ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming 2019 ATA Annual Conference in Palm Springs, California, to elect a president-elect, secretary, and treasurer for a two-year term, as well as three directors for a three-year term. In addition, members will vote on proposed revisions to ATA’s Bylaws and its Articles of Incorporation.
President-Elect (Two year Term)
Geoff Koby
kobytranslation@yahoo.com
It has been my honor and privilege to serve ATA on the Board for five years. My experience there and my professional qualifications have given me the perspective that allows me to serve ATA well as president-elect.
As president-elect, I would focus on advocacy, public relations, certification, and education. Enhancing and expanding support for public relations and advocacy is a fundamental task of our Association—to communicate for members and raise the profile of professional translation and interpreting. With contacts to many stakeholders, I can advocate effectively for our profession, communicating the message “to get it right, you need a professional translator or interpreter!” Credentials indicate quality and professionalism, so certification of both translators and interpreters is important. ATA must continue to advocate for high professional quality standards. Finally, the education system is where we develop new translation and interpreting professionals. I will continue to advocate for best practices in educational curricula.
Twenty-five years ago, I joined the faculty of Kent State University as a translator trainer, earning tenure in 2002. I also started freelancing in legal, business, and finance translation, and became ATA-certified in German>English (1996) and Dutch>English (2004). This helped build credibility with my students and represent the profession, since I believe a translation professor should also do translation.
Over the years for ATA, I have presented at the Annual Conference, written articles for The ATA Chronicle, and founded and served as president of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association. I joined ATA’s Certification Program in 2006 as a grader for German>English exams, then served on the Certification Committee as secretary and then chair until I was elected to the Board. As chair, I partnered with interpreters in submitting a paper on best practices for interpreting and translation to the Department of Homeland Security that became part of the language access plan of its Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
As a Board member, I serve in many ways: I lead quarterly meetings of The ATA Chronicle Editorial Board; I help draft new policies and bylaws on the Governance and Communications Committee; I helped write a National Endowment for the Humanities grant with the Education & Pedagogy Committee; and I have been working with the Certification Committee on a project to automate grading. I became president of the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation, ATA’s foundation for charitable activities, education, and research, in 2018, which has co-sponsored a summer school for translation graduate students and launched a scholarship program for students wishing to attend ATA’s Annual Conference. I also meet regularly with an ASTM International standards group working to develop a new standard guide for translation quality assurance. Finally, I am currently heading a committee revising ATA’s Translation and Interpreting Compensation Services Survey questionnaire.
ATA is strong because of its members, who volunteer their time to advance the profession. I promise to work for all members across all languages. I ask for your vote for me, and, as I have done since volunteering with ATA in 2002, I promise to serve faithfully in the future.
President-elect (Two-year Term)
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo
madalena@accessibletranslations.com
I am humbled and honored to be a candidate for president-elect. I take great pride in my career and the exciting journey it has taken me on over the years. After starting out as a medical interpreter, I gradually honed my translation skills and began working as a full-time freelance translator in Spanish and Portuguese. A few years later, I opened a small agency. These roles have allowed me to see our profession from different perspectives, which has proven immensely beneficial to my work within various programs in ATA and to the Association as a whole.
It has been my pleasure to serve ATA members since 2011. I served as administrator of ATA’s Medical Division for two terms (2011–2015), and worked closely with the Interpreters Division during that time. Together, we developed the Medical Interpreter Information Initiative. In 2014, I became chair of ATA’s Public Relations (PR) Committee and was elected as an ATA director.
During my four years as chair of the PR Committee, I led the committee to re-energize the PR program with a more sustainable strategy. We trained media spokespeople and event speakers to reach end clients directly at the professional conferences of ACES: Society for Editing, the Society for Technical Communication, and the International Association of Business Communicators. I also launched our PR Writers Group, which pens original articles to educate the public about the value of using professional interpreters and translators. As chair of the PR Committee, I fielded calls from media outlets such as ABC, the Associated Press, CNN, National Public Radio, PBS, and USA Today, and helped coordinate a television segment on CNBC.
