Aaryn Adams has been interpreting for more than 20 years and holds National Interpreter Certification (NIC) from RID and she has her BEI Master and BEI Court Interpreter Certificate from Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS). As a practitioner, Aaryn values collaboration and strives to establish best practices regarding managing vicarious trauma, navigating ethical decisions, and building our professional practice. The bulk of her career, Aaryn specialized in being part of designated interpreter teams for medical professionals, Ph.D. candidates, and government employees.

Aaryn also has extensive experience working with CDIs. Currently, her practice focuses on conference, platform, and business travel interpreting. Aaryn believes in being a practitioner first, which is reflected in her presentation topics, style, and approach. Each of her workshops includes intrapersonal awareness and interpersonal navigation training. Aaryn fosters spaces in which participants co-create knowledge and understanding.

Anna McDuffie is an Atlanta native and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned a Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting in 1996. After graduation, Anna relocated to Boston, where she was a staff interpreter at the Learning Center for Deaf Children and part time at Boston University. Anna returned to Atlanta in 1999 and has been working as a freelance interpreter for 25 years. She holds the Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L), and the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and the Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration (CI/CT). Anna co-presents intensive medical interpreting workshops across the US.

One of her passions is the standardization of medical and legal interpreting. Anna and her colleague Heather Brown, Ph.D., published an article in the Journal of the American Association of Physician Assistants, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The article, Health Care Providers and the Americans with Disabilities Act was published in January 2011. Anna currently lives in Marietta, Georgia, with her husband, Eric. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her stepdaughter, Cece, her fur kids, Kiwi and Pippa, traveling, and playing tennis.

Bill Ross is currently the CEO and owner of Humphrey & Ross Publishers, LLC. A niche market publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. In addition, he is one of the primary authors for one of the most recognized texts in the field of interpreting, You Want to be an Interpreter? (5th Ed.). As a child of Deaf parents, he has been interpreting for 40+ years and holds national certification from the Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf. Previously, Bill was the Vice President of Hands Up Communications, an all-access language company – managing the location since opening in August 2021. Prior to working at Hands Up, Bill was the Curriculum Development Specialist for Deaf Bible Society (DBS); an international organization that provided training/resources for individuals translating Scripture into sign language.

He came to DBS from North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he was the Program Director of the Carlstrom Interpreter Training Program. Mr. Ross formerly held the position of Director of the Communication Access Support Services (CASS) Department at North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD); where he established the NCSD Mentorship Project to provide ongoing support to educational and freelance interpreters. He is passionate about building mentoring relationships, studying ASL and accompanying interpreters on their interpreting journey.

Brian “BAM” Moss, MSW, is a lifelong Alabamian and Visual Gestural Specialist whose work focuses on Deaf mental health, communication access, and culturally responsive care with the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Office of Deaf Services. His journey from mainstream education to the Alabama School for the Deaf shaped his understanding of how culture and communication influence a person’s experience within systems of care.

BAM earned his Bachelor of Social Work from Jacksonville State University and his Master of Social Work from Gallaudet University in 2026. He is also a certified Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) instructor and Conducting Serious Incident Investigations (CSII) trainer, bringing both lived experience and professional expertise to his work.

Charlotte Ker, NIC Advanced, began studying interpreting in 1983 and has worked professionally as a sign language interpreter since January 1986. During four decades in the profession, her work has included higher education, community, performing arts and theatrical interpreting, as well as work with DeafBlind individuals.

Charlotte’s other great passion is genealogy. A longtime RootsTech attendee and family-history researcher, she has a particular interest in combining traditional records, DNA evidence, and emerging technology to break through genealogical brick walls and recover stories that might otherwise be lost. In 2026, she served as a lead organizer of the Tulsa-area Family History Conference, Turning Hearts to Our Ancestors.

At the Hands Up Conference, Charlotte brings these two worlds together—exploring not only how we discover our roots, but how interpreters can make complex genealogical, historical, scientific, and visual information truly accessible in ASL.

For Charlotte, “Rising From Our Roots” is more than a conference theme. Discovering where we come from can give us a stronger understanding of who we are, what others endured before us, and the foundation from which we continue to rise.

