Judith Custodio is the IMIA Minnesota Chapter Chair
Ms. Judith Custodio have served as volunteer interpreter since 1985, in her country of origin Panama, Germany and the USA. Ms. Custodio has served as a volunteer interpreter with organizations such as the Youth Community Center in Fort Carson, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the AMWAY Corporation in Germany, Doctor’s for Global Health, Schwan’s USA CUP International Youth Soccer Tournament in Minnesota, and other organizations.
Ms. Custodio earned the Certificate in Interpreting at the Program for Translating and Interpreting at the University of Minnesota (2009), the Certificate in Medical Interpreting from the National Center for Interpretation at the University of Arizona (2011) and became a National Certified Medical interpreter (CMI) in 2012. Ms. Custodio earned her Associate in Applied Science in Interpreting and Translation degree from Century College in December 2016.
Ms. Custodio has served in the Education Committee Chair of the Minnesota Interpreting Stakeholder Group (ISG). In addition, she is a volunteer founder of the Century College Translators and Interpreters Walk and Share in Minneapolis. Ms. Custodio is committed to networking with interpreters to share professional experiences and knowledge in the interpreting field, and to contribute to the enrichment of physical, emotional and intellectual care of interpreters while providing the opportunity to build a network within the professional field.
Nataliya Holen is the IMIA Minnesota Vice Chair
Nataliya Holen, BA, CMI, was born in Ukraine, where she received her BA in English and German and started her interpreting career working on a joint project of the Ukrainian and US governments. When Ms.Holen moved to the United States, she started working as a medical interpreter for Allina Health, one of the largest healthcare systems in Minnesota. Very quickly Nataliya realized the importance of formal professional training for medical interpreters and joined the Program for Translating and Interpreting at the University of Minnesota. She has been interpreting for Allina Health Russian and Ukrainian speaking patients for over ten years now and has become a lead interpreter.
Nataliya has been very active in the interpreting community; she currently serves as a Membership Committee Chair of the Minnesota Interpreting Stakeholder Group (ISG), the organization that works on improving access to spoken language interpreter services.
As one of the first certified medical interpreters in Minnesota, Nataliya is committed to the advancement of professional medical interpreters as the best practice to provide high quality interpreter services to LEP patients.