From the Executive Director
Walter Bacak, CAE
walter@atanet.org
New Look for The ATA Chronicle
Welcome to the newly redesigned ATA Chronicle! We hope you’ll like it as much as we do.
As you look through the magazine, you’ll see that, in addition to the updated look, we’ve made some changes in content. Many of these changes are based on the extensive member feedback we received from The ATA Chronicle Reader Survey (January 2015). Thanks to all who participated. The survey and your comments played an invaluable role in this redesign.
The new design follows months of reviewing those member comments, analyzing what other associations are doing, and working with ATA’s Board, ATA Headquarters staff, and the recently established Chronicle Editorial Board.
The changes in The ATA Chronicle go far beyond the print version. A new digital edition of The ATA Chronicle has been created to make it easier for you to share and mark up articles. (The PDF version is still available for those who prefer that format.)
There is also a new microsite—an auxiliary website just for The ATA Chronicle—where readers can access articles with dynamic links and responsive design for easier reading on mobile devices. Columns will have a prominent place on the microsite, including the Translation Inquirer and Humor in Translation. These two columns will now appear online only.
And last but not least, The ATA Chronicle archives will be fully searchable on the microsite.
We want to know what you think! Please e-mail walter@atanet.org with your comments.
Board Meeting Highlights
The American Translators Association’s Board of Directors met July 25–26, 2015, in Boston, Massachusetts. Here are some highlights from the Board meeting.
Budget: The Board approved the final budget for July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016, as well as the draft budgets for 2016–18. The $3 million budget includes increased funding for, among other items, public relations and keyboarded certification exam options. It also reflects savings from the recent changes that were made to The ATA Chronicle.
Credential Interpreters and the Online Directory: The Board approved recognizing credentialed interpreters in the ATA Directory of Translators and Interpreters. The interpreter certification will be shown in a manner similar to the ATA-certified translator notation. The new designations recommended by the Interpretation Policy Advisory Committee are CI Medical, CI Court, and CI Conference. The categories and which credentials will be considered for recognition will be publicized as the details become available.
Proposed Bylaws Revision: The Board approved presenting to the membership proposed changes in the bylaws regarding the Active Membership Review Committee. Since the Active Membership Review Committee was established as a standing committee in ATA’s bylaws, ATA voting members must approve any changes to the name and committee charge. The proposed changes will be voted on at the Annual Meeting of Voting Members (also known as the Presentation of Candidates and Elections), which will take place November 5 at the Annual Conference in Miami.
Election Date of Record: The Board set October 2, 2015, as the date of record for the 2015 elections. This means that to participate in this year’s elections, you must be a voting member by October 2. There are two ways to become a voting member: pass the certification exam or apply for a change of status through the online Active Membership Review process (stg-americantranslators-staging.kinsta.cloud/membership/memb_review_online.php).
The Board meeting summary is posted online in the Members Only section of ATA’s website. The minutes will be posted as soon as they are approved at the next Board meeting. Look for past meeting summaries and minutes online at
stg-americantranslators-staging.kinsta.cloud/membership/minutes.php.
The next Board meeting is set for November 7–8, 2015, in Miami in conjunction with ATA’s Annual Conference. As always, the meeting is open to all members. We encourage you to attend.