Patty Liang

Patty Liang is the Executive Director of Deaf Spotlight, which oversees artistic and cultural programming to support Deaf artists and their work. Throughout her career, Patty has pursued opportunities that encourage the Deaf community to embrace and celebrate the arts. She has a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Washington, and an MA in Nonprofit Management for the Arts from New York University. She believes that everyone has the ability to create and express their story through the arts.

Leah Katz-Hernandez

Currently serving in the Office of the CEO at Microsoft, Leah is a dedicated communications and community engagement professional and disability rights advocate. Prior to Microsoft, Leah was known as the celebrated ROTUS, Receptionist of the United States, for President Obama. The first ever deaf person to hold the position, she was appointed to the West Wing after serving in First Lady Michelle Obama’s communications office and for the Obama campaign during the 2012 election cycle. In 2018, Leah contributed a chapter to the book "WEST WINGERS: Stories From The Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside The Obama White House," edited by Gautam Raghavan and published by Penguin Random House.

Diego Guerra

Diego Guerra (they, them, theirs) is a proud native of the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas and lived in Austin, Texas for ten years. They is a proud Deaf Transmasculine Non-binary Chicanx. Currently, they are living in Saint Paul, Minnesota with their partner and two dogs, Rowan and Caribou.

Diego works at National Deaf Center (NDC) and has a passion for community-based projects and programs. They is a consultant and provides trainings and support on various topics for numerous organizations, institutions, and more. They are a foodie, traveler, video gamer, sneakerhead, and enjoy the outdoors.

Angela Theriault

Angela Theriault is the executive director of the Seattle DeafBlind Service Center. She has also worked as an advocate, a case manager and an educator in the U.S. and in Canada. Angela earned a BA in psychology from Gallaudet University and an MA in adult education from Central Michigan University.

Laura Obara Gramer

Laura is a Deaf community advocate, married to deaf man, raising two deaf boys.

April Jackson-Woodard, DI

April Jackson-Woodard, name sign "A" on the middle of chin, a Missouri native who now calls Maryland home. April born and raised as a translator from a multigenerational Black Deaf family then became Deaf interpreter professional in 2018. April grew up in public school then earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and minor in Fine Arts specializing in Theatre and Production at Gallaudet University in 2012. April specializes in the interpretations of Black American Sign Language (BASL), platform/conference, medical, legal, Tactile/ProTactile, International sign and theatre settings - locally, nationally and internationally. During her special moments, April loves to exercise, travel, socialize and spend time with her gorgeous two Deaf children.

Ellie Savidge, CDI, M.A.

Ellie Savidge has had a variety of roles as an interpreter, advocate, consultant, mentor, coach, ASL Instructor, and Interpreter educator. After several years at Microsoft working to improve the employee experience for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees, Ellie now works as an interpreter, coach, and consultant. She is a CDI and holds a M.A. degree in Intercultural Relations from Antioch University.

Stephanie Chao

Stephanie is a nationally certified interpreter living in San Francisco, California. She graduated from the Ohlone College’s Interpreter Preparation Program and has been working as a freelance interpreter for the last 15 years.

Stephanie’s interpreting work experience ranges from tech interpreting to social justice non-profit interpreting.

Stephanie loves traveling and spending as much time as she can camping.

Jeff Wildenstein, CI, CT, NIC-Advanced

Jeff is a freelance interpreter, teacher, and interpreter mentor. Graduated from Seattle Central’s Interpreting Training program in 1996, Jeff then spent the following two years finishing a degree in English/Creative Writing, Poetry from the University of Washington. In 2000, Jeff received his CI and CT and in 2007, NIC-Advanced. He is from Colorado, but having lived in Seattle since 1991, he considers the pacific northwest home.