next CEO of CMDA, beginning September 1, 2019, when Dr. Stevens steps down. Mike’s life verses are from 2 Timothy 1: 6,7, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you….for God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” To God be the glory, great things he has done!