Board Members

Maria del Carmen Rodriguez, President: president@catiweb.org

Maria Rodriguez was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. She is currently working as the Program Director for the Spanish Community Interpreter Program A.A.S. at Cape Fear Community College in Castle Hayne, NC, as well as, a Freelance Medical Interpreter. She is a Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI-Spanish). She holds a Master’s degree in Spanish from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, with emphasis on Spanish Literature and Culture. Maria served as a Director (Conference Coordinator) for the CATI board from 2002 to 2010.  She is a member of the following organizations: CATI, IMIA, and NCIHC. Maria is passionate about interpreting, spending time with family, books, and helping her community.

Aniella Vivenzio, Vice President: vicepresident@catiweb.org

– Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CCHI, Spanish) with a strong passion for leadership and a commitment to advancing the interpreter and translator community. Since January 1, 2023, she has served on the CATI Board as the Director for North Carolina, a role that has allowed her to lead initiatives focused on continuing education and fostering collaboration among professionals.

Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of serving in leadership roles within the American Translators Association (ATA). As a member of the Leadership Council for the Translators Company Division, she worked to promote the interests of interpreters and translators nationwide. Currently, she is part of the Leadership Council for the Audiovisual Division, where she focuses on keeping members informed about emerging technologies, trends, and best practices in the field.

As a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the CCHI, she has furthered her commitment to professional certification, advocating for its adoption in the Carolinas as a benchmark of excellence. This experience has inspired her to help ensure that interpreters in the region are highly skilled and certified to meet the growing demands of the profession.

At CATI, she has organized webinars, seminars, and hands-on workshops to provide members with opportunities to develop and refine their skills. Her goal is to expand these offerings, focusing on practical and results-driven events that empower interpreters to elevate their craft.

She is also deeply committed to fostering greater interaction and collaboration among CATI members. She believes that sharing experiences, resources, and knowledge is essential for personal and professional growth within the community.

With a clear vision and dedication, she remains focused on strengthening CATI and contributing to the ongoing advancement of interpreters and translators across the Carolinas.

Jaime Russell, Treasurer: Treasurer@catiweb.org

Jaime is originally from the Washington, DC metro area, but lived in Argentina for 15 years. While in Argentina she received her Licenciatura (5- year) degree in Business Administration and worked as a Spanish>English translator during and after university. Upon moving back to the US, she worked in the international development, philanthropy and nonprofit sectors, which provided her with experience in nonprofit management and governance. After that, she pivoted back to language full time (medical specialization) and is a certified healthcare interpreter (CCHI), a certified translator (ATA), and a licensed interpreter trainer. She is a volunteer translator for the National Language Service Corps (NLSC), Translators Without Borders (TWB) and Ashoka.
Currently she is the Interpreter Services Education Specialist at UNC Health, which is the largest hospital network in North Carolina. She is extremely interested in professional development and continuing education for translators and interpreters and wants to raise awareness of language access rights and delivery compliance for LEP communities, especially in medical settings. In 2024 she joined the board of directors of the American Translators Association (ATA) and is extremely excited to begin that work within the most recognized T&I association in the country.

Rhode Thomas, Secretary: Secretary@catiweb.org

Rhode Thomas is a seasoned professional interpreter with over 20 years of experience, specializing in healthcare, education, legal, and community services. She is a certified healthcare interpreter (CCHI) and the founder and president of Thomas and Fermin LLC. Recognized as a skilled cultural mediator, she is driven by her passion to promote equitable language access.

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Rhode earned a degree in Arts and Sciences and initially worked as an art teacher before shifting her focus to linguistics at the New York English Academy. Her international experience includes translating religious materials from English into Spanish during her time in the Netherlands and traveling extensively throughout Europe. Her exceptional simultaneous | conference interpretation skills continue to lead her to international opportunities to interpret at weddings, religious gatherings, and medical special events, among others. She also applies her expertise in professional medical interpretation with the World Medical Mission, delivering vital language services in underserved areas and disaster-stricken regions.

Rhode serves on the Board of Directors for the Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters (CATI) and is an active member of the ATA, NAETISL, and AAITE. In addition to her professional work, Rhode collaborates with charitable organizations such as Make-A-Wish South Carolina and Switch, supporting children with critical illnesses and combating human sex trafficking and exploitation in Upstate South Carolina.

Her unwavering commitment to linguistic excellence and community service continues to make a lasting impact.