In my current roles as ATA director and chair of ATA’s Membership Committee, I am focusing my efforts on ensuring that ATA has the services and benefits to help satisfy the needs of our current members and attract new members.
If elected, I will continue to champion the needs of individual translators and interpreters and uphold ATA’s mission to promote you, provide you with opportunities, and advocate on your behalf. I will work with the Board to ensure that ATA provides more and better resources for all stages of your career—whether you are entering the profession, seeking mid-career support, or nearing retirement. I will also work with fellow Board members to find the best ways to support you during a time when technology and budget woes are shaking up our profession. This means listening to your concerns and taking action. It means seeing the big picture and providing you with valuable programming and professional development opportunities throughout the year. It means advocating on your behalf. It means helping ATA equip you to do your job with the support of an association of professionals. And it means conveying to the public that our Association is the resource to find professionals who will provide the most value.
ATA is one of our profession’s leading organizations, and I am proud to be part of it. I hope to continue representing and supporting you, and I respectfully ask for your vote so we can pursue this work together.
Secretary (Two-year term)
Karen Tkaczyk
karen@mcmillantranslation.com
I am honored to be nominated to run as secretary and welcome the opportunity to serve a second two-year term in this role.
I have volunteered extensively for our profession since I became a freelance translator in 2005. Within ATA, I started with divisions. I was one of three people who re-established the Science and Technology Division in 2010, and I served as its administrator from then until 2015. I have participated in nominating committees for the French Language Division and Language Technology Division. I was chair of the Divisions Committee from 2011–2015, so I worked extensively with all divisions. One of my achievements during that time was to lead a project to revamp and restructure the existing Divisions Handbook, a guide for leaders on how to get things done, and then to update it annually. I served on ATA’s Nominating and Leadership Development Committee from 2011–2015. That role gave me insight into what it takes to be an effective ATA leader. From 2016–2018, I was on the Professional Development Committee and ran ATA’s webinar program. Currently, I chair the ad hoc Website Committee to revamp ATA’s website. That role will end when the new website is launched. Earlier in 2019, I took on the challenge to review ATA’s Honors and Awards program and will continue to work on that.
In my local associations, I was vice president and then president of the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association from 2007–2011. During that time, opportunities for progress and change abounded. Among other achievements, we grew the membership and became an ATA Affiliate. I now live in Colorado, where I participate in the activities of the Colorado Translators Association. I have also proctored ATA certification exams for several years now.
My volunteer experience has covered everything from policy and procedural matters to event planning and motivating other volunteers. I often hold the secretary position in committees (in my community, for instance). I am well-practiced at taking effective notes and producing meaningful, accurate minutes while still participating in discussions. I have worked well with the Executive Committee over the past two years, and I look forward to being part of an effective and productive team of officers for the next two years if I am elected. My focus will be to continue to carefully communicate Board decisions so that ATA’s written records are clear and precise. I will also still continue to work in other areas that the Board handles and that I care about. When I ran two years ago, I said that I particularly enjoy improving the processes that the Board, other volunteers, and Headquarters use to work together. That still stands. I thrive when presented with issues and challenges where I can bring new energy and a fresh perspective. I aim for outcomes that are clear and consistent with the goals of the Association as a whole and of its diverse members.
I look forward to using my calm temperament and orderly approach to work productively with everyone involved. Thank you for considering me.
Treasurer (Two-year Term)
John M. Milan
john@milanlanguageservices.com
ATA is at a curious crossroads. Our Association is financially sound in terms of its balance sheet, investments, and strategic reserves, with good governance, policies, and forward-thinking actions in recent years having prepared us for uncertain times. Yet, technology and a shifting marketplace have left many translators and interpreters scratching their heads about our profession’s future. With ATA membership no longer growing and conference attendance trending smaller, we need to manage our finances prudently, making sure that funds are optimally allocated to prepare for this new reality, while best serving our members’ interests and objectives.
