Letter from the Board

Dear Member,

Tony Beckwith (left) moderates panel of Asian language specialists

It has been a busy year for the AATIA. We have had some good general meetings, including a Panel of Asian Translators & Interpreters which, we hope, has laid the groundwork for greater future engagement with this community. There is talk of organizing an Asian linguists’ Special Interest Group, so please let us know if you would like to be part of that initiative (contact Monika Spindel, Professional Development Director).

We are sorry to report the sad news that two of our friends and colleagues have passed away: Yolanda Robinson and Efrat Schwartz. Both will be missed. May they rest in peace.

We would like to announce a change in the Board. Ruth Carroll served the association well as Membership Director for over a year, but family commitments then prompted her to stand down. In May, Gisela Greenlee graciously agreed to step into that role, and is now handling all matters relating to membership. Thank you, Ruth, for your diligence and many contributions. And thank you, Gisela. We appreciate your willingness to serve!

Many members contribute to the association on a regular basis. Some do even more than that, and in those cases the Board awards an honorary lifetime membership as a token of appreciation. On this occasion, it is our pleasure to announce that Marian Schwartz is now an honorary member of AATIA, in acknowledgement of her long years of service as coordinator of the Literary Special Interest group. Thank you, Marian!

Eduardo Aparicio speaking at the International Translation Day celebration

International Translation Day was once again celebrated on September 30th at Malvern Books. The event began with a social hour during which members chatted and enjoyed the snacks and drinks provided by LitSig volunteers. Four translators then read from their work as a large, enthusiastic crowd listened and applauded. Given the success of the event, we are planning to hold a similar celebration at Malvern Books next year.

It is time for our annual election. This is an opportunity for all members to reflect on what the AATIA means to them, and consider taking an active role in the running of the association’s affairs. The benefits of serving on the Board are many, including the chance to raise one’s profile in the T&I community (which leads to more referrals) and the personal growth that inevitably results from working with a group of colleagues for the benefit of the community as a whole.

The entire Board is standing for re-election this year, but we are also trying something new: we are hoping to create a “Shadow Board” of volunteers who would work with current Board members next year and then take over as full Board members in 2019. Marco Hanson has already agreed to shadow the president, but we are looking for five others who would be willing to shadow the remaining members of the Board in 2018.

Esther Diaz has agreed to chair our nominating committee this year and to work with the Board to recruit members to shadow Board members in the coming year. Please contact Esther if you would like to nominate someone (including yourself!) to stand for election this year or if you are interested in learning more about being a shadow Board member next year.

As always, thank you for your support. Without you, there would be no AATIA.

Best wishes for the rest of the year,

The Board