Program Director
Michael Krigline serves as the Program Director for IFM in Columbia. He started serving IFM as a volunteer in 1987, while studying at Columbia International University. In the early 1990s, Michael joined the IFM staff, greatly assisted by his wife Vivian (married 1989), who had a career with the City of Columbia (including City Clerk before her early retirement). In 1996, Michael helped Dr Raj Aluri to get the Columbia International Festival started, and in the late 1990s, Michael taught for Agape English Language Institute. Michael received an MA (Teaching English as a Foreign Language & Intercultural Studies) from Columbia International University in 1999. He earned his BA at the Ohio State University and Eastern University. He taught English in China from 2000-2015, until called to serve as Executive Director of the Jian Hua Foundation in Hong Kong from 2015-2020 (with ongoing responsibilities to this day). While teaching in China, Michael co-authored Successful Writing for the Real World (高级实用英语写作), a textbook still available from one of China’s premiere publishers. In 2020, the Kriglines returned to assist family in Columbia, and were pleased to return to work with IFM. Michael’s hobbies include song-writing and being webmaster of wp.krigline.com and eflsuccess.com. Michael & Vivian are members of the Chinese Christian Church of Columbia, and share a passion for meeting needs among the International Community in Columbia and beyond.