Speakers at LEO's 10th International Virtual Conference
Jay Marciano, President of AMTA
Jay Marciano has spent more than 26 years at the forefront of developing, applying, and explaining machine translation (MT). He has held senior positions at SDL (2001-2010) and Lionbridge (2010-2020), where he was responsible for the global strategy of using MT to increase translation efficiency, and at Lengoo, where he was deeply involved in the creation of an AI product strategy. Jay is president of the Association for Machine Translation in the Americas (AMTA) and presents widely on MT, AI, and the future of the translation industry.
Geoff Koby, President of ATA
Dr. Geoff Koby, CT is president of ATA 2024-2025. He is an ATA-certified German into English and Dutch into English translator specializing in business, legal, and financial translation, as well as a specialty in patent translation and litigation. He is also a professor of translation studies in Kent State University’s comprehensive translator training program. He is a grader for ATA’s German into English certification exam and serves on ATA’s Certification Committee. He is a board member of the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation, ATA’s nonprofit educational and scientific foundation.
Bruce Adelson, Esq., Federal Compliance Consultant
Bruce is a highly-regarded expert in the areas of language access, disability access, and compliance. With his extensive experience and expertise, he serves as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Consultant to both the Idaho Supreme Court and New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts.
Prior to his current role, Bruce was a Senior Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he worked to ensure compliance with federal laws protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities.
In addition to his consulting work, Bruce is also a respected member of the academic community. He currently serves on the faculty of Georgetown University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he teaches Implicit Bias in Health Care. Bruce has also taught at a number of other prestigious institutions, including Harvard University, Cornell University, Auburn University, The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Rosanna Balistreri, Cultural and Linguistic Health Specialist with the California State Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS)
Rosanna is a dedicated advocate for cultural competence in healthcare with a background in Linguistics and Global Health. She has lived and worked in Argentina, England, Spain, and Italy before settling in California. Her experience spans healthcare interpreting, cultural diversity, and leadership.
She has served as President of both the California Healthcare Interpreting Association (CHIA) and the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC). In 2010, she founded REACH-reaching diversity to enhance health equity, patient safety, and effective communication in healthcare through DEIB practices. She continues to create training tools for healthcare professionals, focusing on underserved populations.
Rosanna is a sought-after speaker and presenter at national and regional conferences, including ATA, NARHC, IMIA, and CHIA.
Janis Palma, Certified Interpreter and Translator
Janis is a professional English-Spanish interpreter and translator with over 43 years of experience working as both staff and independent contractor in state and federal courts, as well as for private clients in conferences on a broad spectrum of topics. She is certified by NAJIT, the U.S. Courts, and is a Texas Master licensed interpreter. She holds a Ph.D. in Language Studies, a Master’s in Legal Studies (MLS), and an M.A. in Caribbean History and Literature. Janis Palma has been a volunteer with the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) since 1986, is a current Board member, and was awarded a Life Membership in 2006. She has taught, written, presented at conferences, and published extensively on subjects related to interpreting, language access, and language rights.
Gosia Wheeler, Translator and Certified Accessible Documents Specialist
Gosia is a Polish > English translator specializing in technology and digital accessibility translation. She is a member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals and a certified accessible documents specialist. She is also an active contributor to the TED Translators program, creating subtitles for TED Talks as a form of both linguistic and disability accommodation. As a supporter of digital access for all, she has spent the past decade assisting large corporate entities to comply with DEI&A laws. A digital accessibility educator, she recently shared her expertise with T&I professionals at ATA64.
Javier Castillo, Federally Certified Court Interpreter and Certified Medical Interpreter
Javier is an experienced interpreter, translator, and consultant. He holds multiple certifications, including Federally Certified Court Interpreter, NC AOC Certified Court Interpreter, and Certified Medical Interpreter (CCHI). Javier works as a contract interpreter for the U.S. Department of State, frequently interpreting for international delegations and high-level officials.
Since 2007, Javier has led training workshops for court, medical, and conference interpreters, and developed courses for the U.S. Department of State Office of Language Services. He also teaches legal interpretation at Campbell Law School and UNC School of Law.
