From the Executive Director
Walter Bacak, CAE
walter@atanet.org
As we welcome the new year, we also welcome a new ATA Board of Directors. David Rumsey took office as president. Corinne McKay was elected president-elect. Rudy Heller was elected secretary. And, Ted Wozniak was re-elected treasurer. All will serve two-year terms.
The new directors are Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner, Frieda Ruppaner-Lind, and Christina Green. Melinda and Frieda will serve three-year terms. Christina was appointed to a one-year term as a result of the vacancy created by Rudy’s election. They join Faiza Sultan (who was re-elected), Chris Durban, Evelyn Yang Garland, Geoff Koby, Jane Maier, and Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo.
ATA is fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers to lead the organization. The strength of ATA’s leadership is not a matter of luck. It’s the result of the comprehensive work of the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee, led by ATA Past President Dorothee Racette, to pursue and develop experienced members who possess the necessary vision, skills, and temperament to excel. This effort is ongoing. The committee has issued its call for nominations for this year’s election in November.
Board Meeting Highlights
ATA’s Board of Directors met November 7–8, 2015, in conjunction with the Annual Conference in Miami. Here are some highlights from the meeting:
- Government Division: The Board approved the establishment of the Government Division. GovD will provide a community for translators and interpreters working for government agencies. The division will be led by Maria Brau, who was appointed acting administrator, and Maria Manfre, who was appointed acting assistant administrator. Be sure to join GovD or any of ATA’s 19 divisions when you renew your ATA membership.
- ataTalk Listserve: The Board approved establishing a listserve for members to discuss ATA policies, activities, and governance issues. ataTalk is now online. You can subscribe at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ataTalk/info.
- Ukrainian>English Certification: The Board approved offering Ukrainian into English as a language pair eligible for certification. The practice tests and exams are now available.
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 stg-americantranslators-staging.kinsta.cloud/membership/minutes.php. The next Board meeting will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, January 30–31, 2016. As always, the meeting is open to all members, and members are encouraged to attend.
Be Sure to RenewMembership renewals have been mailed. It’s easy to renew online, if you prefer. Just go to stg-americantranslators-staging.kinsta.cloud/membership/renew.php. Thank you for your support and membership in 2015. We look forward to serving you in 2016! |