Christopher Morton is a Deaf Interpreter, mentor, presenter, and translator whose perspective has been shaped by a unique life journey. Born hearing and becoming Deaf later in life, Christopher has experienced both the hearing and Deaf worlds firsthand. This lived experience provides him with a distinctive understanding of the cultural, linguistic, and communication differences that exist between Deaf and hearing communities, inspiring his commitment to bridging those worlds through language access and collaboration.

After graduating an Interpreting Training Program (ITP) in 2020, Christopher has worked in medical, educational, government, community, and disaster response settings. His work emphasizes ethical practice, culturally and linguistically responsive interpreting, and effective Deaf-hearing interpreter team collaboration. As an educator and presenter, Christopher is passionate about contributing his experience towards his community and Interpreting profession to better understand the complexities of communication access while fostering meaningful partnerships that bridge language, culture, and lived experience.

Claris Industrious, a native of the Virgin Islands, holds an A.A. and B.A. in Accounting and Business Administration respectively from the University of the Virgin Islands. Her interpreter training was completed at Camden County Community College. She received her Certificate of Interpretation from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and in 2011, she also obtained her NIC. Her association with Deaf ministry spans more than 40 years. Claris relocated to Ringgold, Georgia to become the Chief Financial Officer for Harvest Deaf Ministries, Inc.

That ministry then added a Deaf day school (1998-2019) and a Deaf church (2001-present). She is the owner of Toolbox Interpreting and a professor at Lee University in Cleveland, TN. She also spends a part of each year mentoring, presenting workshops, as well as interpreting in VRS, medical and mental health settings primarily. She continually strives to develop leaders within the Deaf community who not only have a heart for Deaf consumers but also a heart for excellence.

Crom Saunders is currently a Certified Deaf Interpreter working as an Associate Professor at the American Sign Language program of Columbia College, Chicago. Crom works extensively in translation, including PSA videos and children’s stories, with organizations such as Fun4TheDisabled and Sally Is Sarah, LLC.

Crom has interpreted dozens of plays, from children’s theatre to musicals, including at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Steppenwolf Theater, and has taught dozens of ASL linguistics, educational, and theatrical workshops across the nation. In addition, he has worked as the Director of ASL for several theatre companies across the nation. He also has a one-man show, “Cromania!”, which he performs worldwide.

Dr. Jaime Wilson is a Deaf prescribing medical psychologist and board-certified neuropsychologist practicing across Washington State and beyond. With hospital privileges and collaborations with physicians, forensic experts, and allied professionals, he provides extensive neuropsychological insights for global care.

He’s a recognized leader in inclusive practice, having served as Past President of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss (AMPHL). He currently serves on the Diversity Council of the Society of Prescribing Psychology and previously served as chair of the Diversity Committee at the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology.

Dr. Wilson is also the author of two books:

• Preserving the Etchings of the Mind
• Bridge of Time: Caregivers & Care Receivers with Hearing Loss in Alzheimer’s & Dementia

Born with a profound hearing loss, Dr. Wilson grew up using bilateral hearing aids and primarily communicated using spoken language, although he is also fluent in American Sign Language. He resides in Olympia, WA, with his Deaf wife (an RN), their three children, and their spirited King Charles Spaniel, Pepper Jack.

Joseph Featherstone (JV), M.S., is the CEO and owner of Hands Up Communications, an all-access language company based in Iowa and Florida. With a background as a Deaf interpreter, he comes to the field of interpreting not only as a consumer of services, but also as a provider. He is also part of the team of authors for the well-known textbook, You Want to be an Interpreter? (5th edition), used throughout interpreter training programs across the US. Joseph continues to make waves in the industry, pushing boundaries and driving progress. With an unquenchable thirst for challenging the status quo and a determination to make a difference, he is unafraid to take risks to make changes in field interpreting. His ability to think outside the box and his attention to detail have garnered him a reputation as a visionary in his field. An example of this is when he worked with Universal Studios-Hollywood to successfully use smart glasses that provide interpreting access during theme-park rides.  When he’s not immersed in the world of technology, Joseph is an avid adventurer, father, husband and was at one point in his life a certified whitewater rafting guide. He believes in living life to the fullest and embracing new experiences and new places.

June Ann is an instructor and the Director of the American Sign Language (ASL) program at Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida. She is a freelance deaf interpreter and ASL translator in the central and northeast Florida areas. She holds an appointed position as a member of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Committee for the Florida Department of Health; she also serves on the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB) Board of Trustees.

