My name is María Baker, and I go by Mila. I was born and raised in Santa Fe, Argentina, where I studied three languages (English, French, and Italian). After a stint in law school, I became a teacher of English as a second language. After completing this degree, I did some teaching work in my hometown and decided to pursue an MA in teaching in English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and Spanish at West Virginia University. After graduating in 2013, I settled in Madison, Alabama, where I discovered interpreting and translation. I started in the medical field and became certified (National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters) in 2014. I became certified as a Spanish medical interpreter (Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters) in 2018. I obtained my ATA certification (English-to-Spanish) in 2021. I’ve been an ATA volunteer for many years. I’ve worked with the Medical and Spanish Divisions and Professional Development and Public Relations Committees. I currently serve as interim assistant administrator of the Spanish Division.

My work experience includes:

• Working as a freelance translator and interpreter for over 10 years.
• Working at a local language agency for a few years, which provided valuable insights into how agencies operate.
• Being active in my local organization, the Interpreters and Translators Association of Alabama, and being involved in advocacy in my state.
• Working for the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) as an outreach coordinator.
• Currently working as an in-house medical translator and doing some freelance work.

I’ve seen professional organizations inside and out, and I’m proud to be an ATA member and honored to be considered as a candidate for the Board.

We live in complex times, and there are many issues that require our attention and efforts. Along with listening to our members, these are the things I would like to focus on, if elected:

• Working not only on increasing ATA membership, but particularly on increasing current and new members’ involvement in ATA activities. I would like to see more people in our divisions and committees, more people at our conferences and events, and more fresh ideas from new voices in the field and in ATA.
• Working on advocacy. We have a strong Advocacy Committee that works very hard to address issues of cultural and linguistic diversity and professional working conditions, which have been challenged in recent times. I want our advocacy work to be integrated into all divisions and committees, as far as this is possible. It will take efforts on all fronts to defend language access rights and the best compensation and working conditions for language professionals.
• Exploring, along with the Board, possibilities for partnering with other organizations in our advocacy, professional development, and other efforts to benefit our members. In particular, I would like to extend these efforts to interpreters and translators working with languages of lesser diffusion. I want to listen to all voices, even for languages that don’t have a division or special interest group.

I can’t wait to meet many of you in San Francisco!