The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2021 - 6

FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT

A New Year, a New Start

I
MADALENA
SÁNCHEZ ZAMPAULO

madalena@accessibletranslations.com
@mszampaulo

If 2020 taught us
anything, it was the
ability to accept new
challenges and
adapt accordingly.

t's a new year, and with it comes a time
of reflection, as well as fresh and exciting
opportunities. If 2020 taught us anything,
it was the ability to accept new challenges
and adapt accordingly. Hopefully 2021 will
be, in many ways, different than last year,
but I think we can all agree that we learned
a lot about ourselves and our businesses. We
also learned a lot about how our Association
can step up to serve us even during the most
challenging of times.
* When COVID-19 disrupted our plans to hold
our Annual Conference in Boston, we pivoted
to a fully virtual conference model that
attracted over 1,500 attendees.1

* When we saw how swiftly and significantly
the economic crisis affected so many of our
members, the Board quickly approved a
motion not to raise membership dues this
year and to offer members the ability to
renew in two installments.2
* When we witnessed what can only be
described as a powerful time to reflect on
the racial divide in our country, ATA issued
a statement3 on racism and inequality,
reiterating that we stand by our members
and colleagues who are Black, Indigenous,
and People of Color.
* When our members in California were
fighting for their right to remain
independent contractors after the passing
of California Assembly Bill 5, we stepped up
and supported4 efforts to provide protection
for professional translators and interpreters
in Assembly Bill 2257 (Worker Classification:
Employees and Independent Contractors).
* When health care interpreters were not
treated as essential workers or provided
personal protective equipment, we signed
on to support a best practices guide5 with
other national associations to promote safer
working environments.
We've come together again and again to
step up and meet these challenges head on as
an Association and as colleagues. And while
it's certain we'll be called to do the same in
2021, we'll do so by looking forward to new
opportunities to adapt and grow.
As we look ahead this year, we'll be
planning ATA62 as a hybrid conference

6

The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021

(both in-person and virtual). Yes, a hybrid
conference is another first for ATA, but we
know we can pull off a new model with great
results, and I look forward to the challenge
of planning this year's event. The call for
proposals is now open, so please submit your
session proposals by March 1. At this time, the
plan is to offer virtual attendees a selection
of streamed, live sessions offered at the
conference venue in Minneapolis.
While we've learned a lot about who we are
as an Association over the course of 2020, we
still have a lot more to understand about who
our members are and what they want from a
professional association. As immediate past chair
of the Membership Committee, we've worked the
past few years on increasing member benefits
and creating greater value for our members.
But we want to hear from you. We want to
know how we can best serve you. So, we'll be
asking you questions related to the member
benefits you enjoy and what you would like
to see more of. We'll also be asking you about
ATA's advocacy efforts and how you would like
to be represented by ATA at various levels.
Please watch your inbox for the
Membership Survey and the new ATA
Compensation Survey and complete them
during the window when they are available. By
providing more information and insights, you
allow the Board to get a better picture of who
we are as an Association, what's going well,
and what areas can be improved in the future.
Here's to a year of growth in 2021!

NOTES
1

ATA 61st Annual Conference Website,
https://ata61.org.

2

To help those members who find it difficult
to pay membership dues in full at this time,
ATA is offering an installment plan in 2021.
Renew online to choose this payment option.
Visit: http://bit.ly/ATA-member-renewal.

3

ATA Statement on Racism and Inequality,
http://bit.ly/ATA-diversity.

4

Open Letter to the California
Assembly and Senate (August 2020),
http://bit.ly/ATA-AB2257.

5

Providing Interpreting Services During
COVID-19, http://bit.ly/best-practices-COVID.
www.atanet.org
https://www.ata61.org http://www.bit.ly/ATA-member-renewal http://www.bit.ly/ATA-diversity http://www.bit.ly/ATA-AB2257 http://www.bit.ly/best-practices-COVID http://www.atanet.org
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