ATA 56 in Miami Was a Memorable Event for PLD Members

Rafa Lombardino (PLD Blog Editor)

The 56th ATA Annual Conference came and went, but it will forever stay with PLD members. There were so many memorable moments during the event, and we will share a few of them here, so those of you who were able to joined us can cherish them now. As for our colleagues who unfortunately could not make it to Miami, we hope these conference highlights will encourage you to make plans for San Francisco next year.

25th Anniversary ― ATA’s 56th Annual Conference marked 25 years of Portuguese Language Division. We were able to celebrate it during our dinner party at American Social, a laid back restaurant by the river, and our annual meeting, where some of the founding members were present, so we could pay tribute to their effort and get ready for the next 25 years.

 

New Administration ― This year we also voted in a new Administrator and Assistant Administrator. Tereza Braga passed the shield to Mirna Soares, the new Administrator, and Érika Lessa will replace Bianca Bold as her Assistant Administrator.

 

Distinguished Speaker ― Captain Israel Souza had two special sessions to talk about his role as a translator and interpreter in peace missions. Click the links below to read more about each individual topic.

• The Role of Translation and Interpreting in the United Nations Peace Missions
• Tough Guys Also Translate: United Nations Peace Mission in Haiti

He also took the opportunity to enjoy a well-deserved vacation through Florida with his daughter Elena.

 

Marian S. Greenfield’s Financial Translation Presentation Award ― It is with great pleasure that we saw our very own PLD Member João Vicente de Paulo Júnior receiving an award for his contributions to financial translations. During the event, he presented a session entitled Making Financese and Economese Sing.

 

Statements ― Thanks to a great initiative by our former Assistant Administrator, Bianca Bold, we now have a few statements from attendees, who shared their impressions about the event. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for more statements and interesting videos.

 

Extra Activities ― For a few years now, our PLD member Cris Silva has been leading a fun activity for those early birds who want to break a sweat before breakfast. Her zumba sessions are always a success and have already become a tradition. Another good, healthy habit some PLD members have picked up during the conference is signing up for a local race as a way to see more of the city and create a strong bond. This year, four PLD members got together to complete the iRun 5k, organized by a local sports store.

 

 

If you attended ATA’s 56th Annual Conference and would like to contribute to our Facebook page, please add the hashtag #PLD25 to the description of your Facebook pictures. If you prefer to email them, feel free to send us a message to info@pldata.net. As we receive more material, we’ll add them to our conference album.

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RAFA LOMBARDINO is a translator and journalist from Brazil who lives in California. She is the author of “Tools and Technology in Translation ― The Profile of Beginning Language Professionals in the Digital Age,” which is based on her UCSD Extension class. Rafa has been working as a translator since 1997 and, in 2011, started to join forces with self-published authors to translate their work into Portuguese and English. In addition to acting as content curator at eWordNews, a collective blog about translation and literature, she also runs Word Awareness, a small network of professional translators, and coordinates Contemporary Brazilian Short Stories (CBSS), a project to promote Brazilian literature worldwide.