PRESENTERS

SHARE THE METHODS

Omoyele Thomas

(she/her/hers)

[ID: Smiling mixed heritage female with dark curly hair worn down to her shoulders. Wearing a black sleeveless top with a silver chain and dangly earrings.]

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Omoyele Thomas completed the BA Hons Degree in Interpreting BSL/English in 2002 at Wolverhampton University and has over 18 years experience as an Interpreter. She has worked within the community in a variety of settings as well as some specialist settings, predominantly Mental Health. She currently works within social care, mental health and performance work.

Through Omoyele’s varied experiences in different domains, she felt there was a lack of professional support for herself and other Interpreters working with no time or space to reflect and offload. She decided to embark on a journey to facilitate the much needed support that was lacking. She qualified in November 2015 as part of the first cohort of Registered Sign Language Interpreters in the United Kingdom on the ‘Diploma in Supervision’ course run by ‘360 Supervision’. Her journey has inspired her to spread the word about the benefits of supervision and has given presentations and webinars worldwide on the subject of professional supervision. 

She hopes that supervision will become recognized as a necessary aspect of every interpreters working life to encourage self reflection, self-care, safe practice and longevity in this career.

Arlyn Anderson

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A white female with short blonde hair smiling with arms folded wearing an olive green long-sleeved shirt in front of a blurred background.]

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Arlyn Anderson, MA, CI, CT, PCC is a mental health interpreting consultant, compassion fatigue educator and internationally credentialed personal coach. Arlyn has dedicated her expertise and heart to individuals and projects benefiting the interpreting community, including RID Standard Practice Papers on Mental Health Interpreting and Video Remote Interpreting, and the NCIEC Mental Health Interpreting Domains and Competencies. Arlyn has taught Mental Health Interpreting at St. Catherine University and Metropolitan State University, in Minnesota, as well as in her 16-week online program. She is the co-founder and facilitator of the Peer Support and Consultation Project for Interpreters Working in Mental Health Settings (PSCPI), and she currently facilitates multiple groups focused on interpreter effectiveness and well-being. Arlyn is the author and lead mentor of the Whole Interpreter’s Guide to Mental Health Interpreting. Arlyn received her MA in Human Development, from St. Mary’s University, in Minneapolis, where she concentrated her studies on the intersection of clinical psychology, interpreting and interpreter and therapist wellness. Arlyn is the owner of Whole Interpreter Enterprises, LLC and ID Matters.biz. She is the currently landlocked skipper of the good ship Freelancer.

Libby McKnight

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A middle aged white woman with short salt and pepper hair, wearing glasses and matching blue earrings and necklace, grinning in front of a gray background.]

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Libby McKnight, CICT, has worked full-time as an Interpreter for more than 33 years. She has a graduate degree in Social Work (MSSW). She worked with deaf clients in educational and social service agency settings before working full-time as an Interpreter in a large federal agency for several years.  For almost 40 years she volunteered in a variety of capacities, including as a coach, at Landmark Worldwide, an educational company committed to individual, professional and organizational growth and development. People she has worked with as a coach consistently appreciate her “calm warmth”, assisting them with life challenges and goals.

Eileen Forestal

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A woman wearing glasses, a blue blazer, white shirt, and silver earrings, looking directly at the camera is smiling in front of a blue background.]

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Eileen Forestal, Ph.D., RSC, retired after 36 years as Coordinator/ Professor of ASL-English Interpreting Program at Union County College, New Jersey, and a visiting professor at University of Southern Maine, 2016-2017. She is still teaching as an adjunct in few universities and colleges, either online or on-site. Certified as a Deaf interpreter since 1979, she interprets primarily in legal and medical settings. A national and international educator, she has presented about mentoring, Deaf-Hearing teams and topics related to ASL, Interpreting, Ethics etc. She is also listed as a legal interpreter trainer in NCIEC’s Legal Interpreting website. Forestal has published widely, including “Deaf Interpreters: The Dynamics of their Interpreting Processes”, “Effective Mentoring Practices” (2006) CIT Proceedings and “A Paradigmatic Shift on Effective Mentoring Practices” (2021). Eileen is a proud recipient of Street Leverage’s National Treasure 2018 Award and CIT/RID’s 2018 Mary Stotler Award.

Share the Journey

MENTOR TRACK

CHANTE FRAZIER

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A light-skinned Black woman with long dark brown hair smiling in front of a light blue background.]

