Ben Hall

• Ohio
• CSC, NIC & SC:L
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020 & 2020-2021)
  • Bridge to Practice (Fall 2020)
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

Ben has been in the field of interpreting for nearly 40 years. Over those years, he has worked in a variety of capacities: freelance interpreter, state Vocational Rehabilitation agency interpreter coordinator, conference coordinator, presenter, Video Relay Service interpreter & center director, and mentor.  Professionally, Ben has held several positions on the Board of Directors for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (President, Vice President, and Region III Rep). He is a founding member of the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Educators and a former member of the Supreme Court of Ohio Language Services Advisory Committee. He was a mentor with the University of Northern Colorado’s Distance Opportunity Interpreter Training Center’s Legal Interpreting Induction Program. Currently, Ben is a Partner with Hallenross & Associates, LLC.

Carie Barrett

• Texas
• BEI Master and Court, CI & CT
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2020-2021)
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

Carie is an English-ASL interpreter in private practice with 30 years of experience. She is the co-founder of the Community of Practice: Austin Legal. She is member of Texas Association of the Deaf and Austin Association of the Deaf as well as a voting member of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf, Texas Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators and Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association. Carie is an alumni of the University of Northern Colorado Project CLIMB (2019-2020 class) and Austin Community College with a double major in American Sign Language and Criminal Justice. She has 25 years of presenting on various topics including court and legal settings, ethics, and interpreting.

Cat Dvar

• Massachusetts
• Esq., CI, CT & SC:L
  • Bridge to Practice (Fall 2020)

Cat specializes in legal, medical, mental health, platform and performance interpreting. She has primarily been interpreting in legal settings since 2001. In 2007, she became a Massachusetts licensed attorney. From 2012 through 2015 she was the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s (MCDHH) Statewide Court and Legal Interpreter Training Coordinator and Lead Instructor. She has received numerous awards for her advocacy, allyship, and interpreting work with and for the Deaf community, including: (one of the first ever) Stavros Center for Independent Living’s Paul Winske Access Award; Massachusetts State Association of the Deaf’s Thomas H. Gallaudet Service Award; and MCDHH Outstanding Service Provider of the Year award. She loves to cook, especially for other people, and lives in western Massachusetts with her husband Cole, her two beautiful children, and their 4 cats.

Cheryl Thomas

• Mississippi
• NAD V, CI, CT, NIC Master, SC:L & BEI Court
  • Facilitator Development Training (2018-2019)
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020 & 2020-2021)
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

Cheryl is a freelance interpreter in Mississippi. Cheryl began her interpreting career in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada prior to moving to Arkansas in 1999. A Deaf Parented Interpreter, and raised in a large Deaf family, Cheryl lives in Louisville Mississippi with her husband, and has 4 children and 6 grandchildren.  For fun, she enjoys riding her motorcycle and spending time with her grandchildren.

Gloria Vargas

• New York
• CI & CT
• M.S.
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020 & 2020-2021)
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

Gloria was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and has lived in New York City all her life. She is a CODA/SODA (Child of a Deaf Adult / Sibling of a Deaf Adult) and the youngest of 7 children. She became an ASL Interpreter after watching her big sister taking the lead in joining the profession. Gloria has gone on to obtain her CI/CT certification through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and in 2015 achieved a lifelong dream by acquiring a M.S. from Fordham University. Right after accepting a full-time position as a city-wide court interpreter (again, good advice from her big sister), she joined Project CLIMB.  She is excited about learning and growing. Gloria adores her family and passionately serves the Deaf Community through the local church.

Jen Patterson

• Kansas
• NIC, Kansas (KQAS) 5/5 & Missouri Master
• B.S.
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020 & 2020-2021)

Jennifer, “Jen,” has worked as a professional sign language interpreter for over 18 years. She currently works as the Lead staff interpreter for a local agency in Kansas City, MO.  Jennifer has worked in various settings including VRS, education, medical, and freelance work, but her main focus of work lies in legal settings. She has over 100 hours of legal training. A DPI (Deaf Parented Interpreter) from a very large Deaf family, Jennifer, lives in Olathe, KS with her husband Keith, and their daughter and two sons.  Jennifer likes to unwind by playing board games with her family and friends. She is also a Potterhead and a Disney Freak.

