
From the Executive Director
Walter Bacak, CAE
walter@atanet.org
The American Translators Association’s Board of Directors met April 13–14, 2019 in Alexandria, Virginia. The Board met in conjunction with the Certification Committee and Language Chairs meetings. (Each exam language combination has a language chair administering the passage selection and graders. ATA currently offers testing in 30 language combinations.)
Here are some highlights from the Board meeting.
Working Budget: The Board approved the July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020 working budget and the 2020–22 draft budgets. The approved working budget of $3.1 million is a slight decrease compared to the current budget. (The decrease is due to the projected lower revenue for this year’s Annual Conference in Palm Springs, California.) The working budget provides an interim financial framework. By using this interim budget, changes and revisions can be made based on the actual year-end figures. The final budget will be approved at the next Board meeting.
Annual Conference: The Board discussed plans for ATA’s 60th Annual Conference, October 23–26, 2019. After reviewing the proposed revenue and expenses, the Board consensus was to maintain the registration fees and not increase them for this year.
Mid-Year Seminars: The Board reviewed the final report from Professional Development Committee Chair Anne Connor on the Law Seminar held earlier this year in Jersey City, New Jersey. With the success of this seminar and the interest in doing others, the Board agreed to move forward on another specialized advanced training seminar for next spring. We will share more information as plans take shape.
Governance—Articles of Incorporation: The Board reviewed proposed changes to ATA’s Articles of Incorporation. The proposed changes reflect current ATA practices. Any proposed revisions will need to be approved by the membership. The Articles of Incorporation along with the bylaws are the foundational documents that guide ATA’s governance.
Governance—Mission Statement: The Board approved revising ATA’s Mission Statement. Here is the new Mission Statement:
“ATA’s mission is to promote the recognition of professional translators and interpreters, to facilitate communication among its members, to establish standards of competence and ethics, to provide its members with professional development opportunities, and to advocate on behalf of the profession.”
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 August 3–4, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. As always, the meeting is open to all members, and members are encouraged to attend.
Candidates Announced
ATA Elections | 2019 Annual Conference Palm Springs, California
ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming 2019 ATA Annual Conference in Palm Springs, California, to elect a president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and three directors. Further nominations, supported by acceptance statements in writing by each additional nominee and a written petition signed by no fewer than 60 voting members, must be received by the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee by June 1. Acceptance statements and petitions should be submitted to Nominating and Leadership Development Committee Chair David Rumsey (ata-hq@atanet.org). Candidate statements and photos of the candidates will appear in the September/October issue of The ATA Chronicle and on ATA’s website. The candidates proposed by the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee are:
President-elect (two-year term):
Geoff Koby
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo
Secretary (two-year term):
Karen Tkaczyk
Treasurer (two-year term):
John Milan
Director (three positions, three-year terms):
Alaina Brandt
Veronika Demichelis
Tony Guerra
Aaron Hebenstreit
Cristina Helmerichs
25 Years with ATA!

From left: Executive Director Walter Bacak (holding plaque), Treasurer John Milan, President-Elect Ted Wozniak, President Corinne McKay, and Secretary Karen Tkaczyk.
I recently celebrated my 25th anniversary with ATA. When starting out, few folks think they are going to work someplace that long. It just happens. I’m fortunate that it happened with ATA. Thank you to all the members, volunteers, and staff along the way. I look forward to serving you as we continue on.