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Ms. Frazier has over 16 years of professional interpreting experience.  She graduated from the Community College of Baltimore County- Catonsville’s (CCBC) Interpreter Preparation Program and from Towson University’s Deaf Studies Program concurrently in 2005.  She has held the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) since 2008.  Her professional interpreting experience includes the following settings: medical, government, performing arts, conferences, platform, Video Relay Service (VRS), K-12 and postsecondary educational, meetings, mental health, and special events.  Ms. Frazier currently works as a freelance interpreter in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.  Since June 2015, she has also worked as a Federal employee, first as an interpreter and EEO Specialist and most recently as the Assistant Director for Business Operations at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

Throughout her career, she has, not only continuously sought professional development opportunities, but has also looked for opportunities to give back to the profession.  In that vein, she served a two year term on the board of the Potomac Chapter of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (PCRID) as Member at Large for Maryland.  Her primary passion is to mentor aspiring interpreters and colleagues alike.  Ms. Frazier is a Mentor for CCBC’s Interpreter Preparation Program and also provides one on one mentoring services as part of her private practice.  Most recently, in February 2019, she became adjunct faculty in the CCBC Interpreter Preparation Program.

Tiffany Hill

(she/her/hers)

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Tiffany Hill is a Washington, DC/DMV native, having been born in the District and raised in the Metropolitan Area, where she currently works as a trilingual (Spanish) Interpreter and Interpreter Mentor. Having been exposed to Deaf culture at a young age, she began her American Sign Language education in High School, in a four year ASL program, which led to an internship at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School for the Deaf. There she worked as a teacher's assistant in grades 3-5.  Following her graduation she went on to attend and graduate from her ITP at CCBC then start full time as a Staff Interpreter for then, Sign Language Associates. She received her RID CI and CT in 2004 and her NIC-Advanced in 2009. When she is not running races and lifting weights, she is traveling the world and reading books. Usually at the same time. 

Sherrette Estes

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A white woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing square-shaped earrings and a black top, smiling in front of a blue background.]

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Sherrette Gárate-Estes is the interpreter manager for Access Interpreting. She has been a professional interpreter since 2002, however she has a lifetime worth of experience facilitating communication as a CODA. She designed and leads the Access Interpreting Internship Program which has hosted more than 85 interns since 2013. Her particular approach to mentoring is developing the whole interpreter - professionals that understand the importance of earning trust, developing a brand, and making conscious decisions are as important as technical skills. She has presented nationally at several community-led interpreting and Deaf conferences as well as internationally in Thailand on topics such as - Effectively teaming with Deaf consumers, Brand, and Professional Ethics.

Share the Journey

MENTEE TRACK

Caitlin Ramsey Wolford

(she/her/hers)

[ID: Caitlin is a white female who is smiling with long straight brown hair in a mustard yellow cardigan while standing outside as the sun is setting with a wooden fence and trees behind her.] 

Caitlin Ramsey Wolford, MA, NIC, graduated from Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee in 2013 with a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in American Sign Language - English Interpreting and American Sign Language Deaf Studies with a minor in Psychology.

After graduating from Maryville College, Caitlin continued her education at Gallaudet University by receiving her Master of Arts degree in American Sign Language - English Interpretation in 2015. Since graduating, Caitlin has worked with various interpreting agencies as a freelance interpreter in the DMV area as well as internationally, working under her interpreting and consulting business, Wolf Interpreting, which she established in 2019.

Caitlin is the Founder and Owner of a nationwide mentorship program for sign language interpreters called CORE Interpreters. She regularly presents at workshops for local Universities, interpreting agencies, and CORE Interpreters. Since 2017, Caitlin has been the CORE DC Coordinator.

As of 2019, Caitlin has served as the Interpreter Board Member at Large for Deaf in Government, a nationwide not-for-profit organization that supports advancing the rights of Deaf individuals working for the Federal Government. 

Since 2017, Caitlin has supported the local chapter of the organization Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, PCRID. She has served as a volunteer for their annual conference each year. Caitlin has also assumed the role as the 2020 Conference Coordinator.

Marc Holmes

(he/him/his)

[ID:  A middle aged white male in a blue button-down shirt and glasses smiles.]

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Marc Holmes, M.Ed.IP, CI/CT/NIC/SC:L/coreCHI^TM, Master Mentor (he, him, his), is currently a PhD candidate in the Gallaudet Department of Interpretation and Translation studying Interpreter Education Curricula. For over 25 years, he has worked as an interpreter, workshop presenter and adjunct instructor. His research interests include mindfulness, metalinguistic referencing and interpreting pedagogy. Marc has been married to a fellow interpreter, Melanie for almost 20 years, and together they have one adult son and a pug.

Joi Bannister

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A black woman with long curly hair wearing a bright orange shirt smiling in front of a brown background.]

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Joi Bannister is a RID certified interpreter specializing in the federal government sector in Washington DC. She has over 16 years of experience as a professional interpreter with 12 of those years primarily in the Department of Defense Environment.

Joi has an Associate of Arts degree from The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in American Sign Language Interpreting and a Bachelors of Art degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Strayer University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.

As the owner of Joyful Signing, LLC a small minority and woman-owned interpreting agency in southern Maryland, she focuses her business on providing

quality customer service with clear communication while helping the next generation of interpreters. Joyful Signing, LLC works with high profile clients

specializing in Performing Arts and Platform interpreting. Joyful Signing, LLC has been the recipient of several awards including a 2019 Top 100 MBE recipient and Black Magic Agency of the Year by NAOBI-DC. Joi currently serves as a Board of Director for the CCBC Alumni Board and serves as a mentor for CCBC Interpreter Training Program practicum students.

