The State Representative Council Members serve an important role in providing a link between State branches and the National Executive Committee. They are elected by state branches to represent their home state at national level, and to act as liaison for national at state level. They disseminate information and provide bi-monthly state reports and feedback from to our members nationally.

Based on feedback received from the ASLIA membership, it was felt that practitioners with NAATI Paraprofessional accreditation should be represented at the national level. Given that the vast majority of practitioners currently working in Australia are accredited at this level, they may be aware of issues and points of view which should be considered in decision-making at the national level.

As such, the ASLIA National Representative Council serves as a body of review, a reference group and a pool of additional personnel who may be able to assist ASLIA National in achieving its goals. Furthermore, the Representative Council members are able to represent the views of their state associations and gain feedback and insight from their local communities.

These are our State Representative Council Members:

 

Victoria

Khang Chiem gained his paraprofessional NAATI accreditation in 2004 in Canberra where he worked in the public service from 2003-2007 and interpreted part-time. He grew up in Brisbane interpreting for his Deaf brothers and sisters, and friends. Khang has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemistry and Bachelor of Business Management. He moved to Melbourne in September 2007 and continues to work full-time in the public service, interprets casually and volunteers with a community organisation. His interpreting areas of interest include community interpreting, education interpreting and religious interpreting. His past times include reading, going to the theatre and orchestra, and staying in touch with his family. He is on the ASLIA Vic committee and is one of Victoria's state representatives to the ASLIA National.

 

 

Kirri Dangerfield gained her Professional Level accreditation in 2009. Her main area of intrest in the interpreting field is alternative theatre and performance. Kirri has been studying her Post Grad of interpreting at Macquaire University with only one subject yet to be completed, she can see that glorious moment of graduation in sight! Especially as she lives in Melbourne, the only thing about studying that Kirri will certainly not miss are the numerous flights back and foreth to Sydney. Kirri is now joining Khang as the Vic State rep for ASLIA National, and looking forward to a fun filled year with plenty to plan!

 

 

 

 

Western Australia

Robyn Tsapazi lives in Western Australia and gained her paraprofessional NAATI accreditation in 1992. She has worked as an interpreter in education and community settings in the preceding 18 years. Robyn is the President of the ASLIA (WA), having been a previous committee member in the late 1990’s and early 2000. Along with interpreting Robyn works for NAATI in the Perth office and is the Chairperson of a not for profit organisation that provides life skills training and recreation services to people with a disability.

Robyn is committed not only to the establishment of a Registration Board for Sign Language Interpreters in Western Australia but also to exploring tertiary training opportunities for interpreters at university level. Robyn won the Interpreter Advocate of the Year 2007 Award at the ASLIA (WA) Auslan Interpreter Awards held in May last year. She has a background in disability studies from Edith Cowan University.

 

 

 

New South Wales

Bec Schultz lives in Sydney, NSW. She completed a BA (Languages and Linguistics) in 2002 and then gained her Diploma of Interpreting and NAATI Paraprofessional accreditation in 2005. Bec is currently on the ASLIA NSW Committee. Bec doesn't have a specific area of interpreting that she prefers - as she loves it all!

 

 

 

 

 

Tasmania

Debbie Draeger is a paraprofessional interpreter working K-12 school environment. She also interprets for her local church.

When not interpreting Debbie and her husband run a web design business and are raising a 7 year old, which keeps them busy.