DE LA MORA Training

NAJIT

Lili Seldon

Lili is an English⇄Japanese interpreter and translator, academic editor, and intercultural communication coach residing in the DC metro area. In addition to serving as a registered court interpreter in multiple jurisdictions, she offers instruction in Japanese language, business etiquette, and translation and interpretation (T&I) to federal employees and military personnel. Since joining NAJIT in 2017, she has dedicated her time as a volunteer on the Training & Education (T&E), Advocacy, and Positions Papers committees.

After co-moderating a number of memorable NAJIT Academy webinars over the years, she was delighted in 2023 to co-present a language-neutral webinar with fellow T&E committee member Jaqueline Nordin (Portuguese⇄English), and then to present NAJIT’s first Japanese-specific one. In May 2024, she presented with colleague Niery Bardakjian (Armenian⇄English) her first NAJIT Annual Conference session, which explored ambiguous ethical situations and the importance of safeguarding our professional integrity whether working in courthouses, conference halls, or military contexts.

Lili keenly awaits the day when the U.S. follows Australia’s example and debuts an official court interpreter oral exam and certification for Japanese.

CCHI

Natalya Mytareva

Natalya Mytareva, M.A., CoreCHI, ICE-CCP, is 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. She is a recipient of the 2023 Language Access Champion award from the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care. 

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.

ATA

Christina Green

Christina’s leadership in linguistics after began after studying Modern Languages at Universidad Central de Venezuela. She is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and has conversational skills in Portuguese. After moving to the US in 2000, she started her agency, Green Linguistics in 2003. She has served as an expert witness for defense and prosecution and interpreted for nationally televised live gubernatorial and presidential events. She has devoted her time to various causes, including children with disabilities and international refugees/relocation efforts.

She was the President of the Midwest Association of Translators and Interpreters (2012-2014, 2020-2022). She is currently on the Board of Directors of the American Translators Association (2022-2025.) She is the Administrator of the Interpreters Division at the American Translators Association. Christina is a member of the newly created SAFE-AI Task Force to establish and promote best practices for the responsible adoption of AI in interpreting. 

Christina is a Spanish certified translator by the American Translators Association and was the one of the first certified judicial interpreter in the State of Wisconsin. She is also an Authorized Italian Interpreter for the courts. She has provided dedicated services to various school districts within Wisconsin, and has translated textbooks, standardized testing, and interpreted at educational conferences.

AAPTI

Angie Birchfield

Angie Birchfield has been a dedicated advocate for interpreters' rights for over two decades. In 2003, she successfully pushed the Judicial Council to remove certification numbers from the public database to prevent fraudulent use, and later helped secure legislation requiring interpreters to state their certification number during legal proceedings.

As Freelance Unit Chair for TTIG (later renamed the Interpreters Guild of America), Angie represented independent contractors in various committees, including the Language Access Task Force and VRI Committee. One of her most significant achievements was helping pass Assembly Bill 2370, ensuring interpreter certification recognition in legal settings.

She played an active role in legislative efforts like SB1160 and SB2257, protecting certification requirements for interpreters in areas such as workers' compensation and small claims. Angie was a leading voice during the AB5 fight, defending freelance interpreters from harmful restrictions, and continues her advocacy through AAPTI, championing the integrity of the profession and access to qualified language services.

AAITE

Giovanna Carriero-Contreras

As the founder and visionary of Cesco Linguistic Services, Giovanna has demonstrated exceptional business acumen. Her dynamic leadership is evident through her roles as a founding member, past Chair, and current Chair-Elect of the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE). 

Giovanna’s passion is interpreter training and promoting language access. Her contributions to advocacy and standards development have led to groundbreaking achievements, including the release of the AAITE National Codes of Ethics for Translators and Interpreters in Education.

She plays a pivotal role in shaping industry standards as a member of ASTM Committee F43 on Language Services and Products and serves as Chief of the US Delegation for the ISO/TC 37/SC 5 for Translation, Interpreting, and Related Technology Standards. She was the Project Editor of the recently published ISO standard on Community Interpreting (ISO 13611:2024), and is currently the Co-Project Leader of the ISO standard on General Interpreting (ISO 18841:2018). She co-chairs the ALC Language Access Committee, is a member of the Advocacy Committees at ALC and the Standards Committee at ATA. Recently, she was appointed to the Language Access Advisory Board for the State of Colorado.

In recognition of her ethical leadership, Giovanna was honored as the 2020 Bill Daniels Ethical Leader of the Year. She remains dedicated to her work as an interpreter trainer and a passionate advocate for language access.

NAETISL

Ana Soler