David Quinto-Pozos, Ph.D. RID CI/CT, Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, University of Texas, Austin. David’s research focuses on signed languages, and he works on various topics (register variation, language contact, the interaction of language and gesture, developmental signed language disorders, and trilingual VRS interpretation). He has directed the ASL programs at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and currently co-directs the program at UT-Austin. In addition to his research work, David teaches courses at UT on bilingual first language acquisition and signed language linguistics. David is a certified interpreter and he served on the Panel of Experts for the Texas Trilingual Initiative Test Development.

Yolanda Chavira, is currently Staff Interpreter for Texas Department of Assistive and
Rehabilitative Services, Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS), with a
multitude of other responsibilities. She has been interpreting professionally since 1990.
Yolanda was the lead coordinator for the Texas Trilingual Initiative test development
project performed in partnership between DHHS and the University of Arizona, for
which she was also a member of the Panel of Experts. This certification program has
come to fruition with tests at Advanced and Master levels and is administered by DHHS’
BEI interpreter certification component. . These valid and reliable trilingual tests are
available to Texas interpreter test candidates as well as candidates from other states.
Yolanda was the force behind the DHHS Hispanic Task Force since 1997. She also
coordinates the DHHS sponsorship and the planning of training for Hispanic trilingual
interpreters held annually at the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf, Big Spring
since July, 2007. In addition to BEI Level III and Trilingual Master certifications
Yolanda holds a Berlitz Test of Spanish Proficiency, Master’s Level certification.
She also received an Advanced Plus Level certificate from the Universidad Nacional
Autonoma de Mexico – Extension School, San Antonio, TX. She attended the University
of Arizona Agnese Haury Institute for Court Interpretation training 2 years in a row and
participated in the Training of Trainers at the National Center for Interpretation Testing
Research and Policy, Univesity of Arizona. She is the proud mother of 5 children one of
whom is deaf.

Mathew was raised principally in Colorado and New Mexico amidst rich cultural surroundings of Ute, Navajo, Chicano/Latino, and Anglo cultures. He has mixed roots from Mexico to Ireland. Most his family continues to reside in the Southwest. He and his siblings had lots of exposure to Spanish growing up but Mathew was not completely fluent until serving a two-year LDS mission in Guatemala (1998-2000). Mathew and his wife Marleny have been married since 2002. Marleny, a Native American originally from Guerrero, Mexico, is a passionate cultural consultant. They have one daughter born on Mathew’s birthday in 2009.
 
Mathew’s youngest sister was born deaf. She was raised in a hearing but caring world in which the entire family and many Church members learned Signing Exact English to communicate with her. While Mathew was on his mission, his sister moved to Utah and discovered a large Deaf community. She learned ASL and found a Deaf identity, thus ushering in a new era for the entire family. Their older brother was the first in the family to become fluent and go on to become a certified interpreter and business owner. After returning from Guatemala, Mathew studied Spanish and ASL but graduated with a B.S. in Sociology from Brigham Young University in 2003. He and his wife then moved to Sacramento, California. While working as a full-time Spanish-English medical interpreter, he went back to school for an A.A. degree in sign language interpreting from American River College. He graduated in 2008, received his EIPA 4.8 that same year, and his NIC in 2009. He awaits his CMI results (certified medical interpreter, Spanish-English).
 
Mathew has worked in many venues as a trilingual interpreter and translator. His passion lies in working with Hispanic/Latino families with deaf/hard of hearing children. He is the author of several articles including a chapter about trilingualism of Hispanic/Latino deaf children in Kathee Christensen’s 2010 book Ethical Considerations in Educating Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearingpublished by Gallaudet University Press.
 
Besides trance music, he loves spending time with his wife and daughter Quetzaly.

Nydia Hernández was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York, where she graduated
from the LaGuardia Interpreter Training Program. Nydia has worked as an American
Sign Language, Spanish, and English trilingual interpreter for the past 20 years. She
holds CI and CT certifications as well as a Master’s Level-Berlitz Test of Proficiency. In
addition to serving as Treasurer for Mano-a-Mano, Nydia is currently involved with the
NCIEC National Task Force on Trilingual Interpreting.

Anthony has a Deaf brother and has interpreted professionally for over 15 years. As a freelance trilingual interpreter fluent in American Sign Language, English and Spanish, he has worked at numerous high profile conferences around the world. Tony’s experience includes working with Gallaudet University, Visual Language Interpreting, and Sign Language Associates. However, he has mostly worked as an independent contractor. Tony makes his home in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore metropolitan areas.

Carmelo was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and learned signed language at the young age of 11 by being a volunteer to assist a marginalized group in his community. At the age of 14 he had his was involved in his first work as an interpreter at the same vocational school where he studied electronics. At that time he interpreted language courses (Spanish and English) and typing, among others. He has taken courses that form part of the Bachelor’s level degree plan of Special Education at the University of Puerto Rico. For more than 13 years he has worked as an interpreter in Puerto Rico in various settings: legal, medical, educational, artistic/performance, and television. Currently, he resides in Florida and he continues to work as a signed language interpreter in the trilingual community.

Puerto Rican, first generation born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She recieved my BA from Columbia College Interpreter Training Program in 2000. While in the program she interpreted for Deaf Latinos in need of a Trilingual (Spanish, English, ASL) interpreter. Melva has been interpreting for 9 years and holds a CI/CT National Certification from RID. Melva served as secretary for Illinois RID and is a member for Illinois Deaf Latino Association. My passion is interpreting for Deaf Latinos, seeking professional development and seeing the trilingual profession grow. Melva currently mentors, ITP students and has presented ”Interpreting for Deaf Latinos” workshops.

Mónica Gallego holds her BEI basic and has been interpreting professionally for 8 years in community and video relay settings. She was born and raised in New York by her amazing Colombian family and moved to Austin, Texas in the summer of 2009.  She has her A.A. in Liberal Arts from Nassau Community College and she graduated from LaGuardia Community College’s ITP in June 2008. She passed her trilingual written test and is preparing for her performance. In addition to being Region IV Representative for Mano a Mano she also leads a trilingual group that meets monthly in Austin. She will be presenting during summer 2011 at the Texas State Interpreters for the Deaf Conference in Corpus Christi.  She is very excited for this opportunity to present and support her colleagues.

Arlene Narváez, holds CI and CT certification and has been interpreting professionally for nine years. She works as a trilingual (ASL/Spanish/English) interpreter in community and video relay settings. In addition to being Region V representative for Mano a Mano, she is also the Co-Chair for the Southern California RID Tri-lingual Committee and the. She previously coordinated interpreter services for Los Angeles Valley College.