Mary, the President of the Association, is ATA-certified in Spanish to English translation. She is an Active member of the American Translators Association (ATA), a Certified PRO on ProZ.com, and certified by AAIT in Spanish to English translation. She earned her first industry credentials in 1996 when she was certified in Spanish to English translation by the old interpretation and translation division of the Georgetown University Faculty of Languages & Linguistics. Mary also holds a B.A. in Spanish and a B.A. in International Studies from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. A member of the Association since 1998, Mary has served on the Board previously as AAIT’s Secretary and the editor of Bridges, its quarterly newsletter. As a professional freelance translator, she has nearly 15 years of experience in the language services industry and provides services in many different subject areas to a number of direct and end clients in both the public and private sectors, including many Fortune 500 companies. She is also the founder and moderator of SpTranslators, a popular Yahoo! Group for Spanish/English translators that has been active since 1998, and LegalTranslators, a popular Yahoo! Group for legal translators and court interpreters of all languages that has been active since 2000. (Eons ago, in Internet time!) Prior to becoming a translator, Mary wrote two unpublished novels and worked as a professional editor for a Washington, DC-based publishing firm, Carroll Publishing. As a result of her writing and editing background, clients and colleagues frequently call upon her to create original content for websites and marketing materials and edit, proofread and review the work of other translators. While Mary’s “bread and butter” specialty is Spanish to English business and legal translation, her passion is translating for the entertainment and wine industries. She has translated countless items for cable channels, music producers, and international film conglomerates like Sony, Telemundo, The Cartoon Network, Turner Network Television, Univisión and Warner Bros., and has translated marketing materials for many Spanish, Argentine and Chilean wineries seeking exposure in the U.S. market. As an ardent proponent of knowing one’s subject matter, she holds intermediate certification in wines and spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) of England. (Cheers!) Mary, a native Atlantan of Lebanese descent, lives in Sandy Springs with her grouchy old tabby cat. She enjoys cooking, oil painting and belly dancing, is an accomplished classical pianist, and has even been known to sing at a club or two!