This has been my position since being elected treasurer in 2017, and it will continue to guide my decision-making and actions if I am re-elected to this post for another two-year term.
For those who don’t know me, I am an ATA-certified Portuguese>English translator, economist, consultant, and former adjunct professor with nearly 25 years of professional experience in multiple countries. I have served on ATA’s Finance and Audit Committee (FAC) since 2015, chairing it since I became treasurer. As part of this committee, I helped develop a conference-costing tool that analyzes our past revenue and expenses and uses that information to help the Board plan and budget for future conferences.
In terms of my background, I have an MS in applied microeconomics from Ohio State University, where I was a foreign-language fellow specializing in Portuguese translation and linguistics. I also have undergraduate degrees in Spanish and international political economy from Indiana University, in additional to having studied in Madrid, Spain, at the Institute of European Studies. For nearly 11 years I lived in Brazil, where I was on the faculty of a university in São Paulo, while concomitantly working as a freelance translator, interpreter, editor, and consultant. Among other relevant experience, I was the financial administrator of a nonprofit organization that employed eight people with a $1 million budget, and I have run three businesses, one of which had 45 people on staff and a $3 million budget.
From 2009–2016, I served on the board of directors of the Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters (an ATA chapter) as director, vice president, and president. During that time, we developed a local mentoring program, expanded outreach efforts to universities, held quarterly meetups for translators and interpreters, updated and digitized our operating procedures, took the chapter paperless, and, most significantly, organized well-attended annual conferences in partnership with foreign-language and interpreter training programs in the region.
I have drawn on all this experience to ensure that ATA has a solid budget, sufficient funding, accurate financial statements, and an open channel of communication with the membership. If re-elected treasurer, I shall continue to seek out ways to improve the stewardship of ATA’s resources, ensuring that our Association remains financially sound, transparent, and duly audited.
I look forward to this opportunity and am honored to be considered once again for this position.
Director (Three-year Term)
Alaina Brandt
alaina@afterwords-t9n.com
I am an assistant professor of professional practice in the Translation and Localization Management Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where I teach both fundamental and advanced topics in project management, including terminology, talent, and quality management. I have an MA in language, literature, and translation, specializing in Spanish>English translation, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I am a Spanish>English translator and the chief executive officer, founder, and data security officer of Afterwords Translations, LLC.
I serve on ASTM International’s Committee F43 on Language Services and Products (Technical Advisory Group to Technical Committee 37 Language and Terminology of the International Organization for Standardization). I am a member of the Advisory Board of the Translation Technology Education Society of China.
I also served as director of the Midwest Association of Translators and Interpreters (an ATA chapter) for four years. As a director, I revived our newsletter and successfully published quarterly newsletters from 2013–2016. I managed our social media and blog and contributed other content to our newly designed website.
I have been an ATA member for six years and now serve as assistant administrator of the Translation Company Division (TCD). As assistant administrator, I spearheaded the publication of our division newsletter. (We’ve published two issues.) I have contributed website content and am working on documentation structures. I have also had articles published in The ATA Chronicle and given presentations at ATA conferences.
If elected to the Board, I would gear my work toward the following efforts.
- Having the opportunity to comment on ATA’s position on such topics as machine translation is a major benefit of membership. I believe that as an association we have the opportunity to take an explicit position on many more topics to influence the field. For example, to the best of my knowledge no code of ethics exists for the professional practice of localization management. As a director, I would like to contribute to the process of gathering opinions to arrive at an association-wide position regarding the competencies and core tenets of professionalism of diverse roles in localization.
- I would like to contribute to the further standardization of the services delivered by each division so that members receive the same services no matter the division. As the assistant administrator of ATA’s TCD, I have focused on implementing data collection systems to capture important operating tasks, roles, and internet protocol produced by our division. I plan to use that experience as a case study to investigate ways we can further standardize the working procedures of all divisions.