LeFors is a state-certified K-12 teacher, she previously worked at FSDB for 10 years in several roles, including as an ASL specialist and evaluator, preschool teacher in the Early Learning Center, and as a parent advisor in the Parent Infant Program. She holds her Master of Arts degree in deaf education/deaf studies from Lamar University and a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from Gallaudet University. She and her husband, Eric, a physical education teacher at FSDB, have six daughters – three of whom are deaf or hard of hearing.

Keri Brooks, M.Ed., CDI, was born Deaf to hearing parents and had a Deaf brother. Her family learned sign language together, fostering a deep connection to the Deaf community from an early age. Since 2002, Keri has been teaching ASL and interpreting courses while working as a freelance Certified Deaf Interpreter. She specializes in tech conferences, press briefings, interpreting for DeafBlind individuals, and translation work. In 2015, Keri founded her own interpreting agency, which also offered online workshops and training. Building on that success, she launched ASPIRE Interpreting in 2022 to further her work, with a focus on training Deaf interpreters online. Since early 2016, Keri has trained over 200 Deaf interpreters.

Originally from New England, Keri’s lifelong passion for ASL and Deaf culture is reflected in her multifaceted roles as a Deaf person, educator, interpreter, and evaluator. Additionally, she is a certified yoga instructor (RYT-500) and ANFT certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide. Currently, Keri enjoys living the Salt Life in Florida with her four children and her partner, Ryan.

Marilu Santos, M.A., is a trilingual interpreter and ministry leader. She is the founder of Camp We Sign, a day camp serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, their siblings, and CODAs. She has worked with Central Florida Early Steps for 13 years, supporting families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays, including those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Marilu has been involved with the Deaf and interpreting communities for over 20 years. Pastor Marilu has served at Faith Church Orlando for the past 10 years and currently is the leader of disability ministries. Pastor Santos holds her ministerial license through Faith Church of Orlando.

She is the founder and executive director of Silent Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking down communication barriers by providing support to families, conversational ASL classes, and community programs for individuals with hearing loss and communication disorders.

Lastly, Marilu is the proud mother of a young adult son with autism, whose journey has strengthened her passion for equipping families, advocating for accessibility, and building inclusive communities.

Mary is a Coda and has been interpreting in Spanish and ASL since childhood for her large deaf family. Mary began her academic career by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Pedagogy of Deafness from SUNY Empire State College. Then went on to obtain a Master of Arts from Columbia University in teaching American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language. Currently, Mary is the Senior Manager of the New York City and Jacksonville, Florida Convo Center and Eastern Coast for Convo Communications. Mary also serves as pastor for Hands for Christ Community Church, a deaf congregation in Staten Island, New York, for the past 13years.

Hands for Christ Community Church also has live streaming services for the deaf community, serving 15 states. Mary served as a trilingual interpreter in the courts for over 40 years, as well as a mentor/tutor for Empire State College. Finally, Bacheller, was the owner, ASL teacher, and interpreter educator for the Seymour Joseph Institute of American Sign Language (SJI), a school that she started in honor of her deaf father. While owning SJI, Mary traveled to Puerto Rico to work with the interpreters at the “Servicos de Rehabilitación” in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Mary Jane “MJ” Grant believes that stories have the power to change hearts, and changed hearts have the power to transform systems. As a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), native ASL user, interpreter, and storyteller, she has spent nearly three decades building bridges between language, culture, and our shared humanity.

MJ’s work was profoundly shaped by accompanying both of her Deaf parents through serious illness. After losing her father to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and later walking beside her mother throughout her journey with dementia until her passing, she began sharing their story to open conversations that too often remain hidden. What started as one family’s experience has grown into a broader invitation to rethink accessibility, caregiving, empathy, and what it truly means to care for one another.

Whether presenting to interpreters, healthcare professionals, educators, caregivers, or Deaf community members, MJ’s presentations leave audiences with practical insight, renewed perspective, and a lasting reminder that empathy is not simply a feeling, but a practice.

Patrick holds credentials as a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI), specializing in both legal and mental health settings. As “Mr. Shineyhead,” Patrick is renowned for his Dark Tales and as an author and an international storyteller. In addition, he is an award-winning educator, with an emphasis in the education of visual languages, Deaf Studies/Deaf History, and American Sign Language (ASL). He has taught ASL and Deaf studies for 30+ years and currently holds certification as an ASLTA Master instructor.

