Vice President of Program Development
Martha Holley Newsome joined Compassion International in 2024 as vice president of Program Development. In this role, she spearheads the global team dedicated to the design, development and technical support of Compassion’s comprehensive child development programs. Her team’s responsibilities also include forming strategic partnerships, cultivating new funding opportunities and enhancing partner capacities, while also supporting program design for Compassion’s marketing and development initiatives.
Before joining Compassion, Martha led global development and humanitarian organizations and programs for more than 30 years — with a focus on health and related sectors. She served as president and CEO of Medical Teams International, a prominent global health and humanitarian organization. Under her leadership, the organization expanded its revenue from $26 million to $60 million, enabling it to provide urgent, lifesaving medical care to 3 million people in crisis. Martha holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College. Prior to her role at Medical Teams International, she spent 20 years with World Vision International, including 15 years in Mozambique and South Africa.
In addition to her work with Compassion, Martha offers strategic guidance to Servant, a digital start-up, and co-owns Envision Golf, an indoor golf simulation business.
Residing in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Martha enjoys family time with their two grown children, a son-in-law, and their goldendoodle, Nugget.