A Year [2024] In Review
A message from Coral Getino*
Today we close 2024. We turn the last page on a year that not only was full of anticipation, and new beginnings, but also great historical relevance. The TAPIT, Inc. corporation turned 20 years old! We started the year with that celebration in mind and made plans for an “in-person” Conference after a 5-year hiatus.
On August 25, 2004, TAPIT, Inc. was born, by the hand of incorporators Judith Kenigson Kristy, Marvyn Tipps, Nick Perez, and Lisa McDonald. The brainchild of Marvyn and Judith, the organization had already been functioning informally for at least a couple of years. But our foremothers saw the need and advantage to organize, with the mission of creating bridges among interpreters, translators, and between them and those who use our services.
TAPIT grew in a few years to more than 300 members that included many related businesses, and several great leaders created a framework for our Annual Conference, our publication THE TAPIT TIMES, and other professional training opportunities. Then everything came to a halt during the pandemic.
Tasked with restoring, rebuilding, and renewing TAPIT, the small 2024 Board of 4 officers (Coral, David, John Mark, and Lee) set out to recapture TAPIT’s history and rebrand it for years to come. We had two goals for the year: recreating a website and having face-to-face meetings and trainings once again.
Early in the year we learned of TAMIT’s demise. Inclement weather made us cancel a winter social, and “life happened” while we were trying to get our priorities straight. The Advocacy Committee held a Town Hall to hear concerns from judiciary interpreters. We had a few virtual Meet-and-Greets during the year, but we held public monthly Board meetings by Zoom almost every month.
Before we knew it, summer was around the corner, and we had to trade our original Conference plans for a joyous TAPIT Birthday Party in Nashville. Just one day short of the actual 20th anniversary, this was a celebration of our shared past and future, bringing colleagues and friends together.
That party served as an “appetizer” for our hunger to meet. Just 4 weeks later, at the end of September, we had encore celebrations for International Translation Day in four locations of this long state we call home: Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Maryville. The Maryville press reported on the gathering and announced TAPIT’s scholarships in memory of Ronny Tipps, and the newly created Ardis Nelson Scholarship. Jeanette Marengo Jimenez and Allison Henry won a year of TAPIT membership and free registration to the conference.
After the summer, work started to rev up. Our November conference was around the corner. Matt Benton was appointed Treasurer. On October 1st, the website was finally under construction. We had a functional website by October 17, at the time of our pre-conference training with CCHI.
And about 20 days later, on November 9-10… we had our first hybrid conference ever in Nashville! We are very grateful for all the support and expertise that Hope Collins and the groups from Vanderbilt Hospital and the Tennessee Language Center contributed to make it happen. The event was attended by 55 in-person and 17 remote participants. We had 9 speakers, 3 exhibitors, 2 tracks, 10 instructional hours, and 4 agencies that awarded credits. And we enjoyed it and learned so much about AI! The cherry on the top was a wonderful celebration dinner where we enjoyed Pedro Abriles’ live music and Marvyn and Judith recalled how TAPIT came about.
The fruits of this conference reaped abundantly at the 2024 elections. For the first time in a while, each position of the TAPIT Board is filled! We are happy to report that membership grew more than 30% since the year before. Slightly more professionals practice in the legal than medical fields, but some do both and a third translate as well. Almost half of our members are seasoned professionals, but there is room to grow. Less than half of the judiciary interpreters and about one third of medical interpreters are certified.
Now, as in 2004, we still face different challenges, but there is strength in numbers. TAPIT is now a “vicenarian”, and we will take on the opportunities of growing “out West”, revitalizing the committees, bringing back skill-building training, as well as other professional development events. One of our top priorities is to develop the website’s Member Portal and Community, to increase the advertising of our member’s services and sharing and communication among us.
So many sweet memories 2024 leaves behind! My heartful thanks to all who made it possible, and those who took part.
Year 2025, we welcome you with open arms!
Coral Getino, TAPIT President
Copyright © 2024 TAPIT Inc. All Rights Reserved.
* This content was created without the use of AI.
