The Bangor Interpreting Agency

Message from the President

Amended from a talk President Nancy Ordway gave to interpreters and their families, at the Spectacular Event Center, in 2006.

We are celebrating more than twelve years as an Agency, a business that began by providing interpreters for the Deaf to the Bangor area public schools, and to law enforcement in Penobscot County, and that has expanded into programs and services far beyond our initial offerings or dreams. We began as a handful of interpreters and transliterators, and just our local staff, staff interpreters, and community interpreters now number more than 60. We work in more than 20 languages and dialects, including the initial American Sign Language, in every situation and venue imaginable, and we are able to provide distance services through the telephone and web, accessing hundreds more interpreters, worldwide. We are the in-person, go-to resource for interpretation, translation, Deaf and Foreign Cultural Awareness education and help throughout the state of Maine. Our people do good work and you all should know it!

Each of our people is necessary not only to the success of the Agency but also as a key communicator in Bangor and beyond. Some have worked through BIA for many years and put in thousands of hours in hospitals, doctors offices, schools, colleges, social service agencies, the courts, in as many locations as there are situations. Others are called on only occasionally for extraordinary situations or particular languages. Perhaps someone from their country of origin is waiting to hear the diagnosis of a sick child, at midnight, in the emergency room. The interpreter goes in, behaves professionally and compassionately, and that parent, that doctor, and therefore that child's needs are met. Some who are new are still waiting for their first call from us. I hope they know that we consider them as valuable as all the others to the organization. They know how they would feel if they suddenly needed an interpreter, and there was no one who spoke their language. They've made a commitment to BIA fulltime, part-time or occasionally to be of assistance should the need arise. I'm here to say thank you, to all of them; they are some of the finest people I know.

The Bangor Interpreting Agency has several program areas, and their directors are as follows: Pat Heitmann, CI, CT, EIPA with almost thirty years as an interpreter for the Deaf is the Director of ASL Interpreters. Pat is a particularly-gifted interpreter, and has been an instructor of ASL at the University level. Equally comfortable with attorneys and Shakespeare, she's received special training in theatrical and legal interpreting.

Maria Bouder, an interpreter and translator fluent in Italian, English and French, is our Training and Event Coordinator. This program has taken off, and Maria is always interested to meet people who are interested in interpreting, whatever their background and languages. Recently, Maria found herself the sole and very much needed connection between Italian and English, for a huge corporation with a highly technical and valuable installation. We are very pleased to have Maria onboard.

There is no more people-to-people business than interpretation, and we employ some of the best support staff for this occupation to be found. We appreciate all of our staff and interpreters, and especially want to take note here of Stephanie Degrasse who arranges most of the ASL assignments, Penny Crowe who crunches our numbers and Donna Irish, our bilingual development associate. To all of you I extend my thanks.