From the Executive Director
Walter Bacak, CAE
walter@atanet.org
The American Translators Association’s Board of Directors met January 21–22, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. The meeting followed the Board’s annual Study Day.
The annual Study Day provides an opportunity for the Board to discuss in-depth aspects of the Association and the translation and interpreting professions. The Study Day is coordinated and led by ATA’s president-elect, who, by office, is the chair of the Governance and Communications Committee. This year, President-elect Corinne McKay guided the Board discussions through various topics, including voting rights, machine translation, and advocacy. Treasurer Ted Wozniak also provided an overview of ATA’s finances. The Study Day discussions do not necessarily result in concrete plans for action, but they do help the Board come to a consensus on issues that serve as the foundation for working through complex options for the Association.
Here are some highlights from the Board meeting.
- Director Appointment Approved: The Board approved the appointment of Christina Green as director to fill the vacancy left by Chris Durban’s resignation. Christina, who served previously on the Board in 2015–2016, holds office until ATA’s 2017 elections this October.
- 2021 Annual Conference Site Selected: The Board approved the Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the host hotel for the 2021 ATA Annual Conference. The other upcoming conference sites are: Washington, DC (2017), New Orleans, Louisiana (2018), Palm Springs, California (2019), and Boston, Massachusetts (2020).
- Nominating and Leadership Development Committee Appointment Approved: The Board approved the appointment of the members of the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee. They are Past President Dorothee Racette (who was previously approved as chair), Lucy Gunderson (Divisions Committee chair), David Stephenson (Certification Committee chair), Connie Prener (a longtime grader), and Milena Calderari-Waldron (a certified interpreter and advocate). The Committee reviews and selects the slate of candidates for ATA’s annual elections. In addition, the committee monitors and grooms potential future leaders.
- Website Redesign Planned: President David Rumsey discussed with the Board plans to revise and update ATA’s website (www.atanet.org). The Board then shared changes they would like to see, such as improving the navigation and making it easier for clients to find the Directory of Translators and Interpreters and the Directory of Language Companies.
- Credentialed Interpreters Now Featured: Director and Interpretation Policy Advisory Committee Chair Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner reported that credentialed interpreters are now recognized in the Directory of Translators and Interpreters. She reported that 40 members have successfully completed the process to have their credentials featured. The credentialed interpreter designation is reserved for those who have passed interpreter proficiency testing. The testing must have been performed by an organization vetted by the committee. Conference, health care, and legal interpreting credentials are currently recognized. (For more information, please see www.atanet.org/certification/interpreter_credential.php.)
The Board meeting summary is posted online. The minutes will be posted once they are approved at the next Board meeting. Past meeting summaries and minutes are also posted online at www.atanet.org/membership/minutes.php. The next Board meeting is set for April 22–23, 2017, in Alexandria, Virginia. As always, the meeting is open to all members, and members are encouraged to attend.