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Janice Bryant
MAP International
4700 Glynco Parkway
Brunswick, GA 31525
MAP International Announces New Board Chair Michael Knighton
Brunswick, GA, March 20, 2025 – MAP International, a leading nonprofit global health organization that celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, appointed Michael Knighton as its new board chair.
Knighton currently serves as the V.P. Global Accounts Technology at Thomson Reuters, where he has worked since 2006. He holds a B.A. from Wheaton College in Business and Economics and completed graduate studies in Information Technology at DePaul University in Chicago. Knighton and his wife Gail have been happily married for 45 years and have 4 children and 12 grandchildren. They currently reside in Texas.
Of particular historical interest, Knighton is also the son of Ray and Beth Knighton, the original founders of MAP International in 1954. Ray Knighton, an administrator at Christian Medical Society at the time, “had a heart for people,” his son says. A musician by training, starting a global health organization was not Ray’s original vision for his life. When God presented him with both an opportunity and unexpected resources, the vision of MAP was thrust upon him. “Dad didn’t start MAP,” Michael says. “God started MAP.”
He is succeeding Susan Roeder as MAP’s board chair, who Knighton describes as a phenomenal and compassionate leader, and one who expertly guided the board through many changes including recruiting and hiring a new President and CEO in 2024, Chris Palombo.
Knighton has served as a MAP board member since 2020, but as board chair, “I think there [are things] I can help drive now that I wasn’t able to help drive before,” he says. “My goal is to be the best leader that I can.”
MAP International’s President and CEO Chris Palombo said, “Michael Knighton carries the same passion for people that his father did. He is both professionally equipped and internally motivated to lead the board well because he shares MAP’s vision – he sees medicine as a tangible and impactful way to express the love of God.”
As board chair, Knighton wants to ensure that MAP keeps that mission in focus – taking care of people’s immediate physical needs, so that they are more open to hearing how Jesus can meet their eternal spiritual needs. “There’s more than just the logistics of getting medicine out to people that need it,” says Knighton. “The reason is to win souls. And as an organization I don’t want us to forget that.”
About MAP International
MAP International is a leading global non-profit humanitarian organization whose goal is to provide medicine for all people. With a strong legacy of humanitarian service spanning 70 years, MAP International continues to evolve and innovate in its mission to make the world a better place for everyone across the globe. Visit MAP.org for more.
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