Jenny Buechner

• Wisconsin
• PDIC
  • Mentor Training (Summer 2021)

Jenny hails from Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in 1998 and from Gallaudet University in 2002 with a degree in Social Work. Jenny worked as a Deaf Interpreter for approximately 1-2 years in DC in 2002-2003. After that she worked in different capacities for different organizations including nonprofit and private for-profit organizations. Jenny returned to the profession of Deaf Interpreting in 2018, and currently holds the Provisional Deaf Interpreter Credential (PDIC) from RID. Jenny has interpreted in a variety of settings including community, medical, mental health, legal, and platform. Jenny works with a variety of clients with different language and communication needs. Over the years, Jenny has been involved with the community through various leadership roles and committees including the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). As a board member of the NAD, Jenny is involved in various interpreting-related committees and task forces.

Jo Linda Greenfield

• Colorado
• NAD – Master Level V, TC, CI, CT, NIC Master & SC:L
  • Bridge to Practice (Fall 2020)

Jo Linda is a member of the original Project CLIMB curriculum development team.  As the first African American interpreter to earn the RID Specialist Certificate: Legal, she is thrilled to see the numbers of BIPOC interpreters participating in Project CLIMB! Having completed extensive training for interpreting in the American Judicial System as well as training for Interpreting in the Theatre at Juilliard, she serves the Interpreting and Deaf communities as an interpreter, an interpreter educator, and a mentor/role model. Her work as a community-based Interpreter takes her to business, conference, government, legal, higher education, medical, performing arts and video relay/video remote settings. Loving coffee, tea, reading and the outdoors – living in Colorado is a dream!

John Izaguirre

• New York
• CI, CT & NAD V Master
  • Mentor Training (Winter 2021 & Summer 2021)
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

John’s parents are Deaf, his mother is Puerto Rican and his father is from Mexican. He was born in Manhattan and raised in Brooklyn, New York. John is the oldest hearing son and has six siblings. He started interpreting for his father at 4-years-old going door-to-door selling pillows and other upholstered items. He grew up going to Deaf clubs. Later, John would interpret for his mother’s and my siblings’ doctor’s appointments, school enrollments, etc. When he was 13-year-old, John’s family was threatened with eviction because they had gotten a dog and they lived in the housing projects. John found a trainer to help him come up with signs and trained the dog to be a hearing ear dog. In fact, John interpreted his first case in federal court (1971) because the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) sued his family to get rid of the dog. They won the case. 

John was active in the Marine Corps for 7 years and served 3 years in the reserves. He also was a missionary pastor for 15 years in the U.S. anf forgeign countries. Concurrently, John started doing legal interpreting work under the mentorship of Lon Ramsel, C.I., C.T. and fellow CODA in 1995. In 1997, John worked with a team of interpreters on the notorious Mexican peddler case, USA vs Pauletti. More recently, John has been interpreting in mental health and educational settings while still doing legal work. 

Kelly Decker

• Vermont
• NIC Advanced
  • Facilitator for Legal Interpreter Training 2019-2020
  • Meta Facilitator for Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020 & 2020-2021)
  • Facilitator for Mentor Training (Fall 2020)
  • Mock Legal Experiences Meta Facilitator (Fall 2021)

Kelly is highly invested in the development of the interpreting field. Since 2005, Kelly has been working throughout Region I in private practice. She is engaged in leadership at the local, regional, and national level of the interpreting profession. She has coordinated and implemented countless community based projects and events primarily focusing on social justice and Deaf-parented interpreters. Her articles regarding ethics in teaming and how interpreters frame the task of interpreting can be found on Street Leverage. Kelly’s article, co-authored with Betty Colonomos, tilted Mastery in Mentoring is available via the RID VIEWS. As an Integrated Model of Interpreting practitioner, Kelly is involved in the dedicated practice of reflective dialogue at the Etna Project.

Keri Richardson

• Texas
• CI, CT, SC:L, NAD V & BEI Level V, Master and Court
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020)
  • Bridge to Practice (Fall 2020)

Keri started her journey reluctantly into legal/courtroom work in 1998 and then eventually found the courtroom to be the place where she felt most comfortable. For six years, she created and maintained the ASL Court Interpreter section of the Oregon Judicial Department interpreting in courtrooms in many of the 27 circuit courts as well as providing mentoring and training to interpreters wanting to work within the court system. Additionally, Keri has worked in legal settings in Oregon, Washington, and Texas and continues to present locally and nationally on protocol of courtroom interpreting, ethics and conflicts, text analysis, as well as a variety of other topics related to legal work. She currently lives and works in the San Antonio/Austin, Texas area.

