Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT)

NOLS

UC San Diego

Palomar College

Community Builder, Certified Deaf Interpreter & Innovative Trainer.

Certified by the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy (ANFT) as a Nature & Forest Therapy Guide after completing a 9-months long program worth approximately $5,000. 

Certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR) after completing an 80-hours training program.

Host the occasional forest therapy walks both locally and virtually. Partners with Summer Crider of The Giving Cypress, LLC to plan inclusive healing retreats. For details, go here: https://www.thegivingcypress.com/natureretreats.

Self-employed

Independent Nature and Forest Therapy Guide

With a keen focus on advancing digital learning, he oversees online course development, ensures accessibility in compliance with Section 504 & WCAG standards, and implements instructional best practices within its own proprietary Learning Management System (LMS). His commitment to quality and innovation shapes the Academy's online educational landscape and his knowledge of the e-learning industry trends keeps the company ahead of the competition.

360 Degree Academy, Inc.

Chief Innovation Officer

Employed as a part-time legal staff interpreter working remotely to cover legal needs statewide as well extensive English-to-ASL translation work and COVID-19 press conferences.

Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH)

Legal Staff Interpreter (CDI)

Managed and led using trauma-informed leadership principles a top-performing high-tech multimillion center as the solo on-site manager. This includes:

- Supervising a large dynamic team of full-time and part-time staff interpreters working multiple shifts both in the center and out in the community. 
- Rolling out a center expansion that tripled the square footage of the center. 
- Coordinating as a member of a remote team on short, medium, and long-term staffing plans to balance and cover community assignments as well as in-center shifts. 
- Approving paid time off, verifying timesheets, and other payroll responsibilities. 
- Processing difficult calls with staff needing support immediately following the call.
- Analyzing on a regular basis attendance and performance based on established metrics at both the individual and center level. 
- Increasing FTEs through recruitment, interviewing, screening, onboarding, and mentoring interpreters. 
- Resolving employee relations issues impartially and compassionately. 
- Led the development of strategic sales outreach initiatives rolled out locally, regionally, and nationally resulting in 3x the amount of services provided in the community. 
- Frequently interpret as a sign language linguistic and cultural specialist in both the center and community settings.

Sorenson Communications

Director of Interpreting

Managed a 3-year $425,000 federal grant from the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) to increase accessibility and cultural and linguistic competence of domestic and sexual violence services offered to Deaf survivors by three partner agencies. Served as a liaison between grant monitors and the three partner agencies, ensure compliance with grant requirements, promoted relationship building, and facilitated conflict resolution among partners within the grant’s framework that allowed for limited flexibility. Responsible for recruitment and scheduling a carefully selected group of freelance specialized interpreters, particularly those involving survivors. Coordinated the installation and provided follow-up training on using videophones and the appropriate deployment of Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) equipment. Conducted intake interviews and provided communication advocacy for Deaf survivors as well as trauma-informed direct service as a client advocate or as an interpreter. Received formal and on-the-job trauma-informed advocacy training as well as self-study of the Trauma Informed Qualified Interpreter (TIQI) curriculum developed by Vera Institute.

Willow Domestic Violence Center of Greater Rochester (formerly ABW)

Inclusion Project Manager

Deaf Gain Visual Studio (DGVS) was founded to encompass the full-time independent contractor work that I do as a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) which primarily includes the roles listed below.

Interpreter: Since 2010, interpreted for high-risk challenging assignments in a wide range of contexts including but not limited to postsecondary, medical, mental health, legal, and domestic/sexual violence. During the pandemic, provided high-level press conference platform interpreting at the state and metro levels. Pivoted early on during the pandemic to provide technically sophisticated and flexible remote interpreting services on multiple platforms with the capability for live broadcasting.

Translator: Provided professional written English-to-American Sign Language (ASL) translation services of various written materials including but not limited to public service announcements, academic research publications, surveys, manuals/handbooks, and more. Routinely provides pro bono ASL-to-English translations for community members. Provides an all-inclusive service that includes technical assistance, talent procurement, and video editing with enhanced accessibility.

Public Speaker: Provided 1000+ hours of training/workshops/presentations worldwide with a significant amount of original content relevant to the interpreting profession, with an emphasis on Power Privilege Oppression (PPO) content. Worked extensively both informally and formally with 100+ ASL-English and Deaf Interpreters in a co-mentoring partnership incorporating the principles of scaffolding.

Instructional Designer: Develop and implement ambitious training programming for both ASL-English and Deaf Interpreters that typically integrates the application of the flipped classroom approach alongside traditional face-to-face training. Author or ghostwriter for multiple online courses currently in development. Assisted multiple instructors to design and develop their online courses.

Deaf Gain Visual Studio

CEO: Certified Deaf Interpreter, Trainer, and Instructional Designer

Worked remotely for a law firm specializing in disability law to handle prospective client intakes, summarize case documents, author summative reports to aid the evaluation of the case's merits, manage publicity materials, prepare documents and exhibits for filing with the court, coordinate travel arrangements, maintain positive, culturally sensitive relationships with clients, as well as other similar tasks.

Stein & Vargas LLC (Independent Contractor)

Legal Assistant

Served as an in-house inclusion and accessibility subject matter expert within this interfaith community which included delivering accessibility talks as a guest speaker, facilitating small reflective groups, coordinating large fundraising events, mentoring interpreting students and professionals, and recruitment and scheduling of sign language interpreters. This model became one of this interfaith denomination’s models for authentic inclusiveness replicated in other congregations.

First Unitarian Church

Inclusion Ministry Co-Coordinator

Supervised sixteen individuals in a postsecondary interdisciplinary research lab. Managed multiple concurrent data collection projects, attended international linguistic conferences, provided assessments to children at residential institutions, maintained a constant presence in the lab either physically or virtually, and collaborated with researchers worldwide using innovative videoconferencing solutions. Served as a certified rater for a research-based sign language competency assessment tool with the highest intra-rater reliability as well as supporting the development of an internal institute interpreter screening and assessment tool at RIT. Chaired an institute inclusion committee.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Laboratory for Visual Sciences, Social Science Research Lab Manager

Research Assistant, Rayner Eyetracking Lab

Facilitated as a member of a team to foster personal growth, team-building and/or leadership development through various programming including the use of a 60-foot high climbing alpine tower.

UCSD Outback Adventures

Group Facilitator

Project management, web design, brand development, sales strategies, website traffic growth, marketing research, customized vacation rental management solutions and customer loyalty programs.

Rosarito Beach Vacations

Manager

Promoted from tutor to lab supervisor reporting to a remote supervisor responsible for recruitment, training, and supervising six tutors to support the overall day-to-day operational needs of a federally funded tutoring lab with an annual budget of a quarter million dollars. Provided extensive tutoring, both one-on-one and in small groups, with a focus on disabled students as well as students in the interpreting program. Authored an employee procedure manual, implemented an inventory tracking system, submitted quantitative reports at regular intervals, and coordinated various community outreach initiatives.

Jesse "Rupert" Dubler