Reporting and Translating for the Texas Senate: Join us for our first meeting of 2025

In December 2024, our longtime member and former President of AATIA, Tony Beckwith, wrapped up the year with an incredible story of his career as an interpreter and translator.

As we step into 2025, we’re thrilled to announce a fresh take on our bimonthly general meetings – introducing the Seminar Series, free and open to the public, where we all celebrate, learn, and connect with talents in our community and beyond.

Join us on February 8th for the first installment of the new AATIA Seminar Series, featuring Verónica Chertcoff, a talented Spanish translator at the Texas Senate, alongside Richard Lee, a staff writer at the same agency. They’ll share their inspiring story of collaboration and its impact on our community.

📅 Date: Saturday, February 8, 2025, 1 PM – 3 PM
📍 Place: Aiden by Best Western Hotel
2200 S Interstate 35 Frontage Rd, Austin, TX 78704 map

Please find the session details and speaker bios below:

Reporting and Translating for the Texas Senate: A Tale of Writer-Translator Collaboration

How do a writer and a translator collaborate to bring Texans news of legislative action both in English and Spanish? In this presentation, Texas Senate staff writer Richard Lee will explain the process of crafting daily news articles during legislative sessions, which are circulated to newspapers and posted on the Texas Senate website.

In tandem with him is Verónica Chertcoff, the Spanish-language translator whose role ensures that this vital information is accessible to Spanish-speaking Texans. She will discuss the challenges of translating legislative news and highlight how effective collaboration between writer and translator can be mutually beneficial. Plus, she will explain how this partnership model could help freelance translators secure repeat business and referrals.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Richard Lee was born and raised in Texas. He holds a 2002 degree in communications from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. He has covered the Senate since 2003, including 12 regular sessions and 16 called sessions. He also writes and records the Texas Senate Podcast.

Verónica Chertcoff is an English-to-Spanish translator with over 10 years of experience. She currently serves as the Social Media Coordinator for AATIA and leads its Spanish Special Interest Group. Originally from Buenos Aires, Verónica studied translation before earning a degree in Spanish literature. For the past four years, she has worked with Texas Senate Media, translating legislative news and website materials. As a freelancer, she specializes in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), sustainability, and humanitarian contexts.

Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and grow with fellow members and friends.
We look forward to seeing you there!