Committees

Committee Descriptions

Advisory:  ensure all concerns, questions, and perspectives of MRID members are heard and shared with the MRID Board of Directors and to establish an ongoing connection with representatives from various communities in order to maintain and develop stronger relationships within the MRID community. The committee will meet electronically via video conferencing four times each calendar year under the direction of the Membership Director. The Membership Director may communicate with committee members outside of the meeting dates if there are any time-sensitive questions/concerns that need to be discussed. (Members@MRID.org)

Bylaws: oversee any legal changes to the organizational structure of MRID.    (President@MRID.org)

The Bylaws Committee is responsible to:

Camp ASL:  Organizes a 3 day silent weekend for students, interpreters, teachers, deaf community, and anyone else wanting to experience a voices-off all-ASL retreat.   (CampASL@MRID.org)

Conference/Forums:  design, organize, and host professional development/networking opportunities that serve all interpreters and deaf community in the state of Minnesota.

Educational Interpreters: provide support and professional development opportunities specifically for interpreters that work in the Educational setting.    (President@MRID.org)

The Educational Interpreters Committee is responsible to:

Freelance:  promote among its members regular and active participation, state representation, support and nurturing for personal and professional growth; and a vehicle for new members of the Freelance Community to be welcomed into the field.    (President@MRID.org)

The Freelance Committee is responsible to:

Fundraising: ensure the successful endeavors of MRID and to promote MRID as a professional organization.  The Fundraising Committee is committed to maintaining a stable financial base for the professional interpreting organization through merchandise sales, special fundraisers, etc.    (President@MRID.org)

The Fundraising Committee is responsible to:

Licensure:  Ad-hoc committee established in 2019 for the investigation of the potential of interpreter licensure in the state of Minnesota. The committee will collaborate with MADC as appropriate. The composition of the committee shall be made up of at least 50% deaf interpreters.

Membership: registers and maintains valid memberships to MRID.   (Membership@MRID.org)

This includes:

Membership Co-Chairs

Nicole Thornberg

Carly Fischbeck

Nominations: convenes once a year (a few months prior to the annual Fall Conference) to seek out candidates who would be willing and capable to serve on the MRID Board of Directors.    (President@MRID.org)

Professional Development: works throughout the year as a liaison between MRID and RID to provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to MRID’s membership.   (PDC@MRID.org)

The PDC is responsible to:

Public Policy: engage MRID members in active participation in relevant legislative and public policy initiatives.    (President@MRID.org)

The Public Policy Committee is responsible to:

Update:  create a publication which will be published electronically as a member-only benefit and which will consist of advertising events from the community, updates from the organization, articles submitted by members, member spotlights, etc.     (Update@MRID.org)

Research Committee (ad hoc): charged with researching issues, as requested by the board, that are impacting current events in the community.    (President@MRID.org)

In order to fulfill that charge the committee:

Scholarship:  responsible for soliciting and screening scholarship applications. The committees then choose recipients for each award.    (Scholarships@MRID.org)

Website: the MRID’s website (www.mrid.org) is updated and maintained by this committee.    (Webmaster@MRID.org)

The Website Committee is responsible to: