Presenters
Tentative - This is subject to change.
Change to alphabetize by last nameAlaina Webb
Alaina Webb has been working as an interpreter since 1989. She currently holds Texas Level IV, Masters, and Court certifications, and the NIC Advanced. Alaina has worked in a variety of interpreting settings including medical, legal, mental health, educational, video-relay, and many others. She has taught ASL at Texas Woman's University and Tarrant County College, interpreting and practicum classes at Tarrant County College, and has served as a mentor for over 15 years. She is currently the manager/trainer for the Sorenson DFW center.
Amber Galloway
Amber Galloway resides in Houston, Texas. She has an A.A.S. degree in Interpreting for the Deaf and a BA in Psychology. She works for Communication Axess Ability Group as a staff community interpreter and a video relay interpreter. She is adjunct faculty member and teaches interpreting classes at Cy-fair Community College and Houston Community College. Her spare time is devoted to concert interpreting. Amber is one of the core team members at Alive Performance Interpreting Agency which focuses on music festivals and live performances. She holds the following certifications: R.I. D. CI and CT, R.I.D/ N.A.D NIC, Texas B.E.I. Level V and Texas B.E.I. Oral Certified: Comprehensive.
Amber Elliott
Amber D.F. Elliott received her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma at Norman and her Juris Doctorate degree from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law with the highest distinction for her pro bono work. Amber began her legal career clerking for both defense teams in the Yogurt Shop Murders shortly after their reversals in 2007 until both cases were dismissed in 2009. She then opened her private practice as a criminal defense attorney. She practices in Travis, Williamson, and Hays Counties. Amber is a member of the American Bar Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. She also has worked with the Innocence Project of Texas and is currently an interpreting student at Austin Community College.
Amy Frasu
Amy Frasu (MA, CI/CT, NIC Advanced, BEI Advanced) is the VI-P Coordinator for Sorenson VRS in San Antonio. Amy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Deaf Education and Elementary Education from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida and graduated with honors from Gallaudet University with her Master of Arts degree in Interpretation. As an ASL-English interpreter since 1994, Amy has worked in a variety of settings, including video relay service, medical appointments, business meetings, conferences, K-12 schools, undergraduate courses, graduate courses, and theater. Her graduate school research was recently published by Gallaudet University Press - Use of Space during an English-to-ASL Interpretation when a Visual Aid is Present (Studies in Interpretation Series, Volume 3, edited by Melanie Metzger and Earl Fleetwood).
Amy Seiberlich
Amy is the founder of the Leadership Institute (LI); an educational facility dedicated to the personal and professional betterment of individuals working in the field of interpreting. She has also developed leadership and supervision coursework for the University of Northern Colorado's DO IT Center and Regis University. Amy is the creator of “authentic inquiry” – a powerful dialogue technique used in her consultation work. Amy holds a Master's degree in Communication from the University of Denver, a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Marquette University and an Associate's degree in Sign Language Interpreting from Front Range Community College.
Angela Bryant
Angela Bryant is employed at the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS). She has been a positive presence for the past 20 years. Angela is program administrator for the BEI certification program. She is responsible for overseeing the program’s staff, development of policies, procedures and information updates; investigates interpreter complaints; collaborates with the BEI Advisory Board concerning the various program issues; and consistently strives to provide excellent services and preserve the integrity of the BEI program. Angela hopes to continue pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at the University of Phoenix.
Ari-Asha Castalia
Ari-Asha Castalia (CI/CT) is Wisconsin native who graduated with a BS in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; she completed the UWM Interpreter Training Program in 1989. Ari looks for opportunities to "raise the bar" and loves to mentor/coach. Her dynamic workshops (presented locally, regionally, and nationally) are known for hands-on participation and the supportive environment she creates. Currently Ari coordinates interpreters at City College of San Francisco and is studying for her Masters degree in Art Therapy Psychology. In her spare time she practices yoga, swims, visits National Parks, and adopts “broken” cats with her partner.
Bill Moody
Bill Moody (CSC, CI, CT) has been RID-certified and interpreting professionally for over 35 years. He has worked in Deaf communities in Houston, Rochester, Chicago, Paris, and New York. He works for the NYC Public Schools, in addition to a private practice that includes work with the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters and the World Federation of the Deaf. His specialty areas include International Sign and theater interpreting. He has recently completed the DVD “Just a Pair of Hands: the stories of Lillian Beard” of stories from the early days of interpreting in the US in honor of the mentor who introduced him to the Houston Deaf community in the 1960s.
Billy Collins, Jr.
Billy currently works as a free-lance interpreter in Austin where he was born after numerous years of state and private sector employment. In the field of deafness, he was worked with both the Texas Rehabilitation Commission (now DARS/DRS) and the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (now DARS/DHHS). During the latter, his work with the legislature and the community realized several enacted bills for interpreters and persons who are deaf/hard of hearing. From the University of Arizona he earned both a BS in Education and MS in Rehabilitation Counseling with the Deaf. He is skilled in developing and implementing standardized policies/procedures, in project/program establishment and in providing technical support/management of the same. He is a founding member and officer in RID’s Interpreters with Deaf Parents SIG.
Brandon Morgan
Since becoming an interpreter in 2003, Brandon has had the opportunity to interpret in a wide variety of challenging assignments. He approaches new settings with a sense of humor, and his contagious enthusiasm influences his energetic instructional style. In a fast-paced and interactive learning environment, Brandon’s goal is to provide practical strategies that fellow interpreters can immediately put into practice. He considers it a privilege to help his colleagues gain confidence and enrich their existing skill sets by integrating their past successes with new information. He sums this up in his mission statement: “To make those around me wildly successful”.
Brenda Seal, PhD
Brenda is a new Professor in the Department of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences at Gallaudet University. Brenda is not new to higher education or to interpreting, however. She is a Professor Emeritae at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia where she taught for 28 years. She also is a 34-year certified member of RID; she earned her EIPA (4.7) in 2007. Brenda is author of Best Practices in Educational Interpreting (1998, 2004) and several articles on educational interpreting
Brian Determan
Brian Determan, born to hearing parents and deaf since birth, is the Deafness Resource Specialist in Central Texas, employed by CAAG and funded by DARS/Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services to provide services to persons who are Deaf or hard of hearing, such as information and referral, training and advocacy. He attempts to build bridges that connect the divide between the hearing, hard of hearing, and Deaf/deaf worlds. Mr. Determan, a RIT-NTID graduate, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Houston and has been a Deafness Resource Specialist since 2007.
Carmen Garcia
Previously, Carman M. Garcia was a visiting professor of American Sign Language at Vassar College where she taught courses related to deaf culture and developed a Mentoring Program for community interpreters. She is presently providing professional services for Vassar College students having American Sign Language as part of their majors. Professor Garcia is also a fluent ASL/English/Spanish (Tri-lingual) interpreter. Her academic training has been varied and extensive including Theatre American Studies (undergrad and masters levels) from SUNY at Buffalo – Summa Cum Laude, Deafness Rehabilitation (second masters) from NYU, studies in language acquisition and pedagogy from the Canadian Institute of English, Mentor Training from the RIT Interpreter Education Training Grant, Training on the Application of Educational Interpreting Outcomes to Teaching and Learning from RIT Summer Institute. She has twenty-five years of experience at the college and university level, eight years of vocational counseling experience, five years of job coaching, job development and job placement with the deaf population, ten years in interpreter training and mentoring, five years of Legal/Court interpreting, as well as many years of research into language acquisition and pedagogy. Mrs. Garcia has been interpreting from childhood as she was raised in a truly multi-cultural family. She was born in Puerto Rico then moved to New York as a child where she grew up between two cultures. She also had a deaf brother who was her best friend growing up. Mrs. Garcia is well known as an educator and mentor of interpreters as well as a consultant on Spanish culture and language acquisition. She has served as a tri-lingual interpreter at several RID national conventions as well as serving as the Latino advisor several times. She serves as a board Member of Mano a Mano where she served as the Northwest Region Rep and served on the Committee for New York State Educational Interpreters (Think Tank). Professor Garcia wrote and developed the Curriculum for Dutchess Community College for an Interpreter Training Program where she served as the Chair, for Vassar College and Sullivan Community College. She is also part of North Eastern University’s Consortium of Interpreter Trainers.
Catharine Van Nostrand
Catharine Van Nostrand (CI, CT) is the mentorship coordinator for the St. Paul, MN Sorenson VRS Video Interpreter-Provisional (VI-P) Program. With over 18 years of experience interpreting in settings ranging from diverse organizations and performing arts to higher education, Catharine began interpreting in the video relay setting in 2004. In 2003, Catharine earned a Masters of Liberal Studies degree at the University of MN, where she researched an inter-disciplinary approach to adult learning and mentorship. She is the co-author of Charting the Way: a Handbook for Postsecondary Educational Interpreters, a comprehensive curriculum and video series created for the Higher Education Mentorship Project she coordinated at the University of MN. An experienced trainer and consultant, Catharine thrives in creating effective professional development opportunities for interpreters.
Connie Sefcik-Kennedy
Connie Sefcik-Kennedy has been working for the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters at the Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services under the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services for 16 years. Prior to her employment with BEI, she had been at Texas School for the Deaf holding various positions. She now serves on the Board of the Trustee at Texas School for the Deaf. She also teaches ASL and Deaf cultures to Austin Sign Language School and several schools for over 20 years. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Kent Kennedy for 25 years, raising two wonderful deaf daughters and now becoming a proud grandmother of a 3 years old girl.
Dan Veltri
Dan Veltri, CSC was born and raised in Rochester, NY and learned sign language and interpreting at NTID while earning his degree in Biology from RIT. He relocated to San Francisco in 1981, and interpreted for eleven years at the University of California Center on Deafness. He earned his MA degree from San Francisco State University in 1993 and launched Treehouse Video, a production company specializing in educational media for sign language applications. He has served on the NorCRID Board and on national RID committees. In addition to managing Treehouse Video and freelancing, he occasionally teaches workshops on interpreting.
Debra Nussbaum
Debra Nussbaum is Coordinator of the Cochlear Implant Education Center (CIEC) at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. She earned her Master’s Degree in Audiology from George Washington University and has worked at the Clerc Center since 1977; first as a pediatric audiologist and since 2000 as Coordinator of the CIEC. She has spearheaded national efforts to look at the combined roles of spoken language and signed language in the education of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. She has developed numerous resource materials and professional training workshops, and speaks nationally and internationally on this topic.
Doug Dittfurth
Doug Dittfurth is the Outreach Development Specialist for the DARS/Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services/Austin. He received his Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts in Habilitation of the Deaf from Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth and Masters of Education/Counseling and Psychometrics from Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls. Additional postgraduate studies have been completed at Gallaudet University/Washington, D.C., University of Texas/San Antonio and University of Minnesota/Minneapolis. Prior to joining the State, Dittfurth provided community-based counseling and consulting services; additionally he provided forensic psychological/neuropsychological testing, report writing and follow-up with several psychologists/psychiatrists in Bexar and Travis counties with their clients/patients who were deaf/hard of hearing. Dittfurth holds BEI III and Court Interpreter Certification and has a 35 year work history in the field of deafness.
Elizabeth Morgan
Elizabeth Morgan is an interpreter in private practice in San Antonio. She received her M.A. and B.A. degrees from Gallaudet University and owned/operated an interpreter referral service for eight years. Currently serving on the RID NIC Task Force, she served on the NAD/RID Joint Committee on the Code of Ethics, helping to craft the current Code of Professional Conduct. She gladly labels herself as a "test junkie" and has been an rater for several certifying bodies. She owes her career to kind Deaf individuals who graciously invested their time and love in her life.
Emily Anderson
Emily Anderson’s academic background includes an associate’s degree in Sign Language Interpretation from Austin Community College, a bachelor’s degree focusing on English, Sociology and Communication Disorders and a master’s degree in deaf studies from Lamar University. She holds Texas BEI Level III interpreter certification as well as professional interpreter memberships at local, state and national levels. As a professional interpreter she primarily works in educational and video relay settings. Emily is an associate professor at Austin Community College and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Deaf Studies.
Erma Webb
Erma Webb, a passionate educational interpreter, is the founder and owner of Visual Communication Services and holds a Texas BEI III and an RID NIC. In her 18 years of experience as an interpreter she has held positions from classroom interpreter, service coordination to educational interpreter trainer. She is currently serving as President-Elect of TSID. She serves as the RID Region IV Delegate on the Interpreting in Educational and Instructional Settings members section council. She is a Trainer/Meta-Mentor for the Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf Fran Herrington-Borre Mentorship Program.
Faye Kuo
P. Faye Kuo is the deaf services attorney with Advocacy, Incorporated, the state of Texas’ protection and advocacy agency. Located in Austin, Texas, her primary focus is on improving communication access through advocacy and litigation efforts for Texans who are deaf or hard of hearing in the areas of employment law and access under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as under other federal and state law. She is currently a member of several legal and non-legal disability organizations. Her previous experiences include working with the Illinois Attorney General’s Disability Rights bureau on general access issues and clerking for an Illinois state judge.
Gordon Vernon
Gordon Vernon, CI, CT, is the Owner/Director of the Interpreter Training and Learning Center (TLC) providing interpreter training, diagnostics, mentoring and interpreter services nationwide. He served as the Manager of Continuing Education for Purple Communications, Inc. (2008-2009) where he was instrumental in developing the rubric and screening materials for new interpreter hires and providing both internal and external professional development opportunities to interpreters. He served as Director of Staff Development at Sign Language Associates, Inc. (SLA) in Washington, DC (1995-2008). He managed SLA’s nationally renowned Mentorship and Road to Certification Programs, instituted the Peer Review and Observation Team, and provided diagnostic assessments to staff interpreters. Gordon served as a member of the RID Affiliate Chapter Relations Committee (2007-2009) and was President of the Potomac Chapter of RID (PCRID), serving the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia, for two terms. Gordon served on the PCRID Board of Directors in various positions (1996-2005) and served as Vice President of the Alabama Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (1993-1994). He currently lives in Citronelle, Alabama and is enjoying restoring the family home.
Holly Warren-Norman
Holly Warren-Norman, B.S., IC/TC, Ed: K-12, Texas BEI IV & Texas BEI Master Holly has been a deaf education teacher, workshop presenter and interpreter for 35 years. For the past fifteen years she has worked as an interpreter consultant with the Region XIII Regional Day School Program for the Deaf in Austin, Texas. Holly works with interpreters, educators of the deaf, general education teachers and students in four school districts over a fifteen county area. She is married to Barry, aka The Studmuffin and has two children, Aaron, 22, and Brianna, 20.
Janice Ochoa
Janice Ochoa graduated from the American Sign Language and Interpreter Training Department at San Antonio College with an AAS in Deaf Support Specialist and in Interpreting. She is currently seeking the Enhanced Trilingual Interpreting certificate. She is a full time staff interpreter at San Antonio College and works part time as a community and video relay interpreter. Janice is certified BEI Level III and Advanced.
Jeremiah Sammons
Jo Hilton
Jo Hilton, LCSW received her Bachelors Degree in 1987 from Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL and received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1995. Upon moving to San Antonio, Jo decided to pursue Interpreting for the Deaf and completed the American Sign Language and Interpreter Training Program at San Antonio College in 1999. Jo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and also works as a video relay interpreter. She has her BEI Level III and Advanced Certification. Jo teaches as adjunct faculty for the counseling department and the Interpreter Training program and is the Interpreting Services Manager and Counselor for the Deaf students.
José Bertrán-Ortega
José Bertrán Ortega was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has worked as an interpreter in Puerto Rico for the last 24 years, and as a Psychologist for the last 15 years. Mr. Bertrán is the founder and President of the Board of Directors of Servicios Orientados al Sordo (SOS, Inc.), a not for profit organization that provides interpretation services and advocacy as well as support for the Deaf community. Since 2001 he has also been the host of PBS Local TV program ABC in Signs, which interviews and portrays the lives of the Deaf community in PR.
