IdahoRID

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Board of Directors

President - Holly Thomas-Mowery
 
Holly’s first introduction to IdahoRID was in 1991; in 1994, she was asked to chair a Fundraising Committee.  Honored to be trusted with such a task for a organization she so loved, she jumped in with both feet.  She is a two-time past Treasurer of IdahoRID and has served on various committees.

Holly owns an interpreting practice based in Boise, Idaho, and also enjoys VRS interpreting.  Holly is an accomplished platform interpreter and interpreter educator, holding national certifications including CI, CT, NIC Master and Specialist Certificate: Legal.  She earned her MA in Organizational Leadership from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon in 2004. Holly thoroughly enjoys the challenges of legal interpreting and performing arts interpreting.  She lives in Meridian with her husband and three children.

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President-Elect  - Mike Smith
 
Mike has been a student of sign-language since 1989, when he worked at Camp Tatiyee in Pinetop, Arizona. He continued his studies when the camp finished at a local college in Arizona.  He served a Deaf Program mission for his church in Chicago, Pennsylvania and New York, and learned a great deal mainly due to immersion in the deaf community. When he returned, he moved to Utah and began interpreting at Utah Valley State College. This allowed him to expand his vocabulary and have a variety of experiences in a wide range of classes. He continued working there until 2001 while also doing free-lance interpreting and running EverSmith Inc., an interpreting agency with his wife, Jerusha.

In 2001, Mike went to work full-time as a staff interpreter for Network Interpreting Services in Idaho. He passed RID CT certification, and in 2002 RID CI certification. His most recent achievements are the RID NIC Advanced certification, and the SC:L legal certification Specialty Certificate.  He continues to love interpreting and sign-language.  It’s perfectly suited to his eclectic personality, and, as he has a wide range of interests and hobbies, he is able to have a wide range of experiences through interpreting.  The situations he encounters never fail to challenge or impress him--he has found his career for life.

Vice-President - Renee Higbee
 
Renee Higbee's first introduction to Sign Language and Deafness was in 1999 when her son was born. She is a wife and mother of two school age children. As an advocate for individuals with hearing loss, Renee has served on various boards and committees throughout Idaho such as Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind, ID Infant Toddler, and ID Hands and Voices among other organizations. 
 
She is passionate about educating and encouraging future educational interpreters. She is currently serving as a temporary Visiting Clinical Professor at Idaho State University Meridian campus in the Sign Language Studies and Educational Interpreting department. In her spare time, Renee enjoys camping, hiking and overnight backpacking with her family and friends.


Secretary - Karen Nelson
 
 
Karen Nelson has been interpreting in education for over 23 years and started interpreting in the video relay setting two years ago. She has earned her NIC and a 4.5 on the EIPA.  Karen loves to learn and her next goal is to become a tri-interpreter by learning Spanish.
Karen has 2 daughters who live with her in Boise, and she loves dancing.






Lynne previously served IdahoRID as the scholarship chairperson. She has been professionally interpreting for a number of years, and having parents who are Deaf, she has been involved in the Deaf community since she was a child.
 
Lynne has RID NIC Master certification and has 17 years of freelance experience, 10 years of K-12 educational interpreting experience, and more than six years of Video Relay experience.  She is a proud mother of three daughters and a doting grandmother of two sweet grandsons..   

 
 
Jayne was first introduced to sign language and the deaf community about 16 years ago. She jumped in with both feet and a true passion to learn ASL in order to start language learning as soon as possible with her three children, two of which are Deaf. She knows she has found her calling in K-12 Educational Interpreting, where she has enjoyed working for the last six years. In June 2008 she received an EIPA score of 4.0, then went on to graduate in August 2011 from a K-12 Educational Interpreter Program through the University of Northern Colorado. After graduating she took and passed the EIPA Written Knowledge Test. Then in order to continue growing and learning within the Interpreting profession she joined both RID and IRID then subsequently was successful in becoming Ed: K-12 certified.
Jayne thoroughly enjoys socializing in the Deaf community, playing softball, relaxing with her family and interpreting at her local church which she's been doing for about 10 years.