- As an ATA member, I have been given countless opportunities that have positively impacted my career growth and trajectory—opportunities I would not otherwise have had. As a director, I would like to contribute to membership recruitment from university programs in translation and localization, in part by communicating the many benefits that come from membership in this great association!
I have gained so much through my affiliation with ATA, and I would be so honored for the opportunity to contribute to this organization as a director.
Director (Three-year Term)
Veronika Demichelis
veronika@veronikademichelis.com
A native Russian, I grew up in Moscow and spent summers in Saint Petersburg and Volgograd. I was a Soviet child, a teenager in turbulent perestroika times, and a millennial in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
I was so interested in languages and cultures at school that I chose to get a master’s degree in linguistics. As a sophomore, I was offered a summer job. My employer turned out to be a Fortune 500 company, and my temporary gig turned out to be an 18-year-long career. I had many opportunities to interpret and translate, but discovered I had other talents. I got an MBA and worked in human resources, corporate communications, health, safety, and environment, and social responsibility. I even learned Norwegian and French.
When my family moved to Houston, Texas, in 2012, I decided to leave the corporate world and start my own business as a freelance translator. With two little kids, this journey has not been easy, but I couldn’t be more excited about my work and the community to which I now belong. I am an ATA-certified English>Russian translator, and my areas of specialization reflect my professional experience.
Over the past few years, I have been an active advocate for our profession and steadily increased my involvement in ATA and my local association, the Houston Interpreters and Translators Association (HITA). As HITA’s professional development director, I organize training opportunities for our members and serve as a bridge to other professional associations, including ATA.
I also helped ATA’s Slavic Languages Division start its own podcast and serve as a co-host. With a plethora of interesting guests, we discuss topics related to professional development and the business aspects of freelancing, unspecific to Slavic languages. I encourage you to check it out: www.ata-divisions.org/SLD/podcast.
I also volunteer on ATA’s Membership Committee, where we develop tools and resources to help retain our members and recruit new ones. We want ATA’s membership to be relevant and useful to our members, and I am very excited to be involved.
I am passionate about educational opportunities both for beginners and seasoned professionals. As an adjunct professor in the Translation and Interpreting Program at Houston Community College, I know that high quality, relevant, and innovative training is critical for our profession and the success of those who embark on this career path.
My personal values are integrity, courage, and cooperation. I am deeply interested in social responsibility, a subject I believe is very relevant for the translation and interpreting professions, especially considering global market opportunities and developments in artificial intelligence and translation technology. I would love to bring this perspective to ATA’s Board. My background and experience have been tremendously helpful in my work, and I am confident that they would also be beneficial to the Board.
I am very thankful to the Nominating and Leadership Committee for their recommendation. I would be honored to get your vote, represent you on ATA’s Board, and apply my expertise and skills for the benefit of our Association and our profession.
Director (Three-year Term)
Tony Guerra
aeguerra@aol.com
During the past two years, it has been my honor to serve on ATA’s Board of Directors. Having learned so much, I am delighted to have the opportunity to run for another term and to continue making progress on promises made during last year’s election, in addition to tackling new challenges.
The business acumen I acquired while working as a director of interpreting services, combined with my passion as a practicing freelance interpreter, have given me a substantive foundation to contribute significantly to the Board. My current ATA activities include:
ATA Public Relations Committee, Speakers Bureau (2015–2019)
- Selected to take a lead role on the PR Committee, generating speaking opportunities for members of the Speakers Bureau. By targeting organizations and associations interested in professional language services, the members of the Bureau aim to leverage our talent pool of speakers nationwide.
- Actively represented ATA as part of the newly-formed Philadelphia Language Access Task Force, made up of a group of key government, educational, and health care organizations mobilized to address the shortfall of qualified interpreters in my home city.
