Meet The UpGrade Planning Team

Founder & Executive Administrator

Donna Flanders, MS, CI & CT

Donna Flanders graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a degree in
Interpretation for the Deaf in 1991 and immediately relocated to Georgia to become an educational interpreter in the metro Atlanta area. In 1999, Donna left the full-time workforce
to expand her career working in the community. As an independent contractor, Donna has worked in a variety of settings, both in Georgia, across the States, and even abroad. Donna has taught numerous workshops specifically designed for K-12 interpreters and has also had the pleasure of presenting at several RID national-level conferences. Before the pandemic, Donna worked on staff at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf in Clarkston, Georgia, interpreting for the staff and faculty, but also working on special interpreted projects related to the education and language nutrition of Deaf children. In recent years, Donna taught as part of the faculty at the University of South Florida, Tampa, and the University of North Florida, Jacksonville. Currently, Donna has returned to freelance interpreting in the metro Atlanta area
and works as a consultant for interpreters working in the K-12 educational environment. Donna holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Interpreting Pedagogy. As a seasoned professional working in the field of interpreting for over 34 years, Donna looks forward to meeting you and supporting you wherever you may be on your journey.

Assistant Administrator

Diane Lynch, CI & CT, EdK-12

Diane has worked in the ASL/English interpreting industry since graduating from an ITP in 1993– first as a freelancer, then as an educational interpreter, and now primarily as a VRS interpreter. Her commitment to consumers and colleagues has remained steadfast, and Diane was fortunate to have many mentors along the way as teachers and guides as she developed her skills in a milieu of roles and disciplines within the field. Diane believes that our craft is not static, but can evolve and develop by the inspiration of community and colleagues, and this is why she supports the mission and vision of the UpGrade Conference. Duluth, Georgia, is where Diane calls home, but her roots are in New Jersey. Her free time is spent power walking, reading, doing churchie things and camping in an A-Liner, lovingly named "A Frame of Mine". 

Marketing

Richard Brumberg, BA, CI & CT, NIC

Richard grew up on Long Island in New York. While in high school, he became close friends with a Deaf peer in a youth group. This sparked his love of the Deaf community and ASL. After earning his BA in English from the University of Rochester, Richard’s original intent was to become an elementary teacher for the Deaf. In 1992, his friends in the Deaf community encouraged him to pursue a career in interpreting. In New York, Richard worked as a staff interpreter for a Deaf-owned interpreting agency. For fourteen years, Richard specialized in K-12 public school settings in New York, Georgia, and North Carolina. He served as Coastal (North Carolina) RID’s Educational Liaison. In Georgia, he worked in conjunction with state departments to help educational interpreters obtain qualification or certification. He was also a former board member (Member At Large) and co-chair of Interpreters in Educational and Instructional Settings for Georgia RID. Since 2001, he has presented locally, statewide, nationally and internationally. Currently, Richard lives in Atlanta and works as a full-time community interpreter. He is thrilled to be a part of this committee and looks forward to continuing working with the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, DeafBlind, and interpreting communities! 

Business Liaison

LaToya Childs, CI, CoreCHI, MS.ED. MSML, BSIT

LaToya has been working in the interpreting field for over 20 years as a nationally certified interpreter and is currently a full-time freelance interpreter and interpreter educator.  LaToya has also worked in a variety of settings, including 12 years of educational interpreting. Educational interpreting is a setting that requires consistent growth and professional development. LaToya’s passion is mentoring and educating aspiring interpreters. She has diligently studied mentoring strategies and frameworks.  When LaToya is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and is a dedicated “paw-rent”.