Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Shop ATAware
  • Contact Us
  • Log In Welcome, My Account
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for more information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Register for Exam
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer Blog
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level Blog
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Buying Language Services
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass Blog
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Free Events for ATA Members
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Virtual Workshops and Events
      • Live and On-Demand Webinars
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
    • Press Releases
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions & Special Interest Groups
      • Chapters, Affiliates, Partners, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Member Discounts
      • Shop ATAware
    • Already a Member?
      • Member Login
      • Connect with Members
      • Credentialed Interpreter Designation
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Submit Member News
      • Submit Your Event
      • Contact Us
    • Member Buttons
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • Media Kit
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
      • ATA Team
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
January 15, 2018

From the President: Priorities!

Resources
Source: The ATA Chronicle

From the President
Corinne McKay
president@atanet.org
Twitter: @corinnemckay


I often tell people that my main problem in life is wanting to do everything. During my term as ATA president, it will surely be impossible to do everything I’d would like to do, so I’ve set some priorities—the most important projects that I’d like us to accomplish between now and 2019. I’d like to share some of these priorities with you so that you know what’s on the horizon for our Association.

My first priority, and one that we’re already working on, is a new website. Our website is ATA’s public presence, and it’s a key resource for current members, prospective members, and translation clients. Over the years we’ve added (and added!) to our website, so much so that it can be difficult to find the information you’re looking for. Additionally, our website is becoming outdated in terms of design/usability and mobile-friendliness, both of which are critical in the online age. Fortunately, our website redesign task force, chaired by Board member Karen Tkaczyk, is already at work determining what we want in a new site. Stay tuned for updates!

Next, I’d like to see us expand our professional development opportunities, adding at least one new offering to our current slate of options. We have a thriving conference and an extensive webinar series and webinar library. To this, I’d like to add in-person seminars and/or online courses. By the time you read this, we’ll have tested this model with an in-person certification exam prep session in Boston, with the morning focused on the English>Spanish exam and the afternoon for all languages into English. The success of our pre-conference Advanced Skills and Training Day has shown us that ATA members want hands-on, advanced level training, and we’re excited to expand our offerings in that area.

During David Rumsey’s term as president, ATA became much more involved in lobbying and advocacy efforts, creating our Government Relations Committee and holding our first (sold-out!) Advocacy Day at the 2017 Annual Conference. (For more on Advocacy Day, see page 8.) I’d like us to continue and even expand those efforts so that the voice of the language professions is heard by government agencies and lawmakers.

In some areas, we simply need to keep doing what we’re doing. Our Public Relations program has been revitalized in recent years, and I will support the continuation and expansion of our PR efforts during my term. We’ve also made great strides in terms of parity between interpreters and translators in ATA, with our Credentialed Interpreter designation being rolled out in 2017. I look forward to exploring ways to further support and include interpreters within ATA.

Finally, I look forward to working with President-elect Ted Wozniak and the rest of the ATA Board on ways to bring the next generation of translators and interpreters into the fold. ATA needs to target new graduates—those from translation and interpreting programs, and those wondering what to do with their foreign language degrees. We need to reach out to the many translators and interpreters in the U.S. who don’t yet know about ATA or haven’t yet joined our Association. We need to show them that ATA membership is the route to becoming a true language professional.

I thank all 10,500+ ATA members for your support, and I look forward to serving you during my time as president!

Share this

Posts navigation

← Letters to the Editor
The Greatest Challenge Facing Translators →

Latest Posts

  • Pennsylvania Recruiting Bilingual Workers with a Pay Incentive Pilot Program May 5, 2025
  • A County in Illinois Rolls Out “I Speak” Cards as Part of April’s “Language Access Month” May 5, 2025
  • Trump Administration Cuts Funding for Ukrainian Literature Translations at Harvard May 5, 2025
  • Washington State Senate Passes Bill Enhancing Court Interpreting Services for Non-English Speakers May 5, 2025
  • National Weather Service to Resume Translating Its Products for Non-English Speakers May 5, 2025

Topics

  • Advocacy & Outreach
  • Annual Conference
  • Book Reviews
  • Business Strategies
  • Certification Exam
  • Certification Program
  • Client Assistance
  • Educators and Trainers
  • Growing Your Career
  • Industry News
  • Interpreting
  • Member Benefits
  • Member News
  • Mentoring
  • Networking
  • Public Outreach
  • Publications
  • Resources
  • School Outreach
  • Specializations
  • Starting Your Career
  • Student Resources
  • Tools and Technology
  • Translation
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
211 N. Union Street, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-778-7222

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2025 - American Translators Association

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top
By clicking accept or closing this message and continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.I AcceptPrivacy Policy