Our Leadership
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of CMDA. It is the final policy making body for all matters. The Board interprets and applies policies of the organization and establishes guidelines for the Chief Executive Officer and staff. It is responsible for the preparation of the annual budget with the Chief Executive Officer, supervises financial officers, and gives an accounting of the organization’s finances at the annual meeting of the House of Representatives.
House of Representatives
The CMDA House of Representatives exists to represent both the members and the Associations, so that: 1. The mission, vision, ministry, voice and governance of CMDA may reflect God's will as discerned by the membership; 2. The ministry opportunities and activities of CMDA can be communicated and implemented throughout its membership, the Church, and the community.
Want to Get Involved in the CMDA Board of Trustees or House of Representatives?
Executive Leadership
Mike Chupp, MD, FACS, FCS (ECSA)
Mike Chupp, MD, was born in Frankfort, Indiana and grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a pre-medical degree in chemistry from Taylor University in 1984, and then graduated as an AOA scholar with an MD degree from Indiana University in 1988.
He completed a five-year general surgery residency at Methodist Hospital in 1993. From 1993 to 2016, Mike enjoyed nearly seven years of private general surgery practice as a missionary member of the Surgical Department of Southwestern Medical Clinic (a large Christian multi-specialty group) and Lakeland Regional Health System in St. Joseph, Michigan. Mike has been married to Pam for 31 years and they have four adult children and one granddaughter. In 2016, Mike completed 20 years of service as a career missionary with World Gospel Mission (WGM), serving at Tenwek Mission Hospital in Kenya.
Dr. Chupp testifies that he is an example of how life and ministry don’t always turn out the way you expected. In his words, “During my years of ministry at Tenwek Hospital, my surgical emphasis wasn’t on general surgery, but instead I became an orthopedic traumatologist. My work at the hospital was heavily invested in administration and leadership for the entire hospital as well as WGM Kenya field leadership. But God’s gifting and preparation and character development in Mike’s life was not wasted. In 2016, Dr. David Stevens and Dr. Gene Rudd invited Mike to join the executive leadership team of CMDA. Mike authentically shares “It has been a great honor to help lead the organization that has had the longest and most profound impact on my professional life as a Christian physician.” Dr. Chupp was appointed CEO by the CMDA Board in September 2019, as Dr. Stevens’ successor. With God’s help, CMDA has continued to advance and thrive under Dr. Chupp’s leadership; pursuing the vision of “Bringing the hope and healing of Christ to the world through healthcare professionals”.
Jeffrey J. Barrows, DO, MA (Ethics)
Jeffrey J. Barrows, DO, MA (Ethics), serves as Senior Vice President of Bioethics and Public Policy for Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Dr. Barrows is an obstetrician/gynecologist, author, educator, medical ethicist and speaker. He completed his medical degree at the Des Moines College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in 1978 and his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
In 2006, he completed a master’s in bioethics from Trinity International University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Barrows was called out of full-time practice in 1999 to help administrate Christian Medical & Dental Associations’ Medical Education International (MEI) ministry. He served as the director of MEI from 2002 to 2005 before transitioning into the fight against human trafficking. He has dedicated 15 years of his career to fighting against human trafficking within the intersection of trafficking and healthcare, as well as the rehabilitation of survivors of child sex trafficking. Dr. Barrows has trained healthcare professionals on how to recognize and assist victims of trafficking within healthcare and has published numerous book chapters and articles. He has testified to the Ohio legislature on numerous anti-trafficking bills and is a speaker on human trafficking to the media, the church and in other venues. In 2008, Dr. Barrows founded Gracehaven, an organization assisting victims of domestic minor sex trafficking in Ohio. In 2014, he served as a member of the Technical Working Group on health and human trafficking under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. In addition, he is a founding board member of HEALTrafficking. In 2020, Dr. Barrows published a novel entitled Finding Freedom that realistically portrays child sex trafficking in the U.S.
