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Darlene Austin-President-(Baton Rouge)
Darlene, CI and CT, has been a professional sign language interpreter for 15 years and has worked as a staff and freelance interpreter. She has an ABS in Business Administration from Delgado Community College in New Orleans. She is currently employed as a VRS Interpreting Manager in Baton Rouge and has been working in the VRS industry since 2004. She was born and raised in the New Orleans area and currently resides in Baton Rouge with her Deaf parents and her "baby" Patches.
lrid_president@yahoo.com |
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Monique Sarpy Revader-Vice-President -(Luling - Greater New Orleans Area)
Monique, NIC, began her professional interpreting career in November 2005, just months after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to interpreting, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge in 2004. Monique has interpreted for several high-profile clients including President Obama, Colin Powell, Soledad O’Brien, and Sidney Poitier –to name a few. She is currently working for a local Video Relay Service (VRS) provider and is also a freelance interpreter in the Greater New Orleans community. She is a member of RID, LRID, and CODA. Monique loves to travel and sample new cuisines with her husband Norris. She is proud to be the daughter of Deaf parents Joseph and Carol Sarpy. One of her favorite quotes is “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.
lrid_vicepresident@yahoo.com |
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Jennifer Kuyrkendall - Secretary/Acting Treasurer (Baton Rouge)
Jennifer, NIC Advanced and Ed: K-12, began her professional interpreting career in June 2005, became nationally certified in April 2008 and has worked in various settings: post-secondary, video relay, legal, mental health, medical and community. In 2009, she was a member of the final class of the Theater Development Fund’s Interpreting for the Theater program at The Juilliard School in New York City, NY. She is currently a staff interpreter in a K-12 educational setting and is also a freelance interpreter in the Greater Baton Rouge area.
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Leslie Knowles - CMP Coordinator (New Orleans)
Picture and biography coming soon!
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Andrew Veith - Member at Large (Baton Rouge)
Andrew began his professional career journey in 2002, working in VRS industries and community service centers. He is now working for Deaf Focus as an Operations Manager providing a wide variety of support services to the Deaf community. Andrew received his Certificate of Technical Studies in American Sign Language (ASL) Studies and Associate of Arts in Interpreting from Delgado Community College in New Orleans. He is currently working to earn a Certified Deaf Interpreter certification. He provides support as a communication facilitator and interpreter in ASL for deaf and deaf-blind clients. He also provides training and workshops related to ASL classes, BabySigns, Deaf History and Culture, Language Development and Mentoring Interpreters and Teachers. Andrew is a member of many organizations such as the Louisiana Association for the Deaf, Louisiana Registry Interpreter for the Deaf, National Association for the Deaf, Registry Interpreter for the Deaf, Conference of Interpreter Trainers, and the American Sign Language Teachers Association. He is an outspoken advocate and emerging leader in the community.
To contact, email: andrew@deaffocus.com
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Michelli Hanks-LeFors - LAD Representative to LRID (Prairieville)
Born and raised by deaf parents – Leon and Marlene Hanks, in Houston, Texas. And moved to Louisiana in the late 1990s. She is proudly married to David LeFors and enjoys being a mother of four children – three CODAs and one deaf. Michelli is currently working at the Federal United States Postal Service as a Sub-Carrier, and clerk part-time for three years. Michelli is also working on getting Clinical Social Worker courses to get her degree complete. She has extensive experience serving as a Deaf & Blind Special Service Provider. In her youth, she was mentored by her mother who used to work as S.A.A.or othewise called “Salvation Army Assistance” a Special Service Provider. She is also currently working to earn a Certificated Deaf Interpreter in ASL for Deaf - Blind clients as a Communication Feeder. In June 2011, Michelli was elected as Secretary of Louisiana Association of the Deaf, Inc.
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