From the Executive Director
Walter Bacak, CAE
walter@atanet.org
The ATA Board of Directors met August 7–8, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee—the first in-person Board meeting since February 2020.
The meeting was preceded by the Board’s annual Strategy Day. Strategy Day allows the Board to discuss in-depth aspects of the Association and the translation and interpreting professions. The event 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 Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo guided the Board through discussions about Board reports and the structure of Board meetings; a succession plan for the executive director; the future of the Annual Conference and how it’s structured; and a look at how professional special interest groups could be incorporated into the Association while complementing divisions. Strategy Day discussions do not necessarily lead to concrete action plans, but they do serve as the foundation for working through the Board’s activities for the year.
Here are some highlights from the Board meeting.
Budget
The Board approved the July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022 final budget and the 2022–24 draft budgets. The budget includes funds for offering the certification exams online and a hybrid conference.
Dues
The Board approved a dues increase for 2022. The new rate will be $249 for active/corresponding/associate members. Other categories will increase proportionally.
Bylaws Amendments
The Board approved five proposed Bylaws amendments for approval by the membership. The amendments are primarily housekeeping in nature. The proposed Bylaws amendments will be voted on in this year’s elections.
Investment Policy
The Board approved revisions to ATA’s Investment Policy. This policy outlines, among other things, permissible investments and the targeted asset allocation for these investments. ATA maintains a conservate approach to safeguard the Association’s capital.
Proposed Membership Classes
The Board approved putting forward Proposed Changes to Membership Categories and Benefits to the membership for feedback. Any proposed changes to membership categories would need to be approved by a membership vote.
Remote Interpreting Position Paper
The Board approved the ATA Position Paper on Remoting Interpreting. The paper is posted online in the Member-Only section (https://bit.ly/ATA-position-RI)
Professional Special Interest Groups
The Board approved establishing an ad hoc Professional Special Interest Groups Exploration Committee. This action follows the Board discussions from Strategy Day.
By approving the committee chairs at this meeting, the chairs have time to get their committees in place and start planning for the coming year.
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 October 30-31, 2021, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As always, the meeting is open to all members, and members are encouraged to attend.
Committee Chairs
The Board approved the appointment of several committee chairs, who will take their positions following the Annual Meeting of All Members, October 29, 2021.
Advocacy Committee: Ben Karl
Business Practices Education Committee: Danielle Maxson
Certification Committee: Michèle Hansen
Chapters Committee: Yolanda Secos
Divisions Committee: Lebzy Gonzalez
Education and Pedagogy Committee: Caitilin Walsh
Ethics Committee: Robin Bonthrone
Honors and Awards Committee: Beth Smith
Interpretation Policy Advisory Committee: Elena Langdon
Membership Committee: Meghan Konkol
Professional Development Committee: Veronika Demichelis
Public Relations Committee: Jamie Hartz
Standards Committee: Alaina Brandt
Strategy Committee: John Milan
Translation and Interpreting Resources Committee: Jost Zetzsche