Scott Ledford
A native of East Tennessee, Scott graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1994 and began his career in Human Resources with Burlington Industries, a North Carolina-based textile manufacturer. In 1998, he returned to the Tri-Cities to begin a 23+ year tenure with General Shale, the nation’s largest brick and masonry materials manufacturer, where he worked in a variety of HR capacities, ultimately overseeing the company’s North American HR operations.
In 2022, God opened a door allowing Scott to become CMDA’s Director of Human Resources, and now the Chief Operating Officer.
Scott and his family are active members of Fellowship Baptist church where he serves as a Deacon and Chair of the Personnel Committee. Additionally, he serves on a variety of community boards, including 2022 Chair-Elect of the Johnson City, TN Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife, Tracie, have been married for 26 years and have two children: Lauren (21) and Drew (19).
Senior Staff
Patricia "Trish" Burgess, MD
Patricia “Trish” Burgess, MD, joined CMDA as the Global Health Outreach Director in 2018. Trish went to the University of Georgia for her undergraduate degree. She took two years off before attending medical school and worked as a firefighter in Athens, Georgia during this time. She attended the Medical College of Georgia and did her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. With Global Health Outreach, Trish has traveled to Cambodia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Moldova and Peru. Each trip is a blessing in that she sees Jesus in the very people she comes to help. The body of Christ she knows has grown across the globe as she travels to seek and serve the least, the last and the lost.
George Courtney
George completed his bachelor’s degree at Liberty University in church ministries and Christian counseling. For more than 25 years, George has found much joy in helping families as they consider their personal stewardship. George served CMDA earlier in his career as the Director of Development and helping to organize the ministry’s first-ever capital campaign that allowed CMDA to build its current facility in Bristol, Tennessee. Before returning to CMDA, George served as the Vice President for Partner Engagement with Medical Benevolence Foundation.
William Griffin, DDS
A member of CMDA since dental school, Dr. Griffin has served on the Dental Advisory Council since 2013. He is a 1983 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, and he has been practicing in Newport News, Virginia for 35 years. Dr. Griffin formerly served as Board Chairman and Dental Director at the Lackey Clinic, a Christian medical-dental clinic in Yorktown, Virginia. He averages four international dental mission trips each year, and he is passionate about opportunities to communicate the love of Christ to others, both domestically and internationally. Dr. Griffin is also a big fan of the Saline Solution/Grace Prescriptions conferences. He and his wife Linda have been married since 1983, and they have been blessed with two married children – Katherine and William, Jr., and one grandson – Barrett.
Nicole Hayes
Nicole Hayes serves as Director of State Public Policy for CMDA to help advance the life-affirming, biblical principles of CMDA ethical positions through state-level legislative advocacy. In this role, Nicole utilizes state legislative tracking software to identify and track legislation within the 50 states and the District of Columbia. She develops advocacy strategies to address those initiatives and advises the Senior Vice President of Bioethics and Public Policy regarding appropriate engagement. She also works closely with our American Academy of Medical Ethics (AAME) state directors to assist in their engagement on state public policy issues while building strategic relationships with public policy partners to advance the collective advocacy work and goals. Nicole is the founder of Voices Against the Grain, a bold counter-culture media and teaching ministry established in May 2013 to help audiences successfully navigate societal issues through the Word of God. Nicole has more than 14 years’ experience as a public relations professional who has provided strategic communications and media relations to elevate educational, health and racial justice issues for small business, government and non-profit clients, such as the NAACP, the Office of the Chief of Army Public Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Nicole is a Voices contributor for The Christian Post and a contributing author to the book The Right to Believe: The New Struggle for Religious Liberty in America. Nicole received her bachelor of arts in broadcast journalism from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas and her master of public administration from Regent University in Virginia Beach.
