By Dr. Russ Shugart
The National Capital Area Translators Association (NCATA) – ATA’s chapter in the greater Washington, D.C., area since 1980 – hosted a brunch and annual member meeting on 8 February at the Friends Meeting of Washington facility near Dupont Circle.
Over 30 NCATA members and guests registered to attend the in-person event, which included a social get-together; a detailed summary of the association budget; and reports from the association’s directors on membership, programming, outreach, and social media. The meeting also provided a venue to discuss association management issues and initiatives relevant to the value of NCATA membership.
Notably, the NCATA president reported progress in efforts to recertify the association’s standing and accounting practices as a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. It was also noted that NCATA recently transitioned to new association management software to boost efficiencies in handling daily operations.
It was reported that NCATA has about 140 members, many of whom are also members of ATA. In addition, about 450 individuals receive correspondence through NCATA’s e-mail list, and about 1,200 individuals follow NCATA via social media. Viewed collectively, the scope of the association’s engagement and networking continues to be substantial and beyond numbers reflected in terms of core membership.
Programming efforts at NCATA continue to provide opportunities for members to work and develop as language industry professionals, principally through events such as webinars, networking (on-site as well as on-line), and ATA certification.
NCATA’s outreach initiatives include interaction with a variety of organizations and events. Specifically noted are participation in annual foreign embassy “open house” activities in Washington, D.C., as well as representation at University of Maryland Baltimore language career fairs, and engagements with fellow community organizations such as Leidos, TAUS, and the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE).
NCATA is prominent as a sponsor and active participant in the Montogomery College (MC) Confluence Conference, held annually at the MC Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus in Maryland. MC Confluence is a focal point for translators, interpreters, educators, students, and others to meet to discuss developments in the translation and interpreting industry. MC Confluence events this year are set for 11-12 April; details are available at https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/events/confluence/.
Membership in NCATA is open and not limited to residents of the Washington, D.C., area. In addition to drawing upon the benefits of NCATA as a longstanding chapter of ATA, NCATA members may volunteer for leadership and mentorship opportunities that support both associations and their shared mission to support the prominence and professionalization of the translation and interpreting industry and its many members. For more details, please visit the NCATA web site at https://ncata.org/.