Javier is the Head of the U.S. Chapter of the International Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators (IAPTI).
Valeria Delmar, Professor/Senior Coordinator at UTEP and Certified Translator/Interpreter
Valeria is a translation strategist and conference interpreter passionate about advising clients and colleagues on top-notch solutions related to the T&I industry. She is an experienced ATA-certified translator for Spanish<>English combinations and a nationally-certified healthcare interpreter (CHI Spanish designation), holding a BA in French and Psychology from UTEP. In 2010, Valeria earned an MA in Spanish Translation and Interpretation, along with a Professional Certificate in Simultaneous Interpreting from the renowned Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS).
Since 2004, Valeria has worked in both freelance and in-house capacities across a diverse array of sectors, including local and federal government, law enforcement, the oil and gas industry, universities, and medical, legal, and community services, as well as for top 100 global language service providers. Currently, she is the owner of A Lingua Franca LLC, a T&I consulting firm, and a Professor and Senior Coordinator at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where she teaches translation and interpretation courses and manages the T&I academic program as well as the internal Translation Services Office. Furthermore, Valeria is a proud and active member of the ATA and the El Paso Interpreters and Translators Association (EPITA).
Francesca Manicardi, Interpreter, Translator and Copywriter
Francesca has worked as an Italian interpreter and translator from English, German, and French for more than 15 years. She runs her own interpreting and translation business, Punto F, and specializes in wedding, marketing, and medicine. She is a frequent speaker and trainer on T&I topics (BP Conference, Italian events, and universities) and the founder of the first Italian mentoring program for wannabe interpreters and translators, The Freelance Lab. She is a member of the Italian Interpreters and Translators Association, Chartered Institute of Linguists, International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters, and Institute of Translation and Interpreting.
Carla Fogaren, Vice-President of NCIHC, National Consultant on Equity and Language Access in Healthcare
Carla is a nationally recognized leader in medical interpreting, language access, and addressing health disparities. As the System Director of Diversity Initiatives, Interpreter Services, and ADA/504 and Section 1557 Coordinator at Steward Health Care, she managed language services across 42 hospitals and over 600 physician practices in 9 states.
Her career began in 1988 as a registered nurse, and she played a pivotal role in drafting the IMIA Standards of Practice in 1995 and the Best Practice Recommendations for hospital-based Interpreter Services in 2001. Carla founded the Forum of the Coordination of Interpreter Services (FOCIS) in 2003, promoting best practices among hospital and clinic-based programs. She has served as President of FOCIS and NCIHC and is a founding member of the Interpreting SAFE-AI Taskforce.
Carla's leadership has earned her the Healthcare Hero award from the Boston Business Journal in 2015, and she remains a sought-after consultant on language access, health disparities, and hospital regulatory requirements.
Gulnara Shigabutdinova, Certified Medical Interpreter and Registered Court Interpreter
After earning her degree in Linguistics, Gulnara has been working as a professional interpreter and translator since 2016. With her strong language skills and commitment to excellence, Gulnara has earned certification as a Medical Interpreter and is registered as a court interpreter in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
In recognition of her expertise and leadership in the field, Gulnara was elected to serve two terms on the National Board of Directors for Certified Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). In this role, she supported the certification process and encouraged the growth of the profession.
Currently, Gulnara is leading a team focused on developing software solutions for professional interpreters, as well as courses aimed at training and certification.
Shawn Norris, FRID President and CCHI Commissioner, COO of AI Deaf
Shawn Norris, Ed K-12 | NIC | CoreCHI-P, is a healthcare language access leader, holding multiple key positions including President of the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (FRID) and Commissioner for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI). With a background enriched by his Deaf parents, Shawn is an active advocate in the Deaf community. He’s spent over a decade in the interpreting field, mentoring emerging interpreters and founding a local agency to enhance language accessibility in Jacksonville. Currently, he’s developing Hello Interpreters, an online community for interpreters and translators and is the COO of AI Deaf. Shawn is one of the few practitioners to have held ADA Coordinator, Section 1557 Coordinator, and Interpreter Services Coordinator roles concurrently within a hospital system.