Pastor Bert L. Jones
Pastor Bert serves as the VP of Missions & Member Care for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) in Bristol, TN. In this role, Bert oversees all the mission outreach ministries of the CMDA as well as the Center for Well-being. Bert also serves as the Chaplain of the CMDA.
Since 1988 Bert has led multiple teams across the street and around the world. Bert has traveled on 5 different Continents and to over 33 different Countries to teach and preach the Gospel. He is active in Leadership development and coaching nationally and internationally. His heart is to help leaders discover God’s purpose and plan for their lives.
Bert is the author of the book “A Leadership Journal from a Leader’s Journey” published by CMDA in 2022. He also coauthored the books “Servant Leadership Proverbs” and “Leadership Proverbs” with Dr. David Stevens. Bert is also the author of “Practical Youth Ministry” published by Bristol books. Bert frequently writes and teaches on the subject of leadership. Bert is also a certified instructor for the Perspectives in World Missions Course.
Bert holds his ordination through the Missionary Church USA. The Missionary Church is an evangelical denomination committed to Church planting and world missions. Bert is under special appointment from the Missionary Church to CMDA.
Prior to rejoining the staff of CMDA, Bert served as the Senior Pastor of Woodburn Missionary Church (from 2014-2021) and as the President & CEO of GO International. Bert previously served on the CMDA staff as Chaplain and Director of Leadership & Church Ministries. In 1998 Bert planted Harvest Community Church in Kittanning, PA and served as its Lead Pastor. Bert has served both in the local church and in Para church organizations throughout his ministry.
Bert grew up as no stranger to the ministry & evangelism. His father and grandfather were both involved in full-time ministry and evangelism. Bert grew up traveling with his family in music and evangelistic ministries. Bert was active in their family radio ministry that was on the air for over 50 years on more than 50 different radio stations around the country (a ministry that his grandparents started). His grandmother was the author of the Hymn “In Times Like These.”
Bert graduated from Asbury University in 1989 with a degree in Bible. Bert completed 2 years of Seminary at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Bert and his wife Cheryl have been married since 1989 and have three children: Joshua, Allyson and Aaron. His wife Cheryl is a teacher and is very active in their ministry.
Bert currently serves on several leadership boards. He serves as the Moderator on the General Oversight Counsel (GOC) and Constitution committee for the Missionary Church USA and Has served on the World Partners advisory board and the board of directors at GO International. He currently serves in an advisory capacity as “Past President” for the ministry of GO International.
For more information about the ministry of Bert Jones and Christian Medical and Dental Associations visit cmda.org.
Contact Information
Rev. Bert L. Jones
2604 US-421
Bristol, TN 37620
423-844-1030
pbj@cmda.org
Doug Lindberg, MD
Doug joined CMDA as the Director for the Center for Advancing Healthcare Missions in 2020. He and his wife Ruth are both family physicians. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2003, completed his Family Medicine residency at Waukesha Family Practice Residency outside Milwaukee in 2006, and did a one year Rural Health Fellowship at East TN State University.
The Lindbergs served in Nepal as missionaries from 2009-13, and Doug served as the medical director at HDCS TEAM Hospital Dadeldhura. They returned to the US in 2013 for what was intended to be a one year furlough. But a series of events, including a life-threatening cancer diagnosis for Ruth, led them to permanently relocate back to Wisconsin. Ruth is now miraculously cancer free since 2015. Doug is thrilled to utilize his experiences as a healthcare missionary and family physician to advance the cause of healthcare missions! In addition to his work with CMDA, he continues to practice part time as an urgent care physician for ProHealth Care. They have two children, Maddie (2008) and James (2011).
Mandi Morrin
Mandi Morrin is CMDA’s Director of Communications and the editor of CMDA Today. She has served with CMDA for more than 10 years, where her responsibilities include magazine editing and publication, graphic design, coordinating the ministry’s communication initiatives, media relations and more. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Milligan College in Tennessee in 2006. Prior to joining CMDA, she worked in retail marketing and administration. Despite having lived in Tennessee for nearly 20 years, Mandi is an avid Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan. Mandi and her husband Chad reside in Bristol, Tennessee.
