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, BSW, is a Visual Gestural Specialist based in Alabama. A Montgomery native, BAM attended mainstream schools during his early education before immersing himself in Deaf culture as a student at the Alabama School for the Deaf. He earned his Bachelor of Social Work from Jacksonville State University in 2019. Prior to completing his degree, BAM worked for several years as a Deaf Care Worker in residential settings.

He is a certified Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) instructor and a certified Conducting Serious Incident Investigations (CSII) trainer. BAM has presented on a variety of topics related to cultural demands and considerations within the mental health field. Driven by a strong commitment to working closely with patients, BAM returned to higher education and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at Gallaudet University.

Caterina Zorrilla is a graduate of of Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB) in St. Augustine. She received her first guide, Filo in 2022. Filo came to Caterina fully trained. He is a yellow lab that came from one of the New York Guide Dog Schools. Caterina and Filo have been together for 4 years. Some of Caterina’s hobbies are candle making, loom-work, and diamond painting.

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.

Genaere Long is a native signer; she is deeply grateful to her parents for the gift of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. As a child of Deaf adults, she grew up with a strong sense of honor for her heritage, and the respect she carries for the Deaf community is unparalleled. Genaere has been interpreting for more than 17 years and holds national certification. She is passionate about amplifying the voices within the Deaf community, and ensuring not only language access and equality, but of language equity.

She strives to equip others with knowledge and confidence, while illuminating how power and privilege can be used as a catalyst in elevating minority communities, believing that initiating these ripple effects can contribute toward future waves of change. Over the past year, known online as “CODA G”, Genaere has become a social media sensation by sharing her thought-provoking perspective.

Gredder Ríos-Lorenzo, born and raised in Puerto Rico, is a licensed mental health counselor in both Puerto Rico and Florida, with over 10 years of experience. Trilingual in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL), she specializes in counseling for the Deaf community, supporting children, teens, adults, and families, with a focus on child and educational counseling. She is also a certified Positive Discipline Educator. Gredder earned her Master’s in Psychology with a focus on Mental Health Counseling from Carlos Albizu University in 2014. She provides virtual therapy in all three languages, fostering inclusion, connection, and growth in her sessions. Since 2016, she has worked with Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals in Broward County Public Schools and has consulted with Gallaudet University on the “Families of Color Advocacy Research” project since 2019.

Her expertise has been featured at conferences such as FSDB and Colegio San Gabriel in Puerto Rico, and she has volunteered with Deaf children and families in Jamaica. Guided by Adlerian principles and the Crucial Cs framework (Connect, Capable, Count, Courage) by Amy Lew and Betty Lou Bettner, Gredder integrates these concepts into her therapeutic work. In 2024, she presented the 4Cs model at a Colegio San Gabriel conference, sharing strategies with parents, schools, interpreters, and service providers. Committed to social justice and cultural competence, Gredder focuses on creating supportive spaces for individuals and families, especially within the Deaf and Latino communities.

Haley Eyster received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Science and Disorders with a concentration in Interpreter Training (ITT) and a minor in Criminology from the University of South Florida in 2015. Since that time, she has worked in a variety of settings including performing arts, K-12, VRS, medical, mental health, conference, and post-secondary. Haley holds her National Interpreter Certification (NIC) as well as an Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA). In the interest of being a mentor to future interpreters, Haley attended St. Catherine’s University (Catie Center) Mentor Training Program.

In addition to receiving training from the Catie Center, she also sought extensive training in medical interpreting which led to her receiving a Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting (CHI) from RIT/NTID. Haley is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education in hopes to teach at the university level in an Interpreter Training Program. Haley’s future goals are to achieve the Quality Mental Health Interpreter Certification (QMHI) and continue to work towards Legal Interpreting. Workshop 

Héctor R. Castillo-Beltrán is an IT technician originally from Puerto Rico, and he currently resides in Florida. He is a multilingual Deaf professional, fluent in American Sign Language, English, and Spanish. Héctor graduated from Florida Technical College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information and Computer Science.

