Committees & Divisions

 Questions? Want to volunteer for a committee or division?      Contact NOTIS

Legal DIVISION (formerly "Court interpreter division")

Originally a separate entity founded as the Washington State Court Interpreters and Translators Society (WITS), the Division operated as an independent sister organization to NOTIS for 25 years. WITS merged into the NOTIS infrastructure in 2013, but maintains its court interpreter focus. Recently the Division expanded to cover all interpreters and translators who work in legal or court settings. For more information, contact info@notisnet.org.

COMMUNITY INTERPRETER DIVISION (CID)

The Community Interpreter Division is dedicated to promoting professionalism and excellence in interpreting in order to enhance the provision of health, social services, and K-12 education to our region’s diverse communities. The group sponsors regular trainings and events around the region. For more information, please contact Yvonne Simpson.

TRANSLATION DIVISION

The Translation Division organizes events and trainings of interest to translators working with the written word. The group meets regularly for readings, workshops, and presentations by guest speakers. The division includes the Northwest Literary Translators, a group of experienced and aspiring translators of literature. For more information on the Northwest Literary Translators, please visit their page on the NOTIS website or contact Shelley Fairweather-Vega. For information or to volunteer for the Translation Division contact Laura Friend. 

FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Finance Committee tracks NOTIS’s budget and financial accounts to ensure funds are used responsibly and in the best interests of the organization and its members. For more information or to volunteer, please contact chair Rosemary Nguyen.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The Nominating Committee is charged with finding and evaluating potential board members for NOTIS’s annual elections, and with helping to onboard new board members. For more information or to suggest a candidate, please contact committee chair Laura Friend.

Publications COMMITTEE

NOTIS publishes The Northwest Linguist blog (on its website), NOTIS News Quarterly newsletters (via email), and a full-length, annual newsletter. All publications feature articles, events, and other information of interest to translators and interpreters in our five-state region and beyond. Committee members collect, review, and post contributions. Contact Brianna Salinas for further information on submissions or to volunteer for the committee. 

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

This committee focuses on promoting and publicizing NOTIS’s events, objectives, and outreach efforts and keeping members informed of industry changes and opportunities across multiple channels—including the NOTIS website. The committee also maintains and monitors the Society’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. For more information or to volunteer, email Marketing & Communications Specialist Brianna Salinas.

membership development & Grants committee

In June 2023, the NOTIS Board approved the merger of the Scholarship and the Membership committees. The new Membership Development and Grants Committee endeavors to contribute to the professional development of NOTIS members through networking events and meetups, grants to attend conferences and other educational events, and practice groups. For more information or to join this committee please write to info@notisnet.org.

ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

The Advocacy Committee supports NOTIS members in their efforts to advance their professional interests. The Committee tracks legislation that could affect translators and interpreters, keeps members informed, offers opinions on professional issues to government agencies, trade organizations, and the business community, and, where appropriate, takes action on behalf of interpreters and translators. For more information, to join this committee, or to bring an issue to our attention, please write to info@notisnet.org.

SOCIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE

The Social Events Committee organizes events throughout the year: the popular NOTIS summer picnic and our annual December meeting and holiday party. For more information, please contact info@notisnet.org.