SPD Leadership Council (LC) and its Committees

Getting Involved in the SPD Leadership Council (LC) Committees

The Division Leadership Council (LC) is the team of volunteers who work closely with the Administrator and Assistant Administrator to ensure that division core services are provided on behalf of the ATA for division members. As per Section 2.3 of the ATA Division Handbook, chairpersons and members of the Leadership Council do not have term limits.

SPD’s standing committees, the gateway to becoming involved in SPD activities, provide an excellent opportunity for you to network with others and stay current while contributing to the continuing evolution of the Spanish language. Each potential committee member must be a member of ATA and the Spanish Language Division.

2022-2023 SPD Leadership Council

MEMBER
POSITION
Aída Carrazco Digital and Social Media Committee Co-Chair
Mónica de León Intercambios Editorial Committee Chair
Marco Díaz Website Committee Chair and Webmaster
Gabriela Escarrá Division Assistant Administrator and Professional Development Committee Chair
Graciela Isaía y Ruiz Student Involvement Committee Chair
Francesca Samuel Hospitality and Public Relations Committee Chair
Edna Santizo Division Administrator
Yolanda Secos Digital and Social Media Committee Co-Chair

While Leadership Council members do not have term limits, committee members are invited to serve for one year and may be re-invited, or not, the next year at the discretion of the officers. (For more details, see Section 2.4 of the ATA Division Handbook.) The LC member or Committee Chairperson will schedule and coordinate the activities of the committee he or she leads, and will hold and facilitate meetings, as necessary. Committee chairs have two basic responsibilities:

  • Ensuring that the committee tasks are completed properly and on time.
  • Ensuring that the committee members work together effectively and harmoniously.

Please see below the description of each standing committee. If you are interested in participating, send an email to the SPD administrator (SPD Contact page) or to the chair or co-chairs of the committee that interests you. Acceptance of committee members is determined based on openings, needs, and the approval of the administrator in consultation with committee chairs and the Leadership Council.

IMG_4742-EditCarrazco, Aída

Secos, Yolanda

Digital and Social Media Committee. The SPD Digital and Social Media Committee is in charge of creating and maintaining the SPD social media outlets (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram) as venues for members to keep up-to-date on SPD events and share information of interest to the membership. The SPD Social Media Committee posts links about interesting translation/interpretation articles and monitors the sites for appropriate postings. The SPD Digital and Social Media Committee works very closely with the Division administrators, the Intercambios Editorial Committee, and the Website Committee, and complies with ATA guidelines for Division communication channels.

Contact: DSMC.ATASPD@gmail.com

Co-Chairs:
Carrazco, Aída
Secos, Yolanda

Current Committee Members:
Baker, María (Mila)
Méndez Victoria
Villegas, Elsy

Mónica de Leónde León, Mónica

Editorial Committee. The Editorial Committee consists of the SPD newsletter Editor and the Committee Members. The Editorial Committee oversees content for Intercambios and assists the Editor in publishing it. Committee Members serve renewable one-year terms. Are you interested in collaborating as an author or proofreader for Intercambios? Contact the Intercambios editor.

Contact: Intercambios.ATASPD@gmail.com

SPD Intercambios Editor:
Mónica de León

Current Committee Members:
Baker, María (Mila)
Carrazco, Aída
Isaía y Ruiz, Graciela
Merriam, Paul

Secos, Yolanda

Merriam, Paul

Espalista. Founded in March 1999, Espalista is a moderated e-mail group provided by the Spanish Language Division of the American Translators Association as a communication tool for its members. For 20 years, members of the Spanish Language Division have been able to connect with other members, get terminology questions answered, seek advice from other translators, and discuss topics related to our profession. Espalista is a members-only privilege and benefit of joining the SPD.

Contact: ATA-Spanish-Language-Division+owner@groups.io

Moderators:
Merriam, Paul

Samuel, Francesca

Hospitality and Public Relations Committee. With the guidance of the Committee Chair and the Division Administrator, this committee welcomes members and newcomers to the ATA Annual Conference, assists in organizing Division networking activities, coordinates group excursions, and greets and hosts the Distinguished Speaker during the ATA Annual Conference. The committee advises the Division Administrators on public relations matters and works together with the Digital and Social Media and Website committees to promote networking opportunities and activities. The Hospitality and Public Relations Committee strives to increase awareness of the positive impact that networking and participating in Division activities have on translators and interpreters attending the ATA Annual Conference.

Contact: HPR.ATASPD@gmail.com

Chair:
Samuel, Francesca

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Podcast Committee. The aim of the ATA SPD PODCAST is to help SPD members move forward, evolve, and improve their businesses and their lifestyles as language professionals. In podcast episodes, the members of the ATA Spanish Language Division and special guests will share ideas and actionable strategies for greater motivation, creativity, communication, and contribution in today’s world. The podcast will also be a venue to further continuing education in the areas of translation, editing, interpretation, and language-related fields for all ATA SPD members.

Contact: Podcast.ATASPD@gmail.com

Current Committee Members:
Arízaga, Nicolás
Díaz, Marco
Escarrá, Gabriela

Escarrá, Gabriela

Professional Development Committee. The Professional Development Committee designs and supports educational programs and events that promote the career growth and professional advancement of SPD members. Events may include organizing workshops, webinars, seminars, and presentations in collaboration with ATA chapters or ATA divisions. The Committee works with speakers, trainers, and professionals who can deliver a broad range of educational and training programs to the SPD membership through ATA annual conferences, professional development events, workshops, online and on-site seminars. Send comments and suggestions to the chair.

Contact: PDC.ATASPD@gmail.com

Chair:
Escarrá, Gabriela

Current Committee Members:
Ezquerra Hasbun, Armando

Rosado, Tony
Samuel, Francesca
Secos, Yolanda

Isaía y Ruiz, Graciela

Student Involvement Committee. The SPD’s Student Involvement Committee creates a meaningful connection between experienced translators and students who are new to the profession. Its goal is to make the SPD known among translation and interpretation students as a means they can use in their professional life to network, find useful resources, learn about the profession, and participate in online forums. We seek out students in degree and certificate programs to make them aware of the SPD and this committee, and to find out what their needs and issues are so that we can begin to direct our efforts towards these topics. We welcome discussion about the purpose, goals, and actions of the Student Involvement Committee.

Contact: STIC.ATASPD@gmail.com

Chair:
Isaía y Ruiz, Graciela

Díaz, Marco

Website Committee. The SPD Website Committee is responsible for the design, content, and timely updating of the SPD website, which is one of the primary means of communication with the SPD membership and fellow colleagues. The SPD Website Committee works very closely with the Administrators, the Editorial Committee, the Digital and Social Media Committee, and the Professional Development Committee, and follows the same guidelines as the other communication channels used by the ATA and the SPD.

Contact: webmaster.spd@gmail.com

Chair:
Díaz, Marco

Current Committee Members:
Maxson, Danielle
Merriam, Paul
Soriano, Pablo