He is married and a proud father of three CODA children (Children of Deaf Adults), raising them in a trilingual, multicultural, and inclusive home. He believes in preserving and promoting the CODA identity through inclusion within the Deaf community, while also passing along Deaf culture and American Sign Language to his children. Hector recognizes the unique role CODAs can play in elevating Deaf voices. He is passionate about increasing Deaf awareness and educating the public about the rights of the Deaf community.

Jami is an interpreter educator for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). She has been teaching there for more than 30 years and has been involved in the DeafBlind community for most of that time. Jami has been a member of the Arkansas Deaf-Blind Community since its inception in 1996. In 1999, the UA at Little Rock Interpreter Education Program began teaming with the Arkansas Deaf-Blind Community by taking interpreting students to DeafBlind retreats. The students worked as SSPs and received mentoring from both Interpreter Education Program faculty and DeafBlind campers. Jami has national and international experience in working with the DeafBlind community. She has participated in SSP training at the Helen Keller National Center. She successfully completed the online training Protactile Language Theory.

As a member of the Arkansas Deaf-Blind Community, Jami has experience working with many individuals who are Deaf and visually impaired. In 2019 the state of Arkansas established a task-force to discuss how individuals who are Deaf-Blind are identified by various state agencies. Jami served as a part of the task-force and assisted in the creation of a presentation for Department of Education personnel, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, and Division of the Blind counselors. She participated in the creation of video materials interviewing a variety of Arkansas DeafBlind individuals. Her experience, education, and observations serve as a resource to interpreting students, members of the Deaf and interpreting communities. 

Dr. Jennifer Catalano is an associate professor and the director of the Graduate and Undergraduate. Programs in Deaf Education at Flagler College. She has a BA in Elementary Education from SUNY College at Cortland and an MA in Deaf Education and PhD in Special Education from the University of Arizona.

Her research focuses on coaching, flexible instructional arrangements, and high quality classroom environments. During her doctoral studies at the University of Arizona, she worked as a research assistant with the Center on Literacy and Deafness (CLAD) developing and implementing literacy interventions for kindergarten through 2nd grade Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students. Prior to going back to academia, she taught for 14 years as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (itinerant and self-contained) and in a variety of general and special education settings.

Jennifer Francisco is the Educational Interpreter Project Coordinator for Florida; she works with all K-12 educational interpreters and agency interpreters placed in schools across Florida. She holds certifications in: Elementary Education, Deaf Education, Reading Education, and an endorsement in ESOL. She comes from a generationally Deaf family and is passionate about Deaf Education and providing the best access to education and language for all Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.

Jennifer believes in working with all staff members who work with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students because we all should share the same goal of providing the best of the best for our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. When she is not working, she is with her husband and two children, Mason and Molly, exploring what is out there to be seen and enjoyed. Jennifer and her family enjoy traveling and visiting new states.

Jenny Locy holds her Associate of Arts from Saint Petersburg College in Clearwater, Florida, and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. She served as a leader for the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (FRID) as a Student Representative and Student Representative Coordinator at the State conference; she has served on the Board of Directors for the Blossom School for the Deaf in Clearwater, Florida, and she has also served on the Advisory Board for the Sign Language Interpretation Program at the Saint Petersburg College. Jenny’s skills, knowledge, and expertise in marketing, business, education, outreach, and social media have led her to join AQI Services as the Marketing & Training Director.

She attended the Florida CERT Association and National CERT Association to collaborate with Florida CERT Programs and Emergency Operation Centers, providing equal communication access to disaster preparation and relief for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. She has become one of the first two Deaf people in the state of Florida to become a FEMA CERT Instructor. Lastly, she provides cultural sensitivity training to emergency management teams, businesses, and government entities, including law enforcement and legal firms.

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.

