ATA Activities

All presentations are in English unless otherwise noted.

ATA-1 (T, 8:30am-10:00am) - All Levels
Opening Session

Thomas L. West III (Atlanta, Georgia), ATA president and owner, Intermark Language Services; and Scott Brennan (Washington, DC), legal and financial translator, ATA president-elect, and ATA conference organizer;

ATA-2 (T, 10:15am-11:00am) - All Levels
Presentation of Candidates and Election
Thomas L. West III (Atlanta, Georgia), ATA president and owner, Intermark Language Services

ATA-3 (T, 11:15am-12:00noon) - All Levels
Orientation Session For First-Time Conference Attendees
William Skinner (Washington, DC), independent translator and interpreter; and Anne Vincent (Wakefield, Rhode Island), freelance translator

If you are a first-time attendee, the official program may seem overwhelming and somewhat confusing. The presenters will outline a few strategies you can adopt to help make the most of your experience in Atlanta. Learn how to chose between equally appealing sessions; how to read the map and navigate crowded hallways; why the colored dots are important; which gatherings are invitation-only and which are open to all; the best times to tour the exhibits; strategies for using the Job Exchange room; and other practical information. Preconference tip: make sure you attend the Wednesday night Opening Reception, and do wear your colored dot(s)!

ATA-4 (F, 8:30am-10:00am) - All Levels
Annual Meeting of the Association
Thomas L. West III (Atlanta, Georgia), ATA president and owner, Intermark Language Services

ATA-5 (F, 10:15am-11:45am) - All Levels
Preparing to Take the ATA Accreditation Exam: Questions and Answers
Cecelia Bohannon (Saxtons River, Vermont), deputy chair, ATA Accreditation Committee, and freelance translator and editor; Terry Hanlen (Alexandria, Virginia), ATA accreditation program manager; and Lilian Novas Van Vranken (Spring, Texas), chair, ATA Accreditation Program Committee, and freelance English®Spanish translator

This forum is offered for ATA members who seek a better understanding of the ATA accreditation program. The panel will respond to questions from the audience about accreditation policies and procedures.

ATA-6 (F, 1:45pm-3:15pm) - All Levels
Chapter and Regional Groups Meeting
Robert A. Croese (Simpsonville, South Carolina), freelance translator, ATA director, and ATA Chapters Committee chair

This session will be used as a sounding board for chapter and regional group officers and anyone else interested in creating, or strengthening, local group outreach and activities. Come and share your ideas, victories, and concerns.

ATA-7 (F, 3:30pm-4:15pm) - All Levels
International Certification Study
Jiri Stejskal (Melrose Park, Pennsylvania), ATA treasurer and owner, Central European Translations, Inc.

This session will present information on the certification procedures for translators and interpreters in various countries, along with an update on the ongoing International Certification Study, launched in the fall of 2000. The issue of ATA accreditation exams outside of the U.S., as well as the possibility of reciprocal recognition of credentials between the ATA and its foreign counterparts, will also be discussed. Audience feedback on the drafting of a new survey will be welcome.

ATA-8 (F, 3:30pm-5:00pm) - All Levels
Session for Chapter and Division Mentoring Program Coordinators: How to Put the ATA Mentoring Program to Work in Your Division or Chapter
Courtney Searls-Ridge (Seattle, Washington), head of ATA Mentoring Program Task Force and ATA secretary

The formal mentoring program that ran as a yearlong pilot program will be wrapped up at this conference. The new "enhanced informal" model requires mentees to actively seek out suitable mentors from among ATA members who have been trained and are willing to serve. We are now taking the mentor and mentee training on the road! This session will outline for ATA chapter and division representatives how to bring mentor and mentee training to the local and chapter level. It will also provide an opportunity for participants to share their ideas for making the program successful in chapters and divisions. Chapter and divisions mentoring coordinators will leave the session with the tools they need to move forward.