Anna Pilato
Anna Pilato has spent much of her career in public service at the federal, state, and local levels,as well as time in the non-profit sector. She has worked on policy areas such as pro-life issues, religious freedom, foster care/adoption, human trafficking, fatherlessness, and emergency preparedness/disaster relief. She has been intentional in partnering with faith-based and community organizations who best serve these populations.
Prior to joining CMDA as Director of Federal Public Policy, Ms. Pilato most recently served asSenior Advisor and Deputy Assistant Secretary, External Affairs at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a federal agency housed under the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As a presidential appointee, she directed engagement with internal and external ACF stakeholders and intergovernmental affairs for ACF with a budget of over $62 billion. Ms. Pilato also oversaw the offices of Communications, External Affairs, Regional Operations and Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response.
She joined President Trump’s Administration January 2017 as a member of the “beachhead team” in the Office of the Secretary at HHS. Prior to accepting this second presidential appointment, she was on the Presidential Transition Team where she vetted personnel to serve on the transition team and for positions with the future Administration.
Ms. Pilato served in Governor Sam Brownback’s Administration as Deputy Secretary for the Kansas Department for Children and Families. There she established new statewide initiatives to address needs of vulnerable children and families, spearheaded an anti-human trafficking initiative and oversaw training and professional development for staff. She advised the Agency’s Secretary on policy reform, change management and intergovernmental relations.
She was a presidential appointee in the George W. Bush Administration and served as the Director at the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at HHS. Prior to that position,she served more than three years in Presidential Correspondence as the Director of Administration in the Executive Office of the President at the White House.
Additionally, Pilato has several years of experience in the non-profit sector at Operation Blessing and The Christian Broadcasting Network.
Anna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Nazareth College and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Regent University.
Bill Reichart, MDiv
Bill is an ordained minister within the Presbyterian Church of America. With more than 25 years of ministry experience, Bill recently was the Atlanta area director with CMDA before moving into his current role with the ministry. Prior to CMDA, Bill worked on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for more than 16 years. Throughout the years, Bill has worked with college students at University of Rhode Island, UVA and Towson University outside of Baltimore, MD - his hometown. Bill earned his M.Div from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.
K. Scott Rimell
Scott is a graduate of Lindenwood University with a degree in Mass Communication. He was a director, editor, and producer of corporate television in the St. Louis area for 20 years before moving into digital medical publishing with Reed Elsevier; at the same time, adding website development to his skill set. In 2010 Scott was called to work with Precept Ministries International, serving for 6 years as Director of Marketing & Media. He has been with CMDA since late 2016 and is leading website development, email and social media, video technologies, and the marketing team.
Mick Williams
Mick received his BS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and his MBA from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania before online classes were a thing. His diverse background includes positions as a Product Designer, Engineering Manager, Plant Manager, VP of Operations and General Manager for the NA division of two European companies. Nine years ago, God picked him up and put him in Information Technology where he led a division of the largest Managed Services Provider in East TN/SW VA. In 2019, he was called to CMDA, where he utilizes his varied background to support the ministries of CMDA.
Mick and his wife of 33 years, Cindy, have 3 married children and 4+ grandchildren. Four of his legacy are practicing Christian healthcare professionals and one is an IT manager, so his current role gives him plenty to talk about at family gatherings.
Interested in Inviting Our Leadership to Speak at Your Event?
Thank you for your interest in requesting Dr. Mike Chupp, Dr. David Stevens, or Dr. Gene Rudd to speak for your event. Please note the following speaking requirements must be fulfilled to be considered for a booking:
- Travel and lodging expenses paid in full to CMDA (arrangements for CEO will be made by his assistant.)
- Minimum honorarium of $1,000 made payable to "CMDA"