LaVerne Lowe

• Georgia
• CI, CT, NIC & QMHI
  • Mentor Training (Summer 2021)

Earnestine, “LaVerne,” a native of Houston, Texas, has made Warner Robins, Georgia her home for the last 23 years. Her desire to interpret was kindled by a church service in Wichita, Kansas in 1997. That desire gave her the motivation to spend countless hours within the Deaf Community, studying, researching and developing skills necessary to become a Nationally Certified Interpreter. All the hard work paid off; she was awarded with CI/CT and NIC Certificates in 2008 and QMHI 2012. LaVerne was afforded the opportunity to participate in Project CLIMB (Cultivating Legal Interpreters from Minority Backgrounds). She completed the training in April 2021. 

On a personal note, LaVerne has been married 40 years to Larry. They have two beautiful daughters (LaShawnda and Jasmine) who are also RID and QMHI certified interpreters. The best of all is having grandkids! LaVerne loves spending time with her grandson, Jaedyn!

Letty Moran

• Arizona
• NIC Advance & EIPA 4.3
• B.S.
  • Mentor Training (Summer 2021)

Leticia “Letty” Moran is a nationally certified interpreter currently working at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind as a staff interpreter, educational interpreter supervisor, and sits on the agency’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. 

A graduate of the University of Arizona Deaf Studies program and Pima Community College (PCC) Interpreting program, Letty brings a diverse background to her work and has a passion for sharing her story. First generation Mexican American born to two Deaf parents living in a border town has given her a unique lens to interpreting. Letty comes to Project CLIMB with experience working in many sectors of this field. In addition to teaching experience in the interpreter training program at PCC, she has spent the last 20 years as a professional interpreter and trained master mentor with years of social justice discourse. Her work has taken her to different parts of the country and internationally. Her love of learning and exploring her CODA, Latina identity fuels her passion for growth and she is now excited to join this journey with other interpreters in unpacking our privileges.

Margie English

• Virgina
• CDI
• MBA
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020)
  • Bridge to Practice (Fall 2020)

Margie provides sign language interpreting and translations through her company EnglishWit Solutions. She interprets primarily in the educational and legal settings, with 100+ hours of legal interpreting training. Over the years, Margie has developed training curriculum, filmed translations from English text to ASL, and consulted on program development. She typically presents on self-advocacy as well as interpreting issues and trends. She currently serves on the Deaf Advisory Council for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Margie graduated from Gallaudet University in 1998 with a B.A. in English and from the University of Phoenix in 2006 with M.B.A. in Marketing. She is currently studying for her doctorate in Interpretation and Translation at Gallaudet University.

Marva Johnson

• Kentucky
• NIC
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020 & 2020-2021)

Marva began her professional interpreting career in 1999. As a Heritage Signer and freelance sign language professional, she maintains a full interpreting schedule in Kentucky, mainly Louisville. She prides herself in being a life-long learner. Marva received her associate’s degree from Harrison College in Evansville, in Criminal Justice. Her specialties include legal interpreting and mental health interpreting. Marva is currently involved with Project CLIMB (Cultivating Legal Interpreters from Minority Backgrounds) which afforded her the opportunity to participate in an ad hoc national advisory body tasked with identifying Knowledge, Skills,and Abilities essential for court interpreting. In addition, Marva has completed the week-long intensive Mental Health Interpreter Training Project in Alabama as well as numerous legal training. 

Melanie Deleon

• Oregon
• CI, CT, NAD IV, SC:L & NIC
  • Bridge to Practice (Fall 2020)

Melanie, “Mel,” is the current ASL staff interpreter for the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD). She has worked with OJD for 9 years in many capacities – as a mentor, the Certification and Training Coordinator, and now as the ASL staff interpreter. Additionally, Mel has worked with Mobility International, USA for over 20 years providing ASL interpreting with CDIs in international settings. In her free time, she plays futsal on a Deaf/hearing team and enjoy her twin boys!

Mona Mehrpour

• Virginia
• NIC
  • Mentor Training (Summer 2021)

Mona is an Iranian-American Coda who was brought overseas to California by her parents to pursue the “American Dream.” She began her interpreting career in 2009. Now residing in central Virginia, she is continuing her journey in the east coast. She has extensive experience in K-12, post secondary, medical and community work but has began her journey interpreting in the legal realm since joining Project Climb. Prior to that, she went through the Interpreter Preparation Program in Sacramento, California. Mona is also a regional representative for RID’s member section for Deaf Parented Interpreters.  Aside from interpreting, Mona enjoys cooking, concerts, traveling and learning about new cultures and languages.