ATA Interpretation Policy Advisory Committee (2015–2019)
- Served as a member of IPAC since it was established, contributing to policy, strategy, and goals. IPAC continues to promote greater equity and representation for ATA interpreters by addressing issues and trends nationwide through research, advocacy, and upholding standards.
ATA Chapters Committee Chair (2016–2019)
- Served as the national liaison between ATA Headquarters and all ATA chapter and affiliate groups, helping to solve any issues and answer questions. I have also helped organize leadership training at the past three ATA Annual Conferences. These trainings covered such universal issues as conflict resolution, conducting effective meetings, and maximizing productivity.
- Launched ATA’s Chapters Best Practices Initiative, an online compilation of national resources, links, forms, and processes available to all ATA chapters to facilitate expedited, efficient, and consistent systems of operation.
ATA Membership Committee (2018–2019)
- Represented the interests of ATA chapters and affiliates in outreach efforts, developing initiatives to communicate how ATA supplements the services and function of local associations to further engage and recruit new members to ATA.
My previous involvement with ATA has included two terms as assistant administrator of the Medical Division, serving on the ATA Nominating and Leadership Development Committee, and participating in the Mentoring Program since 2014. Most significantly, my recent experience as a director over the past two years has given me a broader understanding of how all ATA programs and committees function, and how all of the individual efforts of the Board and Headquarters are combined under the banner of our mission statement toward one common goal. These efforts include advocacy, promotion and recognition of the profession, raising the standards of practice, professional development, and facilitating communication. My tenure has allowed me to take an interdisciplinary approach to my work across the various committees on which I serve to support these efforts and to collaborate more effectively with my colleagues on the Board.
I thank you for your vote and your deliberation of my candidacy.
Director (Three-year Term)
Jamie Hartz
jamie@tildelanguage.com
It is an honor to be nominated to run for ATA’s Board of Directors. I am grateful for all the opportunities and support the Association has offered me throughout my career thus far and would consider it a privilege to serve our members in this new capacity.
Background: I am an ATA-certified Spanish>English translator specializing in legal and commercial translation. Having experienced a taste of the academic, in-house, and freelance worlds of translation while completing my master’s degree in translation at Kent State University, I began freelancing in 2013 and went full-time in 2015. I am grateful to be part of this growing profession and feel that ATA is a vital part of my career because of the ways it supports, mentors, and promotes us as translators and interpreters. I look forward to helping shape the ever-evolving landscape of our profession.
Volunteer Experience: Since joining ATA in 2012, I have served in several volunteer roles, acting as the student involvement representative for the Spanish Language Division and co-founding The Savvy Newcomer blog and the Buddies Welcome Newbies Program in 2013. In addition to serving as a blog author and editor and speaking at the Buddies Welcome Newbies conference sessions for the past six years, I also served on the board of my local ATA chapter, the Delaware Valley Translators Association, as its secretary from 2016–2018. I joined ATA’s ad hoc Website Committee in 2017, which has made great strides toward producing a more modern and user-friendly ATA website. Since 2018, I have also served on the Membership Committee as part of the team that shapes member communications, serves the people in our Association, and encourages active engagement with ATA. Finally, I am part of the small team of volunteers that developed a new initiative in 2018 for ATA to celebrate International Translation Day with messages of information and inspiration aimed to educate the general public about translation and interpreting through concentrated social media outreach.
Goals: As a representative of ATA, I would like to see our organization harness the power of our collective passion, volunteer power, and strengths to pave new roads into the future of our profession. To do this, I would promote: 1) increasing awareness of translation and interpreting in the U.S. through a strong online presence and publicity; 2) improving organizational efficiency; and 3) growing membership in ATA through outreach and enhanced paths for professional growth. I believe it is crucial for ATA to focus on awareness, optimization, and growth as we seek to resolve the challenges of today and define the outlook for the translators and interpreters who will come after us.