Justin Lee
Justin Lee is BEI/Advanced certified with a vast experience in religious interpreting. He has been the Interpreter/Coordinator for many different conferences including: Passion, BGEA (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association), Focus, Come Worship Texas and Sign Praise. He has also spent over two years in the mission field working under the North American Mission Board at Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church, Nashville, TN, studying under Rev. Brian Sims in the art of Biblical Interpretation. Justin now is the director for Psalm 117 Ministry through which he teaches workshops on religious interpreting and worship leading.
Kelly Bothel
Kelly Bothel received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of North Texas in 1988. She holds a Texas BEI Level III Interpreting Certificate and RID’s NIC certification, and has fourteen years of interpreting experience. Kelly has worked in a variety of interpreting settings in the community, theatre and video relay, and taught interpreting class for Tarrant County. For the last nine years, Kelly has been a mentor for interpreting students and novice interpreters. Kelly has presented numerous workshops with her friend, Alaina Webb, at Tarrant County College, Region XI ESC and the 2008 TSID conference.
Kim Hunt
Kim Hunt- NIC Master, Texas BEI IV, Certified Court, is a native Southeast Texan. She has been in the interpreter profession for more than 28 years, which include areas of education, medical, community, religious, and video-relay interpreting. She has presented on various topics on the local, state and national level.
Kristen Lund
Kristin Lund received her first deaf interpreter certification in 1986. She is active in the field, and over the years, continues to promote awareness of certified deaf interpreters (CDI) through involvement with various interpreter organizations. She is currently working across Texas and USA as a CDI, specializing in court, legal, unique language challenges, and working with people who are deaf-blind. Kristin is an avid motorcyclist, can be found on her bike, working with various interpreter organizations, and with women in motorcycling organizations.
Lisa Gelineau
Lisa Gelineau has completed all doctoral coursework in Deaf Studies at Lamar University. She holds a master’s degree in Deaf Studies/Deaf Education from Lamar University and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Texas State University. Currently, Lisa is a full-time associate professor at Austin Community College teaching all levels of American Sign Language courses. She has taught ASL for 15 years. Lisa won ACC’s Teacher of the Year Award in 2009. Other than teaching ASL and interpreting, she has presented several workshops on various interpreting/deaf/ASL-related topics and has served as a deaf interpreter.
Margie Gilmore
Margie Gilmore, RID/CI, CT, TX/CIC has been in the interpreting field for more than 25 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Deaf Studies from Cal State University at Northridge (CSUN). She served as president of a local RID chapter in North Carolina, and served as vice-president and president of the North Carolina RID chapter. In 2003, she received the NCRID Roma Fortune Distinguished Service Award. Her work experience includes a wide range of venues, including the educational, medical, theatrical, video relay, and legal fields. She has taught workshops on a wide variety of topics at the local, regional, statewide, and national levels. She is currently studying to take the SC:L written exam.
Melissa Bell
Melissa Bell is the Deafness Resource Specialist in Northeast Texas, employed by CSD and funded by DARS/Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services to provide services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, such as information and referral, training, and advocacy. She also works with entities as they make their programs and services accessible to this population. Ms. Bell holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and an Associate’s degree in Sign Language Interpreting from Collin County Community College. She has a Level III BEI certification and has been a Deafness Resource Specialist since 2003.
Michelle Wood
Michelle Wood has been involved with the interpreting community for nine years. She received as AAS degree in Interpreter Training in 2005 and is currently working on her BA in ASL-English Interpreting from the University of Northern Colorado with a minor in mathematics. She works for Lone Star College System as a staff interpreter and ITP adjunct faculty. She is the Secretary for the Greater Houston and Montgomery County local ROD chapters as well as the TSID IC SIG web coordinator. She holds a BEI Advanced as well as an RID NIC certification and lives north of the Houston area with her husband and four cats.