Currently, Juan J. Fumero Carrion works as a Deaf Advocate and Deaf Service Coordinator for the Center for Independent Living in South Florida (CIL-SF). Born in Puerto Rico, Juan, his wife, and son now reside in South Florida. He is fluent in four languages: Puerto Rican Sign Language, American Sign Language, Spanish, and English. Deaf since birth, Juan recognizes the benefit of early language exposure during the critical stages of language development. Juan is a strong advocate of early language acquisition for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Believing that establishing stable and consistent exposure to language enhances both the social interactions and cognitive development of infants and children. During his elementary school years, he attended Colegio San Gabriel Deaf School in Puerto Rico.

After graduating from high school, Juan attended the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology with a major in education. As a Deaf mentor, Juan loves seeing Deaf children successfully develop effective and healthy communication with their families. His passion is to ensure that Deaf adolescents and adults from Miami-Dade County have equal access, ensuring success in their education, career, and personal lives. Juan strives to break the stigma that often limits the lives of people who are Deaf. He loves to travel and explore new cultures.

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.

Karlie Waldrip is dedicated to promoting inclusion, empowerment, and deaf representation in early literacy. She has written two books, I Deaf-initely Can, Rhett the Heeler and We Deaf-initely Can, Let the Adventures Begin – both are uplifting stories told from the perspective of her Deaf dog, Rhett. Her first book was recently translated into Spanish. Karlie holds a Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Development from Texas State University.

As a former Deaf Ed teacher (with four years of classroom experience), Karlie is proud of the legacy she is creating for her family and Deaf/hard-of-hearing children everywhere. Through her books, Karlie celebrates Deaf culture, language, and resilience, aiming to inspire deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing children to believe in themselves and their abilities. From Texas, Waldrip’s work features Deaf characters and is brought to life through the beautiful illustrations of Lucy Rogers, who is a Deaf illustrator.

Katelyn Wilson has eighteen years of experience as an ASL/English Interpreter. She began her interpreting career in south Louisiana before moving to Arkansas. She holds an A.A. in Educational Interpreting from Delgado Community College, a B.A. in ASL/English Interpretation from UA Little Rock, an M.Ed. from the University of North Florida, where she studied ASL/English Interpretation, and an Ed.D. in Adult and Higher Education with a focus in leadership from The University of Memphis. She holds the NIC, BEI-Advanced, and EIPA credentials.

She is an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Interpreter Education Program, where she teaches Interpreting Specialized Terminology, Interpreting Theory and Process, Sign to Voice Interpreting, and Introduction to Interpreting Research. When she is not working, she enjoys spending virtual time with her two nieces and spoiling her miniature schnauzer, Winston. 

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 American Sign Language (ASL) and interpreting courses while working as a freelance Certified Deaf Interpreter. She specializes in high-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. 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 teaches yoga classes online. Currently, Keri enjoys living “the Salt Life” in Florida with her four children and her partner, Ryan.

Luz M. Martinez Rivera has lived in Central Florida for nearly thirty years and has worked as a Health Educator for over two decades. For twenty-one of those years, she has served as a Prevention Training Consultant at the Department of Health, Orange County. Passionate about empowering others to achieve their goals in both health and spiritual life, she encourages community engagement through health fairs and other events. Martinez developed the program “Un Café con Luz” to address delicate community topics, such as chronic diseases, and provides workshops for faith-based organizations.

She is an Ordained Chaplain, Ordained Pastor, and leader of Chaplains Orlando at The Great Commission of Chaplain, Inc. She holds an Associate Degree in Science and Medical Assisting and a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education. For the past five years, Mrs. Martinez has been an active member of Faith Assembly of God Orlando, where she serves as a spoken language interpreter for Spanish-speaking attendees.

Marci Purtell currently serves as the Executive Director of Interpreting for Sorenson Interpreting. Marci’s mission is simple: to leave people better than she found them. She is often referred to as a relationship ninja because of her ability to help others navigate both personal challenges and complicated relationship issues. Prior to joining the Sorenson team, Marci taught in Deaf Education for 8 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Master’s of Arts in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University. A certified interpreter since 1996, Marci currently holds a Texas BEI Master certification and an RID: NIC certification. Outside of work, Marci is an avid scrapbooker, ghostwriter, and recently published author of Your Law, My Delight, now available on Amazon.