Mireya Pérez, Educational Interpreter, Founder of Brand the Interpreter podcast
Mireya is deeply committed to language access and has refined her skills as a certified medical interpreter in both general and children's hospitals. With nearly a decade of experience as a staff interpreter in a K-12 public education school district, she has played a crucial role in ensuring equitable communication for students, parents, and educators.
Holding a Master's degree in Communications, Mireya is the creator and host of the Brand the Interpreter podcast. This platform acts as a bridge for the stories and insights of language professionals from around the globe, showcasing her dedication to elevating their voices. Beyond her podcast, Mireya is a fervent advocate for language access policies in public education.
Natalya Mytareva, Director of CCHI
Natalya is the Executive Director of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, and a Commissioner of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). In 2000-2013, Natalya was Communications Director at the International Institute of Akron, a refugee resettlement agency in Ohio. She developed and taught several courses for healthcare and court interpreters, with the focus on languages of lesser diffusion. Natalya is a Russian interpreter/translator, and started her career as instructor of interpretation/translation courses at Volgograd State University (Russia) in 1991. She holds a combined BA/MA degree from VSU in Philology & Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
Bill Rivers, Principal at WP Rivers and Associates
Dr. Bill Rivers, Principal, WP Rivers & Associates, leads language access and language advocacy projects for a diverse clientele. He has more than 35 years of experience in language advocacy and capacity, serving as an interpreter and translator (Russian<>English), an academic researcher, an intelligence community leader, CTO of a defense contractor, and as a lobbyist and consultant since 2012. He has a distinguished research career, with publications in second and third language acquisition, proficiency assessment, program evaluation, and language policy development and advocacy. He is the Chair of the Stakeholders Advocating for Fair and Ethical use of AI in Interpreting Task Force (SAFE-AI TF), Treasurer and founding President of 7000 Languages, Founding and Past Chair of ASTM Main Committee F43 on Language Services and Products, and Chair of ISO Technical Committee 232 on
Education and Learning, among many volunteer activities. Dr. Rivers earned the Ph.D. in Russian from Bryn Mawr College, an M.A. in Russian Linguistics from the University of Maryland, and a BA in Russian and a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. He speaks French and Russian at the C1 level, Spanish and Irish at the B2 level, and German at the B1 level.
Jorge Mejia, Certified Interpreter and Supervisor of Interpreter Services
Jorge Mejia brings nearly two decades of professional interpreting experience, accumulating almost 20 years in the field. His journey gained momentum with his 2015 certification from CCHI, and he wholeheartedly embraced the role of a Spanish-English healthcare interpreter. For the past 8 years, he has dedicated his expertise to Natividad Hospital in Salinas, CA, currently serving as the Interpreting Services Supervisor.
Throughout his tenure at Natividad Hospital, Jorge has trained numerous dual-role hospital staff members, equipping them with the skills to excel as qualified interpreters. This experience sharpened his ability to work effectively with underserved individuals and adapt the interpreting profession to meet the unique needs of indigenous patients.
Majd Haddad, MBA, Certified Interpreter and Interpreter Trainer
Majd is the founder of Glory Language Services and a former District School Community Liaison for the Arabic language, dedicated to serving her community and reducing language barriers. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Risk Management from Jordan and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from California State University, Fullerton. Majd has completed over 80 hours of training in Community Interpreting, including a Training of Trainers program, and is a certified trainer for the "Community Interpreter International" 40-60 hour program. She is also a certified Arabic interpreter through CCHI. In addition, Majd serves as an Evaluator for the Arabic language and works as a freelance interpreter, committed to facilitating effective communication and bridging cultural gaps.
Eliana Lobo, CoreCHI-P™️, NCIHC President
Eliana is a CoreCHI-P certified interpreter, certified Trainer of Trainers, and a Portuguese language teacher. She is an adjunct professor of healthcare interpreting at Highline College and has presented at numerous healthcare and international interpreter conferences.