Joi resides in Accokeek, MD with her husband, Novell and children Eric & Jayla.

Share the Ideas

Kevin DyEls

(he/him/his)

[ID:  A black man with buzz-cut hair and glasses looking slightly away from the camera and smiling, wearing a brown shirt in front of a gray background.] 

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Kevin Dyels is the Eastern Region Manager of Interpreting for Sorenson Communications. He is also an owner of a performing arts interpreting company called First Chair Interpreted Productions and has held Board positions of several professional organizations. He is a professional sign language interpreter, has held managerial positions with interpreting organizations and commits to mentoring veteran and new interpreters.

Originally from northern California, Kevin presents interpreting workshops in theater, affect, team building, and self-confidence both nationally and internationally. He has traveled to India, Romania, Hong Kong, and South Africa with Quest Visual Theatre, a performance group that presents workshops and performances to deaf and hearing audiences around the world.  Kevin has a degree in theater and served as a Production Manager for Deaf Way II.

Kevin coordinates interpreters for various conferences and festivals throughout the year, works as a professional sound designer and disc jockey, and in his spare time enjoys international travel. Kevin is married to a partner from Hong Kong and they share a gray Tabby cat.

Miako Villanueva

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A white woman with long brown curly hair wearing a light blue tanktop and smiling in front of an outdoor area with green trees.] 

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Miako Villanueva has been interpreting professionally since 2001, working primarily as an independent contractor specializing in advanced educational, government, business, religious, and performing arts settings. She received interpreter training from Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, where she also worked as a residential coordinator at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. Miako is also a Professor of Linguistics at Gallaudet University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses. Her specialization is applied linguistics and engaged research – incorporating knowledge and approaches gleaned from linguistic research directly into language teaching, curriculum development, language assessment, interpretation, and interpreting pedagogy.  

MJ Jones

(they/them/theirs)

[ID:  MJ, a light-skinned Black/Filipinx masculine of center individual, is standing in front of a brick wall with a shelf of potted plants and stacks of books on it. On the bottom half of the wall is navy colored fabric (looks like it maybe some kind of backing to a restaurant booth) the backing is different cube sizes. MJ is the focal point of the image and is smiling toward the camera wearing their glasses, a big smile, turquoise gauges in their ears, and a dark grey suit with a black button-up shirt. MJ is also wearing a turquoise/light blue bow tie that has a floral print.]

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MJ Jones (pronouns: they/them/theirs), a Southern California native, currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area. MJ's intersectionalities include: Black, first-generation Filipinx, masculine of center, sighted, and hearing. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with a B.A. in ASL-English Interpreting, MJ moved to Washington, D.C and graduated with their M.A in International Development at Gallaudet University. MJ is currently an adjunct professor at Gallaudet University and a Full-Time Staff Interpreter. They recently published, “Where are My People? The Case for Culturally Competent Interpreters” in the Special Issue: Disability Justice, Race and Education of the Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity (JCSCORE). 

Mindy LanIe

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A mixed heritage woman, in a black blazer stands off the stage interpreting. In the background are four posted United States flags and Secretary Hillary Rodham-Clinton, who is wearing a red blazer with black pants, is speaking at a podium..]

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Mindy Lanie, MA, CI, CT, has been a professional American Sign Language Interpreter for over 25 years. She completed a BA in Deaf Studies, with a specialization in Interpreting in 1995, and earned an MA in Interpreting from the EUMASLI program in 2015. During her career she has worked in numerous settings, including educational, medical, mental health, government, legal, and performing arts. She has also worked with Deaf Interpreters in a variety of settings, including conference, legal, performing arts, and VRI. Throughout her career she has also actively been involved in mentoring – as both a mentee and a mentor. She lived in the Washington, DC area for almost 15 years prior to moving to London to be a staff interpreter for Overseas Interpreting in 2018.

Margie English

(she/her/hers)

[ID:  A white woman with salt and pepper long curly hair and a white long-sleeve shirt smiling in front of a woodsy background.]

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After 10 years in corporate event marketing Margie English started a business providing technical interpretation, translation, and writing services. Margie worked with several interpreting agencies in addition to the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers, and Gallaudet University. Until recently, Margie has volunteered as a board member or advisor to several national organizations serving the Deaf communities. Today, Margie is a new faculty with the Department of Interpretation and Translation at Gallaudet, where she also coordinates their Field Experience program. Margie is also a facilitator with University of Northern Colorado’s Project Cultivating Legal Interpreters of Minority Backgrounds Bridge-to-Practice program. Margie’s research interests include Deaf interpreting, ASL-English translation, interpreting pedagogy, language planning, organizational leadership, and collaborative program evaluation. During her free time, she enjoys being with her family and being outdoors.