I would be honored to help guide ATA into the future and look forward to drawing on the experience I have gained through volunteering, observing, and collaborating with so many of you to grow our organization and serve our members.
Director (Three-year Term)
Aaron Hebenstreit
aarontranslate@gmail.com
It is an honor to be nominated for a position on ATA’s Board of Directors. I have been a member of ATA since 2016, and attended my first ATA Annual Conference in 2017 in Washington, DC. The atmosphere was friendly and inspiring, and I knew that I would be attending every conference after that. Although I am a relative newcomer, I have been keenly observing the work of ATA and its members and believe I could make a valuable contribution.
I have also been involved with my local ATA chapter, the New York Circle of Translators (NYCT), since 2016. I was nominated for a position on NYCT’s board of directors in 2017, and have been serving as the chapter’s program director since early 2018. During my term of service, NYCT has expanded its membership and continued to provide valuable programming to colleagues from the New York City metropolitan area and beyond. Working with my fellow NYCT board members, we have offered sessions by experts in many fields, including patent translation, specialized note-taking techniques, entrepreneurship for linguists, ATA exam preparation, languages of limited diffusion, machine translation, and computer-assisted translation tools, as well as insights by the chief executive officer of a major language services provider. Thanks to a generous bequest left to NYCT, we have also begun to offer financial assistance for professional development to local member linguists, beginning with ATA’s Law Seminar in February 2019.
In addition, I have been participating in ATA’s Chinese Language Division (CLD) since 2017, and have worked with colleagues to invite CLD distinguished speakers to ATA’s Annual Conference. At the 2018 conference, I was invited to co-present a session on patent translation for liberal arts majors.
I was born and raised in Connecticut and received my undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering and German from the University of Rhode Island, where I also began studying Chinese. I have lived, worked, and studied in France, Switzerland, Germany, mainland China, and Taiwan, and volunteered in Israel and Palestine. I earned my MA in translation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in 2014. I translate from Chinese, French, and German for international organizations such as the United Nations, World Intellectual Property Organization, and International Monetary Fund, among other clients, and work as a Mandarin<>English conference interpreter in the private sector. An ATA-certified Chinese>English translator, I am also an adjunct instructor and faculty advisor in that subject in the MS in Translation Program at the New York University School of Professional Studies. I have spoken at several events in New York relating to the translation and interpreting field and have done outreach work at schools and universities.
I take the confidence placed in me during this election cycle very seriously. If elected, I plan to work to increase the visibility of ATA and continue to advocate for high professional standards across all areas of translation and interpreting. I am aware of a few issues of concern discussed on the listservs and elsewhere, and I would be happy to learn more from members like you about what the highest priorities of the Board should be. I would be most grateful for your support.
Director (Three-year Term)
Cristina Helmerichs D.
cristina@cristinahelmerichsd.com
As these three years on ATA’s Board of Directors draw to an end, I thank all those who voted for me. I hope I have lived up to your expectations. It has been a pleasure to work with the dedicated professionals on ATA’s Board, as they are fully committed to ATA being the Association that represents the interests of its members and this profession. The majority of our members are freelancers, which is why I am committed to assuring that ATA advocates on behalf of the individual practitioner.
I started as a state court interpreter and contract translator for several state agencies in Texas, including the Texas Department of Transportation and Texas Health Facilities Commission. I am still a freelance translator as well as a conference and court interpreter certified by the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) and the United States Courts. Throughout my career, I have actively worked on behalf of our professions. I am active in NAJIT and a member of ATA’s Interpreters Division Leadership Council. I am a member of the Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association and a founding member of the Texas Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators.
When I first joined the Board, ATA did not have a clearly defined mission statement. I was part of the initial ad-hoc committee that helped draft ATA’s first formal mission statement, and during this term I again helped draft the mission update.
