From the President
David Rumsey
president@atanet.org
Twitter handle: @davidcrumsey
Living in the Pacific Northwest, fog and ferries are an everyday part of life. There is no sound more mysterious and alluring than that of a foghorn as the boats make their way through the fog on the water, letting other boats and shoreline listeners know where they are.
From my own experience at the helm of ATA, I know it’s important to make ourselves heard, not only among the general public, but among our fellow members who are a part of this journey. Recently, we’ve been making an extra effort to create new communication channels so members can learn more about their organization.
Podcast: Not many people may remember, but back in the autumn of 2015, with the inspiration from one of our individual members, then-ATA President Caitilin Walsh and I were part of what became ATA’s first podcast. Modeled on FDR’s “fireside chat” during World War II, it was an opportunity to discuss informally the plans and behind-the-scenes efforts of ATA’s Board and its leadership. While our initial podcast covered the upcoming Miami conference, recent podcasts have included a behind-the-scenes look at Board meetings, the redesign of the Chronicle, and other issues. You can listen in here: www.atanet.org/resources/podcasts.php.
ataTalk: Early in the new Board’s term, we also added a new listserve devoted to ATA policies and activities, ataTalk. With a growing number of readers, ataTalk has become a great place for people to discuss the issues and activities of the Association. Although the intention is for members to talk among themselves, it allows a good opportunity for members to learn what ATA’s leadership is doing and to discuss new directions and potential new ventures to undertake. You can join the conversation here: http://bit.ly/yahoo-ataTalk.
YouTube Channel: Another outlet we’ve been promoting is ATA’s new YouTube channel. While our earlier online video efforts focused largely on recaps of ATA’s Annual Conference, we’ve recently added content that focuses on ATA’s outreach efforts to the membership, the media, and the general public. We’ve begun adding important content from popular conference sessions, including Jonathan Hine’s session on how to establish pricing. Subscribe now to receive updates when new videos are uploaded: http://bit.ly/ATA-youtube.
Divisions: One of the other key channels for ATA is actually through our divisions. Divisions represent the backbone of the Association. With 20 divisions—including the recent Dutch Language and Government Divisions—they host listserves, their own websites, and social functions that help spread the word about the work and activities of ATA. Extra efforts are being made to share information and take in comments via the divisions. If you haven’t joined a division or signed up for your division’s listserve, please do so. It’s a great way to connect with people with shared interests and get information targeted to your interests. You can learn more about ATA’s divisions here: www.atanet.org/divisions/about_divisions.php.
Newsbriefs: Many people have noticed and commented on the new look and content in The ATA Chronicle. It has been the flagship publication for the Association, and the staff and Editorial Board work hard to bring a wide range of articles and columns reflecting the broad scope of the industry. But many other people have noticed the dramatic change in our semimonthly newsletter Newsbriefs. Since switching the Chronicle to a six-issue printing cycle, ATA relies more on Newsbriefs to bring you recent news and updates, not only from the Association, but from the larger world of language and the translation and interpreting industry. Next time Newsbriefs shows up in your inbox, be sure to check it out: www.atanet.org/newsbriefs.
Of course, many members are able to stay abreast of news and events even more frequently using ATA’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest pages, and our new Google+ page. Be sure to read them all.
So, at the risk of “tooting our own fog horn,” we hope that these extra efforts will let you know that ATA is here for you.