Patrick is also a passionate advocate for the deaf community. He comes from a family of German artists and has a strong background in theater and the arts. With a degree in graphic design, Patrick has held numerous roles as an artist, performer, director, and director of Artistic Sign Language. Patrick is one of the founders of Connecticut Deaf Theater.

Sandy Pascual, M.S., MBA, NIC, QMHI-S, OCHI, has 26 years of professional experience in interpreting, specializing in medical and mental health settings. She currently serves as a mental health interpreter and regional coordinator with the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Office of Deaf Services. She holds the Qualified Mental Health Interpreter–Supervisor (QMHI-S) certification, along with multiple medical interpreting credentials.

Growing up with her Deaf cousin, Sandy developed an early appreciation for ASL and Deaf culture, which led her to pursue interpreter training at Miami Dade College. She began her career in Miami, Florida, and later relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she worked as a staff interpreter specializing in medical and behavioral health interpreting. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Organizational Management and a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Albizu University.

Sandy is a trilingual interpreter and has held leadership roles with FRID, ORID, OCHCI, and Mano a Mano. She currently serves as Treasurer of ALRID. She is also the co-founder and co-facilitator of Ñ-MHT, a quarterly training program for ASL-English-Spanish interpreters and students. Sandy regularly presents at state, regional, and national conferences on mental health interpreting, medical interpreting, ethics, interpreter supervision, and multilingual interpreting.

Tanya Polstra is the Executive Director of Deaf Kids Connect and Deaf Harbor, providing national leadership in organizational development, family engagement, and Deaf-centered programs. She is committed to advancing language access, strengthening families, developing leaders, and creating opportunities for Deaf children and adults to thrive within ASL communities. Tanya holds a Master of Arts in Disability Studies from California Baptist University, with a focus on policy, advocacy, and ministry. Her work brings together theology, Deaf identity, ethical practice, and disability advocacy to strengthen churches, schools, ministries, and families.

An experienced educator, trainer, and speaker, Tanya presents at conferences, churches, schools, retreats, and leadership workshops across the United States. She has also served internationally in South America and Asia, supporting Deaf communities and Gospel-centered ministry. Tanya is recognized for her leadership, team building, and commitment to developing a strong, ethical, Deaf-led ministry.

Wink Smith, PhD, NIC-Master, is an interpreter, educator, and researcher with over sixteen years of professional instruction and research in the field of interpretation. He has presented at national conferences, including the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) across the United States and Canada. His areas of focus are on the intersection of skill development, practice, and theory in interpretation, this is highlighted in his workshops and his article on deliberate practice published in the RID Views Winter 2012 issue. He has also served on the Certification Council for RID, held a board position with the Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT), and received the NAD Outstanding Service to Interpreting Award in 2016. As of 2023, Wink has delivered over 2,800 hours of live CEU professional development training.

Currently serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Interpretation and Translation at Gallaudet University, Wink engages with undergraduate and graduate students, fostering a deeper understanding of interpretation and encouraging graduate students to become change agents in the field. His doctoral work explores the embodied motivations of imagery in depiction and the processes through which they are constructed. His academic work centering on interpreting and translation, focuses on message analysis within a cognitive linguistic framework and the role of depiction in interpretation. With nineteen years of professional interpreting and translation experience, Wink has developed translated tours for the U.S. Capitol and the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. Outside of academics and interpreting, Wink enjoys crafting ASL stories on and off the stage for his cat’s amusement. ASL: https://youtu.be/ntFrd_w3sc4

Dr. Zach Featherstone is a Pediatrician at Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital, OB/Pediatrics Committee Chairperson and serves on the Medical Executive Committee. As one of the few trailblazing Deaf physicians in the United States, he brings a unique and powerful perspective to medicine.

Growing up, Zachary remembers that the doctor’s office was often a scary environment; he often felt confused, unheard, and misunderstood. With the desire to change this, Zachary went to medical school with the goal of setting up a Deaf Clinic, and as a result, ASL TeleMed was born.

Dr. Featherstone also works to bridge the gap between healthcare and the Deaf community by empowering patients, training interpreters, and paving the way for future Deaf medical professionals.

He is a proud father of 4 beautiful children and is happily married to his sweetheart. He is also an avid white-water rafter, skier, rock-climber, mountain biker, and a voracious reader of good books.