Daniel Vallejo Quintero, Director at Large - NC: ncdirector2@catiweb.org

I received my training as a Spanish translator from UNC Charlotte. Soon after, I found myself doing far more work as an interpreter. I worked hard to achieve my interpreter certifications in the medical and legal fields. I have been fortunate enough to work in nearly every setting available to a linguist. In 2024, I finished an ASL Interpreter Program after seeing a communication gap in the services provided for Immigrant parents of Deaf children, and Deaf immigrants.
Throughout my career, I’ve come to mentor many interpreters and have been invited to talk in schools about our many language professions to younger generations. I’ve agreed to speak at the schools due to the fact that among the many careers exhibited to students that speak other languages, translation and interpretation are overlooked as possible career paths.
After a decade of work, I decided I wanted to join the Board to bring our different professions together to a common place and strengthen the relations between them to further our knowledge as linguists. Like previous directors, I want to improve on the continuing education opportunities and make our linguists the most trained and skilled in the US. In the current climate, our business-craft demands we become more skilled and unified in our endeavors so we can bring recognition to the myriad of linguistic professions we share. if not for the benefit of our professions; then for the well-being of our patients, clients, families and communities.
Even in the current age of advanced CAT tools and AI, I believe in the future of our professions.

Celia Clave, Director at Large - NC: NCDirector1@catiweb.org

Celia Clave, originally from Patagonia, Argentina, relocated to New York City in 2003. Before that, she spent eight years as a Human Resources manager, a role that perfectly complemented her natural ability to connect with and support others.

Upon arriving in the United States, Celia faced the dual challenges of cultural adjustment and a language barrier, sparking her curiosity about languages and translation, as well as her desire to work closely with diverse communities. In 2010, she began teaching Spanish to adults at the West New York public school in New Jersey. This experience marked the beginning of her journey into interpretation and translation, leading her to collaborate with various organizations in the field.

When she moved to North Carolina, Celia fully embraced interpreting as her profession. She completed a two-year Community and Medical Interpreting program at Durham Tech, establishing a solid foundation for her career. Since then, she has remained committed to lifelong learning in translation and interpretation, earning over 200 hours of continuing education in the medical field and achieving credentials in Behavioral Health Interpretation.

Celia joined CATI in 2021 and has attended every conference since, valuing the organization’s role in professional development. Her time as a freelancer before transitioning into her current leadership position gave her valuable insight into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by both independent contractors and full-time employees.

Last month, Celia attended the ATA conference and became a member of various ATA divisions. She firmly believes that professional associations are vital for industry growth and development, not only for the individuals involved but for the field as a whole, and she intends to remain actively involved in these organizations.

Today, Celia leads the Interpreting Services department at Duke Regional Hospital, a role that reflects her passion for bridging communication gaps and fostering understanding in a multicultural environment. Her dedication to upholding the highest ethical standards and advancing the recognition of the interpreting and translation field continues to inspire her involvement with CATI.

Being a part of the CATI has been a significant experience, both personally and professionally. The connections she made, the knowledge gained, and the sense of community within the association have all played an important role in her growth as an interpreter and translator. As she looks ahead, she hopes to deepen her involvement at every level, contributing to the continued development of the profession. She is excited about the opportunity to give back to an organization that has given so much to her.

Sandra Aidar-McDermott, Director at Large - SC: scdirector1@catiweb.org

Sandra Aidar-McDermott is a certified court interpreter, an ATA certified translator and a conference interpreter. She works mostly in
court, but also interprets in mental health, education, and social services encounters. She holds a Master of Conference Interpreting
from Glendon College, York University, a Master of Science in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a
Licenciatura in Ciencias Políticas from Universidad Católica Argentina. She is a Fulbright recipient, a former electoral officer for the
UN and the OAS and was a policy advisor in the Argentine Senate. Sandra has been a board member of a dance company, a charter
school and a playground association, and recently joined the fantastic board of CATI. She grew up in Patagonia and now calls
Columbia, SC her home, where she lives with her husband, sometimes their daughter and two lovely female cats. She is excited for
what the future holds.

Emily Ortiz Alfonso, Director at Large - SC: scdirector2@catiweb.org

I am the treasurer of Archway Safety Consulting & Language Services, Inc. located in Greenville, SC. During the last decade, I served on the CATI board. Additionally, I am a certified court interpreter serving the courts in the Carolinas. One principal aim is to enhance communication between our profession and those utilizing our services. The following are goals I am determined to achieve:

  • Defend and support the interests and concerns of all interpreters and translators
  • Collaborate with the SC Judicial Branch and SC Court Administration to professionalize the practice of court interpreting
  • Establish ties with allied professions to advance proper language access protocol
  • Add 5 new members from Western NC
  • Add 5 new members from SC
  • Arrange for high-quality in-person workshops