    

 
Melanie is currently an educational interpreter in the Boise School District.  She has worked in the Nampa and Boise Schools for 14 years.  She has worked primarily in the elementary setting, but has also been involved in Special Education, Jr. and Sr. High School levels.  She is also working in the video relay setting and has done so for the last 5 years.  Melanie graduated from Idaho State University with a B.S. in Educational Interpreting and has her NIC certification.
 
Melanie enjoys golfing, hiking, running and is an avid football fanatic.  She also enjoys spending time with her two young boys and husband.

  


My name is Holly Shroll.  In the fall of 2010 I learned about RID and Idaho RID, and I became a student member of both organizations, in order to stay informed about the interpreting profession and find opportunities for advanced learning outside of the classroom.  

I’m currently a student at Idaho State University in Meridian.  I have my Associate of Science degree in Sign Language Studies.  I’m presently working on my bachelors for the ISU Educational Interpreting Program.  

I enjoy attending public Deaf events, through these events I have made many Deaf friends and acquaintances.  The more Deaf people I get to know the more excited I become.  This is a new space for me and I’m so thankful for all the people who go out of their way to make me feel welcome.

I’m really looking forward to this new responsibility.  It’s going to be quite the adventure.    
 

Jeanie was first introduced to sign language through a class offered at the church she was attending. She was hooked and ended up being involved in Deaf Ministry for 20 years. She has done some freelance interpreting but found a good fit in video relay which she has been doing for the last five years.

Jeanie attended ISU Boise campus in 2002/2003. She is CI, CT, and NIC certified. She enjoys gardening, running and experimenting with healthy nutritional options. Jeanie and her husband David live in Kuna. They have one amazing son who lives in California.
 
"Roots amazingly set a course for  our lives when we are young and oblivious to the direction that our lives are being led."  
As the youngest child of Deaf parents, interpreting was never considered part of the future.  Having grown up on the East Bay of San Francisco, it was through a hearing friend that  Marlene attended Ohlone College to study interpreting for two years.
Marlene moved abruptly to Idaho in 1983 to take advantage of a job opportunity for her spouse. In 1991, the school district was looking for an interpreter and Marlene jumped in with both feet.  After fifteen years in the school system, Marlene moved on to other opportunities that broadened to other avenues of interpreting. Through the encouragement of friends, certification became attainable:  CI, CT, & NIC.   Her hobbies include walking and spending time with her grandchildren.

 
 
fundraising@idahorid.org  
Shannon has been interpreting professionally since 2004. She has experience interpreting in the college setting, community free-lance interpreting and video relay. Shannon earned National Interpreter Certification (NIC) in March 2011 and thoroughly enjoys interpreting.
Growing up in a family with many deaf family members, she was raised with being part of the deaf community. She did not plan on being an interpreter, however, working at the College of Southern Idaho gave her the opportunity to take a new career direction. Shannon currently teaches American Sign Language at the CSI Refugee Program and in the Sign Language Studies program at the college campus,  which provides a great career along with interpreting. 
 
Shannon graduated from Boise State University in 2004 with a Masters degree in Instructional and Performance Technology. She has enjoyed being the chairperson of the Fundraising Committee and looks forward to continued involvement with IdahoRID for many more years. 

 
 
webmaster@idahorid.org
 
Mike Holman is a computer "nut."  Mike has been working with computers since high school (20+ years ago).  Mike started working on Apple II and currently enjoys developing websites and creating multimedia for hearing and Deaf.  Mike has an Associate's degree with ITT-Tech in Computer and Electronics Engineering Technology.  Mike is currently working on his Bachelor's degree in Web Development.
 
Mike has been interpreting for over 20 years.  Mike has developed his signing skills primarily with Deaf associates.  Mike has interpreted in the educational (20+ years), freelance (12+ years), and Video Relay Service (1 year).  Mike plans on using his technological abilities and apply them where ever they are needed and of benefit.