Also during that initial term, Naomi Sutcliffe de Moraes, Virginia Perez-Santalla, and I first proposed the idea of recognizing credentialed interpreters in our directory. As I was chair of the Interpretation Policy Advisory Committee (IPAC), we were tasked with investigating how this could be implemented. Through IPAC, I continued working on this and it has now come to fruition.
I offer you this steadfast commitment to advocacy and advancement. I have worked at both the state and national levels to further the recognition of our professions and protect our interests. During these last three years, ATA has become more visible on the national stage defending the interests of our professions. Two examples of this are ATA’s response to changes proposed by Houston’s chief of police regarding the provision of interpreters, and ATA’s assistance in a successful campaign to prevent the Texas legislature from changing the minimum standards required for interpreters to work in courts of record.
If re-elected, I will work to advance ATA’s advocacy efforts. One of my goals is that the General Services Administration (GSA) updates how our professions are defined in the GSA Schedule, which will improve the conditions under which government agencies contract interpreters and translators.
I ask for your vote so that I may continue to listen to the membership as we move forward in this ever-changing world and work with those who seek positive, proactive measures to promote and protect our professions. I will work with my fellow directors, Headquarters, and ATA’s divisions and committees to ensure that ATA offers its members even more valuable services and support.
Proposed Amendment to the Bylaws to be Presented to the Membership for Voting in October 2019
In addition to electing Board officers and directors, voting members will also vote on a proposed Bylaws amendment. The proposed change appears below and is posted online at www.atanet.org/bylaws_change.php. Please note that material proposed to be deleted is struck through; material proposed to be added is underlined. ATA’s Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed by a two-thirds vote of the voting members.
Proposed Amendment to the Bylaws
Proposed: Article V, Section 1
No President shall be elected to serve more than one full term, and no Secretary or Treasurer shall be elected to serve more than two three full terms in that office.
The ATA Board of Directors recommends approval.
Commentary: The current term limits specific to the position of secretary and treasurer are anachronistic and redundant and no longer serve their original purpose. A primary purpose was to mitigate the possibility of conspiracy and possible fraud between the individuals holding those offices by preventing the same individuals from serving for an extensive period. This made sense when the secretary actually received and handled correspondence, especially invoices and payments via postal mail, and the treasurer actually wrote and signed checks to pay bills. But that has not been the case for many years since ATA Headquarters staff has assumed those functions. The term limits have therefore been overtaken by administrative developments in that the safeguards against fraud now rest elsewhere in the Association.
In addition, for the treasurer in particular, most individuals serving in that capacity need one full two-year term simply to become familiar and comfortable with the duties incumbent on that office. After an additional two-year term, when those individuals have just become comfortable and efficient at their duties, they are barred from remaining in that office.
Proposed Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation to be Presented to the Membership for Voting in October 2019
In addition to electing Board officers and directors, voting members will also vote on proposed amendments to the Articles of Incorporation. The proposed amendments appear below and are posted online at www.atanet.org/incorporation_change.php. Please note that material proposed to be deleted is struck through; material proposed to be added is underlined. ATA’s Articles of Incorporation may be altered, amended, or repealed by a two-thirds vote of the voting members.
Proposed Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation
We, the undersigned, desiring to form a corporation pursuant to the provisions of the Membership Corporations Law of the State of New York, do hereby certify that:
First The name of the proposed corporation (hereinafter called the corporation) is the AMERICAN TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Second The purposes for which the corporation is to be formed shall be:
a. To advocate and promote the recognition of translation and interpreting as a profession.
b. To formulate and maintain standards of professional ethics, practices and competence.
c. To improve the standards, quality, and rewards of translation and interpreting.
d. To establish a system of mutual assistance, including a reference library, and such other aids and conveniences for its members.
e. To publish periodicals, bulletins, notices, glossaries, dictionaries, reports, and any other publications that may advance translation and interpreting and the interests of translators and interpreters.
f. To promote social and professional relations among its members.
g. To organize and support the training of translators and interpreters by lectures, courses, or otherwise.
