Leadership Institute
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Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back.
- Chinese proverb
The Leadership Institute Online Education Center is proud to introduce our online educators!
LaVona Andrew, M.A.
RID CI, CT, NIC Master
Interpreter /Interpreter Educator / State Affiliate Chapter Leader
LaVona Andrew is a life-long learner, interpreter and educator. A native ASL user, she has been interpreting community assignments since she was twelve years old. She manages a national team of VRI interpreters and serves on the Board of Directors for Deaf Center of Idaho. As a sign language professional, LaVona teaches ASL courses at Boise State University and leads interpreting workshops nationwide. Her specialties include sign-to-voice, medical, mental health and video interpreting.
LaVona holds national certification as an interpreter and a transliterator from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and she earned certification from the National Council on Interpreting. During the Sign Language Performance Interview, she merited full marks. She received an A.A. in Public Speaking and World Relations from Cottey College, and her B.Sc. in Social Science Teaching from Brigham Young University. She completed an M.A. in Education—Curriculum and Instruction (Second Language Acquisition) at Boise State University. Currently, LaVona is president of Idaho RID.
RID CI, CT, Educational Interpreter Authorization (CO)
Interpreter /Presenter
Jennifer first learned sign language in her home state of Iowa while working as a Recreational Therapist in a psychiatric hospital. Since her graduation from Front Range Community College’s(FRCC) Interpreter Preparation Program (Westminster, CO) in 1995, she has been working full-time as a sign language interpreter in a variety of settings. She enjoyed eight years of educational interpreting in the middle school and high school settings and subsequently taught the Educational Interpreting class at FRCC for four years. Jennifer continues to tutor IPP students, and work as a post-secondary, community, and video relay interpreter.
In her free time Jennifer enjoys yoga, painting, hiking, camping, walking her dog and drinking lattes!
Karen Boyd, M.A.
Bilingual Educator
Karen Boyd began her professional career in teaching American Sign Language at the post-secondary level in 1993. Karen has taken courses in linguistics, education, and psychology, and she received her master’s degree in bilingual education with the School of Education at the University of Colorado-Boulder. She travels to present ASL linguistics-related workshops, and teaches in classrooms and online. Karen also mentors Interpreter Preparation Program interns and professional interpreters. Her main areas of research are ASL linguistics and bilingualism, and her M.A. thesis examined second-language learner perceptions of spatial tracing constructions in ASL.
RID CI, CT
Interpreter Instructor / Interpreter / Presenter
Marcie Murphy has been interpreting for fifteen years in a variety of settings including educational, community, international, video and conference interpreting. She attained an Interpreting degree in Boston, and participated in the year long Visiting Interpreter Program (VIP) at Gallaudet University. Ms. Murphy was a staff interpreter at Gallaudet University and a faculty member at San Antonio College in their Interpreter Training Program. Marcie is currently an adjunct faculty member at Pikes Peak Community College. She has been both a mentee and mentor and presents on a variety of workshop topics.
RID CI, CT
Founder, Leadership Institute
Amy is the founder of the Leadership Institute and currently presents both in-person and via the Online Education Center's WebShops. Her primary topic focus is on the intra and interpersonal aspects of interpreting and leadership in the field of interpreting. For more information about Amy click here.
Barbara-Jean Slopey
RID CI, CT
Interpreter Coordinator / Interpreter / Mentor
Barbara-Jean Slopey has a passion for mentoring, presenting and solidifying interpreter team relationships. Her professional journey began as an undergrad at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) where she earned a BS in Marketing, and continued at Front Range Community College where she received an AAS from the Interpreter Preparation Program. She currently works as the Interpreter Coordinator for the University of Colorado at Boulder where she has established a mentor program recognized for its success in helping pre-certified interpreters obtain RID certification. Barbara-Jean is also a member of the Leadership Institute’s online education team, and presents workshops on a state and regional level. Her work also draws extensively on her additional experience as an interpreter and mentor for Sorenson Communications.
Barbara-Jean was recently appointed RID Region IV Financial Steward, and is the Chairperson of the Colorado RID Diane Alexis Memorial Scholarship committee whose task it is to provide educational advancement opportunities through scholarship to interpreters, IPP students and the deaf community. She is the former Chair of the CRID Mentor Committee where she helped to establish a statewide program through collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education. Barbara-Jean has most recently been invited to serve as one of this year’s trainer for “The Week,” an intensive self-guided mentorship program for educating, encouraging and inspiring interpreters in K-12 settings.
Barbara-Jean resides outside of Boulder, Colorado and enjoys skiing, hiking, kayaking and relaxing with her three four-legged companions.
CI, CT, SC:L, Master Mentor
Founder, Signs of Development
Performance Consultant
Click here to view Lynne's WebShop offerings!
Lynne is the founder of Signs of Development, a professional development organization specializing in providing distance mentoring, workshops, and training on all aspects of interpreting.
She established and administers online study groups supporting interpreters to prepare for the various aspects of certification. She is most proud of having supported over 750 interpreters to successfully pass various aspects of the interpreting certification processes.
She is currently the Project Coordinator for Gallaudet University Regional Interpreter Education Consortium’s 3 STEP Mentoring Training Project and teaches business for DeVry Online. She is currently A.B.D. working toward her Ph.D. in Training & Performance Improvement.