Marilu Santos has been actively involved in the Deaf community, Deaf and Interpreting ministries, and interpreting for over 20 years. Her passion for the Deaf community and other disability groups inspired her to launch Silent Hope, a non-profit organization that hosts Camp We Sign—a one-week day camp for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (ages 3 through 8th grade), their siblings, and CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults) [silenthope.com]. Marilu has worked with Central Florida Early Steps for 11 years, an early intervention program supporting children from birth to age 3 who have significant developmental delays.

Early Steps provides essential support for families with Deaf or Hard of Hearing babies in Seminole, Osceola, and Orange counties. In addition to her work with Early Steps, Marilu is a trilingual interpreter with extensive experience as both an interpreter and an interpreter coordinator. She has faithfully served at Faith Assembly for nine years, including the past three years as the Disability Pastor. This August, she will earn her Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership. Most importantly, Marilu is the proud mother of a young adult son navigating life with Autism, and she is his greatest advocate and champion.

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.

Meagan Beaty is a native Arkansan and has been a working interpreter and Support Service Provider (SSP) since 2011. She is an Assistant Professor and the Program Coordinator in the Interpreter Education Program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Her wide range of interpreting experience includes community interpreting, mental health, 12-step programs, educational K-12/postsecondary, artistic, and DeafBlind. Dr. Beaty has a passion for lifting those around her and helping to cultivate new interpreters in the field.

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.

Paul Jones was born in Hartford, Connecticut and he became Deaf at the age of three. Paul is also a graduate from the American School for the Deaf (ASD). Joe and Patricia Jones are the Deaf parents of Paul and his brother, Mark, who is a CODA. He holds an Associate of Arts degree in Biblical Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. Paul has been a popular workshop teacher on a variety of topics for more than 30 years; some of his more popular topics are Biblical Studies, American Sign Language Storytelling, the Deaf Community and Culture.

He is continuing to research in the areas of Bible Studies and aspects of Criminal Justice. He often shares his expertise in these areas to Deaf and interpreting communities to help them work more effectively together. His hobbies include traveling and completing logic puzzles. Paul’s sweetheart, Robyn, is currently a professor of American Sign Language in Texas. They enjoy traveling and sightseeing together.

Ray James is a native Texan and has been interpreting for 46 years. His array of interpreting experience includes intensive community interpreting along with political/government, court/legal, mental health/12 step programs, educational K-12/postsecondary and religious. Currently, much of his interpreting is video relay interpreting. He is one of the founders of Ephphatha Deaf Ministries of Houston, an inter-denomination fellowship of Deaf Believers; one of the founding authors of the Certification Maintenance Program for the Professional Development Committee of RID; chaired the development of the Affiliate Chapter Handbook for RID; lead the development and passing of the Arkansas Licensure Law for ASL/English Interpreters; and has been a trainer of ASL/English Interpreters for over 35 years.

Renca Dunn is a Deaf performer, comedian, storyteller, and she is brilliant! Renca has lived most of her life with moving boxes. She moved over 30 times while growing up. Renca has lived in the city, in the suburbs, on a farm, and even on a fishing boat for a few years! She graduated from Washington School for the Deaf and then attended Gallaudet University, where she achieved her three Bachelor of Arts degrees in English, Education, and Communication Studies. Shortly after graduation, she studied at American University, earning her MA in International Communication, specializing in Cross-Culture and Education.

Renca taught courses at Gallaudet University for a few years (those being, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, and public presentation). Dunn holds a Ph.D. in interpersonal, family, and health communication. Formerly, she worked as a staff member with Deaf Missions, working as a translator for the ASLV team. Renca enjoys traveling, snowboarding, watching movies, and being around people. She is recognized as an outstanding role model in the Deaf community.