h. To provide a medium for collaboration with persons in allied professions.
i. To hold periodic meetings.
j. To conduct any and all other activities designed to effect and further the above named purposes and to promote the general welfare of the Association and its members.
k. To receive and maintain a fund or funds, to have control and manage such fund or funds, change the investments thereof, to invest and reinvest the same and the proceeds thereof, and to collect and receive the income and profits thereof and therefrom.
l. To apply the income and principal thereof exclusively to the free and voluntary aid and assistance of organizations, agencies, and institutions which are organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes; said funds to be so allocated and maintained in a segregated account and used for no other purpose; no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, nor part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and which does not participate or distribute or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) of any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
m. To take by bequest, devise, gift, purchase, lease or otherwise, and to hold the same, for the corporate purposes, any property real or personal insofar as the same may be held by a corporation organized under the Membership Corporations Law, and to convey, sell, or dispose of such property and to invest and reinvest the principal and deal with and expend the income therefrom in such manner as may be permitted by law.
n. The corporation shall not make any solicitations for funds or contributions.
o. Nothing herein contained in this certificate shall authorize or empower the corporation to perform or engage in any acts or practices prohibited by Article 22 of the General Business Law or other anti-monopoly statute of this State, or as set forth in Section 11 of the Membership Corporation Law or Section 35 of the Social Welfare Law of the State of New York.
Third No officer, member, or employee of the corporation may receive any pecuniary profit from the operations of the corporation or upon the dissolution of the corporation, except reasonable compensation for services rendered the corporation in effecting one or more of the purposes set forth in Article “SECOND” hereinabove. In the event of voluntary dissolution of the corporation pursuant to the laws of the State of New York, or in the event of dissolution due to such other circumstances as are permitted or required by law, the funds and assets of the corporation then belonging to it shall, after proper payment of liabilities, be distributed in accordance with the law to the free and voluntary aid and assistance of activities, agencies, and institutions which are organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, subject to the laws of the State of New York, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Fourth The territory in which the operations of the corporation are principally to be conducted is the State of New York and elsewhere throughout the United States.
Fifth For purposes of Section 402 (a)(3) of the New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, the office of the corporation is to be located in the County of New York in the State of New York.
Sixth The number of directors of the corporation shall be provided in the Bylaws of the corporation, but in no event shall the number of directors be less than three (3).
Seventh The name and residence of each of the directors of the corporation until the first annual meeting are:
Henry Fischbach 141 East 44th Street New York, NY
Alexander Gode Finney Farm Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Ruth Levy 433 West 34th Street New York, NY
Henry F. Mins 130 West 57th Street New York, NY
Theodore M. Purdy 36 Sutton Place S. New York, NY
Eighth All of the subscribers to this certificate are of full age; at least two-thirds of them are citizens of the United States; at least one of them is a resident of the State of New York; and of the persons named as directors at least one is a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State of New York.
Ninth Any person made a party to any action, suit, or proceeding by any reason of the fact that he, his testator or intestate, is or was a director, officer, or employee of the corporation or of any corporation which he served as such at the request of the corporation shall be indemnified by the corporation against the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, actually and necessarily incurred by him in connection with the defense of such action, suit, or proceeding, or in connection with any appeal therein, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in such action, suit, or proceeding that such officer, director, or employee is liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duties. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any officer, director, or employee may be entitled apart from the provisions of this section.
Tenth The corporation designates the New York Secretary of State as agent of the corporation upon whom process against the corporation may be served and designates 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 as its address to which the New York Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the corporation served upon the Secretary of State.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, we have made and subscribed this certificate on this 13th day of July, 1962
Henry Fischbach
Alexander Gode
Ruth Levy
Henry Mins
Theodore Purdy
The ATA Board of Directors recommends approval.
Commentary: These amendments to the Articles of Incorporation recognize the importance of interpreting to ATA and eliminate an outdated clause preventing ATA from soliciting donations.