Dear Circle Members,
It’s that time of year again when we vote for our new leadership. Please review the candidate statements below and make your voice heard by sending in your ballot (please find the instructions at the end of this page). All ballots must be postmarked or received via e-mail by December 9, 2024. Ballots received after that date will not be valid. One vote per member.
The Circle thrives because of the efforts of you, our members, and our dedicated Board of Directors.
CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT: VIKTORIYA BAUM
I want to thank the leadership of the New York Circle of Translators for the honor of being nominated to run for the position of the Circle’s President. I am deeply appreciative and humbled by this opportunity, and I consider it a great privilege.
I have spent the last 22 years, more than half of my life, in the profession of translation, interpreting, project and program management and language access law, while being a full-time employee, independent business owner, freelance language consultant, and whatever other hats I’ve worn over the decades I’ve spent working with the Polish, Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian, and English languages. I have a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing from Stockton University and a Master’s in Conference Interpreting from Monterey Institute of International Studies (now Middlebury). I’ve been a member of ATA since 2013, NAJIT member since 2023, and I am now proud to call myself a new member of NYCT as well.
I started becoming active with the ATA a few years ago, and it has been a tremendously rewarding experience. I currently serve on the Language Technology Division Leadership Council and will co-chair next year’s ATA Virtual Conference. I’ve organized numerous off-site networking events for ATA LTD and it’s gratifying to see more and more attendees year over year. This year I was nominated and ran for the position of ATA’s President-Elect; while I did not win, the experience was, I dare to say, both mind-boggling and reassuring; maybe people noticed my volunteering. It has opened up my eyes as to how many collective issues we face as linguists, how challenging and uncertain the future is, and how much is yet to be done in terms of advocacy and legal protections for all of us.
In the age of AI, our profession’s outlook can be rather uncertain for both experienced linguists and newcomers to the profession. One of my most beloved roles as a leader comes with mentoring young and aspiring translators and helping them set firm feet on the ground, alleviate their fears of new technology, and helping them navigate the many aspects of running their own businesses, especially with dealing with the challenges of seeking, obtaining, and retaining clients. If I am elected as NYCT President, I plan to devote a lot of my time to outreach with the ultimate goal of gaining new members, retaining the existing ones, and assisting those who may be struggling in their day-to-day operations or may be feeling intimidated or threatened by AI. I feel that it is extremely important to embrace technology and master it in order to remain competitive in the new market reality, while continuing to build ties and relationships with other organizations dedicated to the service of our profession. I’m aware that NYCT current leadership is planning to organize at least two collaborative in-person events for next year, and I wholeheartedly support these initiatives, since networking in person is an essential building block for anyone’s professional development and business growth.
Perhaps the most important thing I can tell you about myself is that listening to people is extremely important to me. I am a firm believer that there is no wrong opinion, and I can promise that I will listen to anything and everything any member of the NYCT community has to say. The strength of any organization comes from its members, and each and every individual member contributes to its success and growth. I’ve heard so many amazing stories already about how NYCT has been a vibrant and tight-knit circle, where people come together to meet, interact, share, and laugh. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this incredible community, and if elected as the NYCT president, I look forward to serving each and every member with my utmost dedication and integrity. Again, thank you for this opportunity and consideration.
CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT: ELIZABETH (LIZ) HERRON-SWEET
I am honored to be running to continue serving as vice president of the New York Circle of Translators for another term.
Since joining the NYCT board in 2022, I have actively participated in planning and executing our educational sessions, including speaking on the panel during an in-person event about preparing for the ATA certification exam in May 2023 and spearheading the effort to bring expert speakers to present to our members about new AI tech in April 2024. I also led our in-person annual meeting in January 2024 at the Freelancers Union and represented the NYCT at the ATA annual conferences in 2023 (Miami) and 2024 (Portland). I supported President Michelle Berrios to establish the new application and disbursement process for the Charles M. Stern Autonomous Grant to support our members with professional development. I am currently planning two new in-person events for 2025, in collaboration with several other organizations, that will provide excellent opportunities for continuing education and networking.
I look forward to continuing in the position of vice president under our new president so I can continue supporting and organizing these important initiatives, ensuring the NYCT remains a valuable resource and venue for its members and for the translation and interpretation community in the New York area.
I have been a translator and interpreter for over 10 years. I joined ATA in 2015 and NYCT in 2021 when I moved to New York from São Paulo, Brazil. I am a grader for the ATA certification exam in the Portuguese > English language pair, a member of the Strategy Committee of the ATA Board of Directors, and Administrator of the ATA Law Division. In addition, this year I acquired a new volunteer position on the Executive Board of the PTA at my son’s public school in Brooklyn.
NYCT ELECTION BALLOT 2024
Please familiarize yourself with the candidate statements in today’s post and select one candidate per position. Download the ballot or copy it from this page, print, and mail it to the Circle at the below address. You may also print the ballot, fill it out, scan it, and send it as an email to nyctadmin@nyctranslators.org.
All ballots must be postmarked or received via e-mail by December 9, 2024. Ballots received after that date will not be valid. One vote per member.
THE BALLOT
CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT:
______Viktoryia Baum
CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT:
______Elizabeth (Liz) Herron-Sweet
Email the completed ballot by December 9, 2024 to nyctadmin@nyctranslators.org or mail it to:
New York Circle of Translators
PO Box 4051
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163-4051