SEND International Names Atwell U.S. Director


JobfitMatters and SEND International (Farmington Hills, MI) are pleased to announce that Michelle Atwell has been selected by the SEND International U.S. Council to serve as the organization’s U.S. Director, effective June 19, 2017.

A fundraising and nonprofit executive, Atwell’s 20 years of experience was shaped in ministry at Grace Centers of Hope, a faith-based homeless shelter in Pontiac, Michigan where she was the Director of Development and, most recently, as the Interim Chief Development Officer and MI Region Director of Development for the American Red Cross. Michelle has served on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness and the US Council of SEND International U.S.

“SEND International has a rich and beautiful history that pioneered much of what we see in the modern missions movement,” Michelle shared. “As we look forward, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside our missionaries, staff, church partners and donors, to build upon this legacy and position the US office to respond to the changing dynamic of mobilizing missionaries and planting churches among the unreached.” She finds inspiration from a scripture verse that still resonates today – “The Lord has annointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives.” (Isaiah 61:1 NIV)

Tommy Thomas and Laura Coverstone of JobfitMatters assisted SEND with this important search. SEND Search Committee Chair Jeff Krimmel commented, “The SEND Search Committee was very pleased with the helpful and professional services that JobfitMatters provided throughout the entire process. We are very excited about SEND U.S.’s future under the leadership of Michelle Atwell.”

Michelle holds a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in nonprofit management and is a graduate of Leadership Detroit. Her missions experience includes a summer in Samara, Russia with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and several short-term trips to Chernobyl, Ukraine to plant a church in partnership with Revival Baptist Church in Kiev.

Michelle lives in Waterford, Michigan with her husband Joe, two children Grace and Jackson, and their two dogs and one guinea pig. They are members of Woodside Bible Church. In her free time, Michelle enjoys running and spending time with her family.