Naomi Sheneman

• Minnesota
• CDI
• Ph.D.
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2020-2021)
  • Meta Facilitator for Mentor Training (Winter 2021)
  • Program Meta Facilitator for Mentor Training (Summer 2021)
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

Naomi has been working professionally in the interpreting profession since 2000 in various roles. She is currently a freelance consultant, researcher, educator, interpreter diagnostician, and interpreter. She is the first deaf woman to receive a Ph.D. degree in Interpretation from Gallaudet University. Her dissertation study focused on the impact of extralinguistic knowledge on interpreters’ work. She gives presentations and trainings nationally and internationally focusing on ethics, power dynamics in interpretation, and medical interpreting. Her publications include a study on Deaf interpreters’ ethics, interpreting in international conferences, and power imbalances in interactions between deaf people and interpreters.

Patty Moers-Patterson

• Maryland
• CI, CT & SC:L
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020)
  • Bridge to Practice (Fall 2020)

Patricia, “Patty,” has held her SC:L since 1995 and is a life-long learner of the Integrated Model of Interpreting which allows practitioners to view and analyze their work in holistic, non-evaluative terms, and is dedicated to the practice of reflective dialogue at the Etna Project: A Community of Reflective Practitioners.

Rosemary Wanis

• California
• CDI
  • Facilitator Development Training (2018-2019)
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020)

Rosemary was born in Egypt to hearing parents.  She immigrated with her parents, to Monterey, CA at the age of 9 months. At the age of 4, she was identified as being hard of hearing and started wearing hearing aids, receiving speech therapy, and attending private schools. She grew up in self-paced, auditory-verbal classrooms until going to California Baptist College in Riverside. There she started learning sign language, volunteering at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, and was introduced to the beauty of the Deaf-World. After graduating with a BA Degree in Psychology, she went to Gallaudet University where she grew in her identity as a Deaf person and ASL became her beloved primary language. She obtained her Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Administration & Supervision in 1998. After graduating from Gallaudet, she returned to California and worked as an advocate, coordinator of client services, and later an Executive Director at Deaf Service Agencies.  Rosemary became a Certified Deaf Interpreter in 2005 and in 2014 became nationally certified as a trainer using the NCIEC Deaf Interpreter Curriculum. In May, 2018, she graduated with her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on special education administration. She currently works full time at Fresno State University in California. She lives in Clovis, CA (near Fresno) with her beautiful daughter who is a proud KODA.

Russ Ross

• Massachusetts
• NIC Master, CI, CT & SC:L
  • Legal Interpreter Training (2019-2020 & 2020-2021)

Russell, “Russ,” was a Regional Co-Representative for the Mass RID and a graduate of the Northeastern University Rural New England Interpreter Training Program. He founded the Southeast Mentorship Project and has served as a practicum supervisor for Northeastern University’s Interpreting program. Russell served as Chair for the Massachusetts Educational Interpreters Task Force and represented several organizations on the Advisory Board for Northeastern University’s Interpreting Training Program. He has been a staff interpreter/coordinator for Westborough State Hospital’s Deaf Unit, Northeastern University, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and EDCO Educational Collaborative. Russell is contracted with the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to offer legal interpreting services for the Administrative Office of the Trial Court. He continues his work in legal settings. As a presenter, Russell presents on a variety of topics in and around Massachusetts.  He candidly discusses his experience of growing up in a Deaf household and how these experiences have affected his personal and professional views.

Scottie Allen

• Wisconsin
• NIC, QMHI & EIPA 4.7
• M.A.
  • Mentor Training (Summer 2021)

Scottie (she/they) is a staff interpreter at Professional Interpreting Enterprise in Wisconsin. She is also the ASL Access Coordinator for KAAN (Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network) and served on committees for National Association of the Deaf, Wisconsin Association of the Deaf, and Wisconsin Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. She is a former ASL and Deaf Programs Development Coordinator at Siena School for Liberal Arts, Italy and a former instructor/presenter at various post-secondary institutions/conferences. Scottie completed Project CLIMB’s legal interpreter training program/Bridge to Practicum and a separate 140-hour legal interpreting training program in addition to various other legal trainings.