Mindy Moore
Mindy Moore is a renowned performer and presenter who has traveled the nation performing everything from mime to skits to ASL storytelling and presenting workshops at universities and colleges. Appearing as an actress in films such as Forget Me Not and Wrong Game, she also is a producer and the marketing director for ASL Films. She, with her husband Theron Parker, has produced numerous DVDs such as Have ASL, Will Travel, ASL Folklore from Around the World, and Music for the Eyes. Moore also works closely with ABCASL, a nonprofit agency funded by the City of Austin that focuses on literacy through ASL. A sixth-generation deaf person, Moore is an art, drama and deaf studies teacher at the Texas School for the Deaf. She holds a master’s degree in Deaf education from McDaniel College and a bachelor’s degree in Deaf studies from Gallaudet University, and participated in the National Theatre of the Deaf’s summer program. Currently working on a children’s book, her ultimate goal is to inspire future generations to know that they can always do more than they imagine. In her spare time, Moore creates tie-dyed silk sarongs and scarves, and is the proud owner of a 1968 Volkswagen bus. She makes her home in Austin with her husband and their two sons.
Paul Rutowski
Paul graduated from Gallaudet University in 1990 and earned a Masters degree from McDaniel College. Paul is a Senior Director with ZVRS. In 2005 he formed Foogle, Roogle and Soogle LLC and is a managing partner of this joint venture, owning The Avonne Log Home, a popular family destination in Texas. He sits on the TSD Foundation Board; works with the Austin Community Center for the Deaf and American Society of Deaf Children, as well as in the current president of Texas Association of the Deaf (TAD). His hobbies include golf, photography and xeriscaping. Paul and his wife, Avonne, are parents to Alexandria and Andrew Paul.
Peggy Gray
Peggy is a private practice community, educational, post-secondary interpreter, consultant, mentor, and workshop presenter. Her philosophy of being the middle of the ladder inspires interpreters to share their experiences, knowledge, insights and encouragement with each other in an active comfortable environment. Peggy has national RID Certification of Interpretation and Transliteration, Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment, Louisiana State Level V, provisional certification from the American Sign Language Teachers Association and earned a superior rating on the SCPI. Recently, she has become adjunct faculty at Bossier Parish Community College. Peggy’s educational background is an AAS from FRCC ITP, a Bachelors of General Studies from LSU-Shreveport and is currently attending a Masters program through Saint Thomas University in Florida. She has served as a past board member of LRID, the past Chairperson of the State of Louisiana Interpreter Certification Board and State Department of Education mentor.
Randi Turner
Randi Turner serves as the Communication Access Specialist at the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services - Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS). She works with agencies and service providers regarding their obligations under disability civil rights laws, provides training to empower people who are deaf or hard of hearing with knowledge of their civil rights, and provides training for parents of children with hearing loss regarding their rights in the special education system. Randi holds a Bachelors of Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas State University, RID CI/CT and DARS-DHHS Advanced interpreter certification.
Rebecca Buchan
Rebecca Buchan (CI, CT, IIC) obtained her AA and BA in Business and Office Administration from Anderson University, Anderson IN. She has been engaged in community interpreting for the last fifteen years and holds her national certification, RID: CI/CT and her Indiana Certification, IIC. In addition to interpreting credentials, Rebecca is also a Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Certified Practitioner, having gone through extensive training on the implementation and application of MBTI. Rebecca currently works for Sorenson Communications in their Professional Development Department and also freelances with local interpreting agencies. Aside from interpreting, Rebecca mentors interpreters in several different arenas, including VRS and community interpreting, as well as students in their ITP practicum. Serving on a local ITP’s Advisory Board, teaching as an adjunct professor at a northern Indiana ITP and having the pleasure of serving on the Indiana Board of Interpreting Standards are also among her professional commitments and passions. Rebecca resides in Anderson, IN with her wonderful husband and four beautiful daughters. In her spare time she shuttles her active children around town, plays games and cards with her family and looks forward to those few and far-between quiet moments alone.
Rita Wedgeworth
Ritchie Bryant
Ritchie R. Bryant is a dynamic, native American Sign Language (ASL) user and a culturally deaf Texan. Currently working as an Assistant Professor in Sign Language Studies department at Sacramento City College, Ritchie has been presenting ASL/deaf-related workshops for the past thirteen years. Trained as an ASL mentor and ASLPI/SLPI evaluator, he is currently training deaf people to become ASL mentors for signers in the Rochester community under the Community Interpreter Grant. Ritchie obtained a bachelor’s degree in ASL Studies from Gallaudet University and a master’s degree in deaf education from McDaniel College. He is also a certified deaf interpreter who has been interpreting in the community since 2000. His interests include developing African-American storytelling within the deaf community and video editing on his computer.