ATA-9 (S, 8:30am-10:00am) - All Levels
The ATA Mentoring Program: How Are We Doing?
Courtney Searls-Ridge (Seattle, Washington), head of ATA Mentoring Program Task Force and ATA secretary; and John P. Shaklee (Canton, Ohio), Spanish«English telephone interpreter, Language Line Services; and other participants of the 2001-2002 ATA Mentoring Program.

This presentation is designed to give participants in the 2001-2002 ATA Mentoring Pilot Program an opportunity to evaluate and bring closure to the program. Several mentees and mentors will share the expectations they had going into the program last November, as well as their successes and disappointments throughout the year. All mentees and mentors who participated in the pilot program are strongly encouraged to attend this session, as are newly trained mentors and mentees and anyone else interested in getting involved in this exciting program.

ATA-10 (S, 8:30am-10:00am) - All Levels
Annual Meeting of Division Administrators
Rudy Heller (Brookfield, Massachusetts), administrator, ATA Spanish Language Division, and deputy chair, ATA Divisions Committee; and Dorothee Racette (Saranac, New York), administrator, ATA German Language Division, and chair, ATA Divisions Committee

ATA-11 (S, 10:15am-11:45am) - All Levels
Translation, Publicity, and Public Relations: Why Grassroots Activism Can Make a Difference to Your Bottom Line
Christine Durban (Paris, France), freelance French®English translator and co-chair, ATA Public Relations Committee; Kevin S. Hendzel (Arlington, Virginia), chief operating officer and director, Language Services, ASET International Services Corporation, and co-chair, ATA Public Relations Committee; and Neil Inglis (Bethesda, Maryland), author, translator, and member, ATA Public Relations Committee

Guidelines, promotions, and activities: join ATA's Public Relations Committee and activists for an in-depth, hands-on look at events and initiatives that raise awareness of translators and the work they do. This presentation reviews projects suitable for individuals and groups, regardless of geographical location or specialty area.

ATA-12 (S, 10:15am-11:45am) - All Levels
New Directions for the Nominating Committee
Denzel L. Dyer (Rancho Palos Verdes, California), translator; Virginia K. Fox (Manitou Springs, Colorado), ATA-accredited (English®French) freelance technical translator; Ann G. Macfarlane (Seattle, Washington), chair, ATA Nominating and Special Projects Committees, and owner, Russian Resources International; Robert E. Sette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), ATA director and instructor, Professional Translation Certificate Program, University of Pittsburgh; and Benjamin B. Tompkins (Kansas City, Missouri), Japanese®English technical translator

The biggest challenge facing voluntary organizations today is finding members who have the ability, and the time, to serve as leaders. How do we create a positive experience for our volunteers? How do we support chairs of committees, division officers, and chapter leaders so that they will want to serve at the national level? What kind of training can we offer our volunteer leaders? How do nominating committees find excellent candidates? Join ATA Immediate Past President Ann G. Macfarlane and the current ATA Nominating Committee to discuss new directions in board development. The committee will describe the approach they are taking this year to nominations, and will share their ideas. Please bring your own stories. Collectively we will pool "best practices" to help all our organizations thrive.

ATA-13 (S, 3:30pm-5:00pm) - All Levels
Grader Recruitment for the ATA Accreditation Program
Cecelia Bohannon (Saxtons River, Vermont), deputy chair, ATA Accreditation Committee, and freelance translator and editor; and Paul B. Coltrin (Columbus, OH), translator and member, ATA Accreditation Committee

The accreditation program is always looking to refresh its grading pool. If you are ATA-accredited and have the time to devote to furthering the goals of the program, you might be a good candidate to join one of our grader workgroups. Come learn more about the responsibilities and benefits of being a part of this group of professionals.

(Related Sessions: Preconference Seminars (Seminar B), Jurassic Parliament or, How to Run Great Meetings; Preconference Seminars (Seminar E), Strategies for Getting the Mentoring You Need: Skill-Building Workshop for New Mentees; and Preconference Seminars (Seminar N), Mentoring That Makes a Difference: Skill-Building Workshop for New Mentors)