Dr. Wilson is a prescribing medical psychologist and board-certified neuropsychologist in full-time private practice inside and outside Washington State. He holds privileges at several area hospitals and has worked extensively with physicians, other healthcare providers, and forensic experts, providing neuropsychological evaluations across the U.S. The field of neuropsychology is dedicated to learning about and diagnosing conditions related to the brain and nervous system. As a Past President of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses, Dr. Wilson also serves on the Diversity Council for the Society of Prescribing Psychology and as Chair of the Diversity Committee for the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology. Dr. Wilson has also published a book on the what, how, and why of dementia and the hearing loss tie-in. In Preserving the Etchings of the Mind, Dr. Wilson discusses how we can protect ourselves against the disease of dementia while maximizing the quality of our lives during the Golden Years. This book offers a rare and unique perspective into the world of dementia through the lens of hearing loss. The book can be found here: https://bit.ly/3XAJwAI

Jeremy Quiroga is an accomplished professional who channels his passion for life and American Sign Language (ASL) through national workshops and performances. Beginning his career as a medical interpreter, Jeremy became the first staff Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) for the University of Rochester Medical Center, marking a pivotal moment that steered his focus toward medical interpreting. With exceptional ASL mastery and a wealth of life experience, Jeremy delivers dynamic interpreter workshops equipped with a wide array of tools tailored for diverse interpreting settings. Currently, he works as a Video Remote Interpreter (VRI) specializing in the medical field. Outside of work, Jeremy enjoys cooking, hiking, and gardening, pursuits that reflect his zest for creativity and connection with nature.

Leslie Pertz began her professional career as an HR manager, recruiter and regional trainer for a big box retail store, then shifted to learning American Sign Language and worked for many years as a nationally certified freelance ASL-English interpreter; primarily specializing in medical and mental health, and post-secondary interpreting, some days getting to meet Barack Obama or His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and other days working with a student in-training veterinarian around horses in a horse barn. She then attended graduate school in social work at Michigan State University, and later worked in hospital/medical settings including NICU, labor/delivery, pediatrics, inpatient rehabilitation, ICU, dialysis, and primary care. She worked for many years at University of Michigan Health- Michigan Medicine and helped start the Deaf Health Clinic at that institution. She has been in private practice since 2016 and specializes in reproductive psychotherapy, and is a certified perinatal mental health clinician through Postpartum Support International. Leslie’s current clinical focus is primarily on women and birth givers who have experienced birth trauma, pregnancy/ infant loss, infertility, and postpartum anxiety. She additionally sees people who are in recovery from substance abuse, and complex trauma. Leslie is building to open her own group psychotherapy practice that will incorporate somatic and adjunct healing modalities, she is a reiki master, and a RYT-200 yoga instructor. Leslie enjoys consulting and teaching both interpreters and mental health professionals about working together in that realm and has presented locally, and at state, national, and international conferences, and has consulted with professionals around the world. Leslie lives with her spouse and two bichon frises (Alexis Rose and Keeley Jones) in Ann Arbor, MI, and when she is not working she enjoys cross stitching, being at Lake Michigan, cross country skiing, and binging any serialized television available.

Nigel Howard is an instructor at the University of Victoria in the Department of Linguistics. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Linguistics. At Douglas College, he had worked in the Program of Sign Language Interpretation (INTR), and Child, Family and Community Studies (CFCS) for 25 years. Nigel has been an interpreter for nearly 30 years in various settings such as medical, mental health, legal, theatre, community, and conference/workshops locally, nationally, and internationally. He is an Accredited International Sign Interpreter under the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI), and is also part of the United Nations team of International Sign interpreters and interprets media. Broadcasting and translating are his forte. Nigel advocates for Deaf communities locally in British Columbia, nationally across Canada and globally around the world in human rights, accessibility, signed languages, and Deaf culture. Such examples are being Vice President of the BC Deaf Community Foundation (DCF) and former executive board member of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI). He provides consultations, educational workshops/training and presentations to various governments and organisations/associations to enhance better understanding, appreciation and awareness of Deaf culture and its signed language. It is a big part of his role as advocate, educator, and motivator. Such examples are “Global Diversity in Deaf Culture”, and “Enculturation and Acculturation: Deaf and Hearing Worlds/Spaces”. Nigel was also part of the Editorial board for the International Journal of Interpreter Editor (for over 10 years).

Trenton Marsh has been a communicator since he was knee high to a short chihuahua. Born to deaf parents and deaf siblings, he grew up attending the California School for the Deaf in both Berkeley and Fremont. After a year and a half at NTID majoring in Art, he went back West as a young man. His long and winding journey led him to Salt Lake City, Utah where he got his Deaf Interpreting certification and started interpreting and mentoring in the mid 2000s. Trenton has interpreted in a wide variety of settings and has specialized in medical interpreting over the past two years. He still lives in Salt Lake City with his wife Bonnie and two COCA-CODA kids, Madi and Rider.