Roberto Sandoval
Roberto Sandoval is currently studying ASL Linguistics and Interpretation in the Interpreter Preparation Program at Austin Community College and will graduate in 2010. Roberto has over 200 hours of deaf interpreting experience and is in the process of obtaining his Certified Deaf Interpreter certification. He received training designed for language mentoring at the CATIE Center’s Deaf Mentor Training in St. Paul, Minnesota. Roberto has served as a Deaf Language mentor since 2006 and also works as an ASL Lab Assistant at ACC. Currently, Roberto is the RID Deaf Caucus Region IV Representative and the President-Elect of Austin Interpreters for the Deaf.
Sean Forbes
Sean Forbes is the co-founder of D-PAN and an internationally recognized artist in his own right for his song-writing and ground-breaking performances in music videos. The child of two musical parents, Sean suffered permanent hearing loss at one year of age, but nonetheless pursued a lifelong aspiration towards a career in the music business. Recognizing both the lack of opportunity within the industry and the extensive need for accessibility to music and music culture for the deaf community, he conceived the idea of ASL-enhanced music videos. He currently serves as D-PAN’s creative liaison to the deaf and hard of hearing community. A graduate of Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Sean attended Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Multidisciplinary Studies.
Sergio Pena
Sergio Peña is professional, certified multilingual interpreter and instructor in four languages (ASL, English, LSM, and Spanish). He has worked and taught in a variety of translation settings: platform, educational, community, medical, VRS, VRI, and legal in both the USA and Mexico. Sergio has also taught a series of workshops regarding the Hispanic/Latino deaf community. Sergio is the writer, coordinator and teacher of an ITP program in a University in Tijuana, Baja California, member of GTES -a governmental committee task force in the writing of the Mexican Sign Language Certification- founder member of the first sign language interpreter organization in Mexico (ANILS), and educational director of the Trilingual Professional Development with American Sign Languages Services Inc and Latino American Sign Language Services.
Stephanie Sween
Stephanie came to us from the UK with a Business Management Degree. She graduated from the American Sign Language and Interpreter Training Department at San Antonio College, and then completed her studies from Texas A & M University, Kingsville. Stephanie has worked as an interpreter in community, educational, and Video Relay settings. She is Texas Certified Level III and Advanced.
Theron Parker
Theron Parker leads a notable career as a performer, instructor and presenter. Theron, renowned for his ABC stories, has produced four DVDs: In the Minds of Ed and Theron, Have ASL, Will Travel: Fables from Around the World, Folklore from Around the World, and Little Deaf Spies. Theron also appeared in “Forget Me Not,” and served as an assistant producer for ASL Films. A certified Baby Signs¨ instructor, he teaches literacy through American Sign Language for his non-profit organization, ABC ASL, working with children and parents. A popular presenter, Theron travels the country and Canada to present workshops on different topics, ranging from deaf humor to deaf history to ASL storytelling. Theron’s videos can be seen on YouTube, or at www.justmindy.com For Theron, ASL storytelling is the most beautiful music imaginable. With its natural beauty and expressiveness, he aspires to expose ASL to as many generations of deaf children and hearing people as possible. He makes his home with his family in Austin.
William Nabors
William Nabors, BEI III, NIC, has lived in San Antonio most of his professional career. He has been interpreting for 16 years in settings including educational, religious, theatrical and video relay. He currently works in video relay and postgraduate settings where he serves as a mentor for interns and newer interpreters in the field.
Yolanda Chavira
Yolanda Chavira holds a BEI Level III certification. Her interest in ASL arose in 1983 after the birth of her twin boys; one of whom is deaf. She graduated with an A.A. in ASL from the Interpreter Preparation Program at El Paso Community College. She has worked with Spanish speaking and deaf families with various agencies which include VRI Spanish interpreting. In 1997 she joined the Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing and served on the Hispanic Task Force. In 1999 she served on the Trilingual Task Force to coordinate the activities of the Participatory Action Research Group for the trilingual test development.