Scottie’s personal Interests includes rock climbing, cooking, reading, and traveling. She has lived in Italy and Korea. Finally, Scottie plays ukulele (but not well).

Shawn Vriezen

• Minnesota
• CDI
  • Mentor Training (Winter 2021 & Summer 2021)

Shawn hails from the north start state of Minnesota. He has been interpreting professionally since 2007 and currently works full time primarily in medical Video Remote Interpreting settings. Otherwise, Shawn can be found freelancing, traveling or going on random adventures with his silver pug, Diesel.

Stephanie Clark

• Massachusetts
• CDI, SC:L & ASLTA-Professional
• M.Ed.
  • Facilitator Development Training (2018-2019)

Stephanie lives and works in New England as a trainer, consultant, interpreter, advocate, and educator. Growing up with Deaf parents and three older Coda siblings on Cape Cod, Stephanie became a language and cultural broker as a child which led to her 20 years of professional experience as a Deaf interpreter. She continues to be active with committees and organizations at local, regional, and national levels. Stephanie presents workshops/trainings to both Interpreter and Deaf community members on various topics related to language, culture, and interpreting. She is the co-coordinator of the Road to Deaf Interpreting training series and is currently a full-time visiting faculty member in the Modern Languages and Literatures department at College of the Holy Cross.

Susan Elizabeth Rangel

• Illinois
• CDI
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

Susan Elizabeth received her B.A. from the University of Illinois and her M.A. from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Aside from working more than twenty years in the social services and educational fields, linguistic research assistant at the University of Chicago, and now working in a variety of fields. Susan Elizabeth provides ASL interpreting, consultations, and mentoring. 

Susan Elizabeth loves all things God created, nature and life. Her inspirations, after Lord Jesus Christ, are drawn from her daughters. When she is not interpreting, she is trying to come up with another solution to preserve the environment like… building a homemade compost bin!

Tara Roth

• Florida
• CI & NIC Master
  • Mentor Training (Winter 2021)
  • Meta Facilitator for Mentor Training (Summer 2021)

Tara started interpreting in 1994. Since 1996, she has been working with and for the agency American Sign Language Services LLC. (ASLS) headquarters in Kissimmee Florida. Tara is grateful to have the opportunity to work extensively in various settings including legal, mental health, medical, educational, artistic and more. She is also the director of the company’s internship program. One of Tara’s favorite roles is taking on the responsibility of sharing what she has learned with others in the interpreting profession, so that they may grow faster and further than she has. 

Tiffany Green

• California
• CDI
• J.D.
  • Mentor Training (Winter 2021)
  • Meta Facilitator for Mentor Training (Summer 2021)
  • Mock Legal Experiences (Fall 2021)

Tiffany graduated from Gallaudet with degrees in English and Education, and a minor in Communication Studies. After graduation, she moved to California and enrolled at the UCLA School of Law, graduating with a J.D. After passing the state bar, Tiffany worked as a litigation attorney specializing in the Americans with Disabilities Act, especially Public Accommodations and Title II. She then continued her studies at Western Oregon University, earning a Masters in Interpretation Studies as part of the first cohort. Recently, Tiffany completed a credential program from IIRAS International after obtaining training in how to supervise and conduct group discussions within the framework of Demand-Control Schema. She is currently the only Deaf person certified by IIRAS International. When Tiffany is not busy with teaching Interpretation Studies, she enjoys time with her cat, who currently guest stars in online courses and Zoom meetings.

Project CLIMB 2018 Onsite Training

Alphabetized by first name: Amy Williamson, Ben Hall, Cheryl Thomas, Ellen Roth, Erica West Oyedele, Fatima Silvestre, Gloria Vargas, Jennifer Patterson, Jill Owens Brick, Jo Linda Greenfield, Kelby Brick, Kelly Decker, Keri Richardson, Lesley Richardson, Margie A English, Maria Izaguirre, Mark Morales, Marva Johnson, Melanie DeLeon, Michael McMahon, Mindy Lanie, Patricia Moers-Patterson, Priscilla Moyers, Rhiannon Sykes-Chavez, Ritchie Bryant, Russell Ross, Sandra Maloney, Sandy Peplinski, Stephanie Clark, Tamar Lani, Tona Swagart, Tony Barraza, Tracy Pifer, and Ty Blake-Holden.