Eliana holds two M.A.s from Brown University in Bilingual Education and Portuguese & Brazilian Studies. She began her career as a medical interpreter at Rhode Island Hospital and later supervised translators at a law firm in New York City. At Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, she trained and supervised 49 interpreters for eight years before stepping into leadership roles at various language service providers. She now serves as the Director of Lobo Language Access.
From 2015-2021, Eliana was a Commissioner with CCHI and has been actively involved in the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care’s “Home for Trainers” workgroup since 2014. She currently serves her second term on the Board of the NCIHC, where she chairs the Standards and Training Committee, and was recently elected as its President.
Andrea Henry, Certified Interpreter and Researcher, CCHI Commissioner
Andrea is a full-time interpreter at a level 1 pediatric trauma center, with 28 years of professional experience in healthcare interpreting, primarily in face-to-face dialogue settings. She finds joy in frontline interpreting and has also worked as a freelance interpreter, full-time OPI interpreter, interpreter coordinator, interpreter trainer, and researcher. Her extensive experience includes public speaking and mentoring novice interpreters.
Andrea specializes in pediatric cancer and heart defects, developing innovative methods for navigating technical speech and enhancing encounter interactions. She is dedicated to advancing the field by improving communication, patient outcomes, and raising the perceived value of interpreters.
Andrea is the principal investigator on grant-funded research on development and validation of a tool that measures complexity and mental fatigue during healthcare encounters. Finally, Andrea was named Commissioner for the CCHI in 2021 and is an active member of NCIHC.
Cynthia Navarro, OPI Interpreter
Born and raised in Mexico City, Cynthia has over 12 years of experience as an OPI and VRI, working in Spanish, English, and French. With a strong focus on medical interpretation, she holds a nursing degree from Mexico and has furthered her education in translation, specializing in legal, medical, and financial fields.
Cynthia is an active member of CMLTI (Colegio Mexicano de Licenciados en Traducción e Interpretación) and BNI México. A lifelong learner, she is passionate about attending courses, summits, and staying updated on the latest trends in her fields of expertise. Her interests span ecology, art, science fiction, and advocating for various social causes. In her free time, Cynthia enjoys watching films and series in multiple languages to unwind and immerse herself in different cultures.
Rosemary Bocian, ASL Interpreter, Speaker, Author, Enrolled Agent (admitted to practice before the IRS)
Rosemary Bocian, MA, EA, NIC, has been an ASL freelance interpreter for 9 years. In 2017 she co-authored the book "The Interpreter's Quick Guide to Self-Employment" which is currently being used by Interpreter Training Programs nationwide and sold on Amazon as well as at select Barnes & Nobles locations. Following publication, she began teaching workshops across the nation including the 2019 RID National Conference. This inspired her to become an Enrolled Agent and co-found Quick Guide Tax to provide interpreters with personalized tax preparation services. Rosemary received both her Bachelor’s in ASL Interpretation and Master’s in Deaf Studies: Culture from Gallaudet University. As a professional tax preparer (EA), author and seasoned speaker, Rosemary presents the complex world of taxes in plain language so that interpreters can thrive in the profession.
Hosts
Jinny Bromberg, Certified Interpreter and LSP Owner
Jinny, the Executive Director of LEO, has always been a trailblazer in the language industry, driven by her passion for different languages, cultures, and communication access. She founded the language services company Bromberg & Associates from her basement in 1999 as a single mother, juggling her baby daughter and business calls with a remarkable commitment to her vision. With a state-certified court interpreter background, Jinny's expertise extends to developing and implementing training courses and workshops to enhance the skills of interpreters and translators. A consummate workaholic, Jinny finds the endless opportunities to learn and the passion of people in the industry to be the most rewarding aspects of her job.
Elena Polonsky, MA in Linguistics
LEO's Marketing Director Elena holds a Master's degree in Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communication and is a seasoned multilingual translator with a passion for languages and education. She has expanded her expertise by studying Translation Technologies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and worked as a journalist and editor for various European newspapers and magazines before relocating to the US in 2012.
At LEO, Elena enjoys working with highly skilled professionals from diverse countries and cultures. She recognizes that language industry experts are the unsung heroes of the professional world, and she takes pride in helping them achieve their career and educational goals.