Rhonda was born Deaf and graduated from NCSD. She has played a key role in many large-scale projects related to translating English into American Sign Language, both in story format and song format. She has traveled the country involved with DOOR, Deaf Opportunity Out Reach, and is passionate about ensuring ASL access for Deaf children and advocating for ASL access for the Deaf community.

Rosa was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her work with the Deaf began in 1992 after conducting a project for a Special Education class. After graduating from college, she began volunteering at a local Deaf church and learning sign language. She was encouraged to attend the Orientation to Deafness program in Knoxville, Tennessee. There, Rosa became immersed in Deaf culture, and after realizing there was a need for Deaf services, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling for the Deaf. While obtaining her master’s degree, she worked at the Tennessee School for the Deaf as a Youth Service Worker.

She then came to Florida for her internship with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the National Mental Health Institute on Deafness. Rosa discovered that the local Deaf community was often marginalized and underserved and made it her mission to change that in Tampa Bay. Rosa has worked as a teacher, case manager, social worker, and rehabilitation counselor for the Deaf. She has been the Deaf Literacy Coordinator for the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative for over 25 years, creating opportunities for learning, social engagement, early and family literacy, and community building for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community of Pinellas County, Florida, while also assisting in the development of a specialized Deaf Collection of library materials. She is also an ASL instructor at St. Petersburg College.

Sandy Pascual is a trilingual interpreter with 22 years of professional experience and holds multiple credentials, including the NIC, QMHI-S, OCHI, and CoreCHI. She currently resides in Alabama, where she serves as a mental health interpreter supervisor. Sandy began learning ASL to communicate with her Deaf cousin, quickly developing a deep appreciation for Deaf culture and the language. This passion led her to pursue formal training through the Interpreter Training Program 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 mental health settings from 2017 to 2022. Sandy holds a Master of Business Administration in Organizational Management and a Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Albizu University. She actively collaborates with professionals across the community and has served on several boards, including ORID and Mano-a-Mano.

She is also the co-founder and co-facilitator of a program that provides quarterly trainings for professionals working in the combined languages of ASL/English/Spanish. Sandy has led supervision and discussion groups and has presented on topics related to medical interpreting, mental health, and the cultural and linguistic demands of the interpreting field.

Sarah Condra, a graduate of Carolina University, holds a Bachelor of Science in Deaf Studies with a concentration in American Sign Language interpreting. Formerly, she worked as a staff interpreter at Partnership Deaf Services where her interpreting experiences spanned a variety of settings including medical, mental health, community, vocational, and educational.

Sarah resides in Alabama and works as a full-time interpreter in the high school setting. Ms. Condra has more than a decade of experience in interpreting, and she holds her NIC and her EIPA (4.0). In addition, she studied at a Harvest Deaf Bible College which exposed her to a variety of signing styles as well as the culture of the Deaf community. Furthermore, her time at Harvest deepened her passion for access. On a personal note, she works alongside her husband preparing her church’s youth group for the future!

Treva J. Haynes has worked in the field of deafness for more than 50 years! She obtained Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees at Appalachian State University, majoring in English and minoring in education and public speaking. Treva was fortunate to obtain a position in dormitory programming at the North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD). Recognizing she needed additional training to work with people who are Deaf, she obtained her Master of Arts from Gallaudet University. Treva began working at the National Technical institute for the Deaf (NTID) as a career counselor. Treva returned home to North Carolina as a community services consultant. 

She also worked simultaneously as the assistant director of the North Carolina Theatre of Gesture. Later, she became an educational specialist at East Carolina University. She has been a teacher of the Deaf for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary, middle, high school students and postsecondary students. Haynes has held multiple supervisory positions; Gallaudet Department of Education, counselors for the University of Oregon and the postsecondary work program in Tallahassee. In addition to counseling, teaching, and writing curriculums, Treva has supervised and delivered direct services in North Carolina mental health programs. Treva loves the Deaf community, and her passion springs from the infant to five-year olds and the recognition that a healthy foundation as children will impact the development of their imagination, pride, and independence.

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