Our trainers
CCC trainers are specialized, conscientious and dynamic. They have extensive experience in the field and are superbly qualified. They arrive well prepared and grounded in the material.
Among our trainers and consultants we are proud to include:
Katharine Allen, MA
Katharine Allen is a community and conference-trained interpreter with over three decades of experience interpreting, training, and designing curricula. She holds a BA in Community Development from Brown University and a Master’s in Translation and Interpretation (MATI) from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
Katharine taught for the Glendon College Masters of Conference Interpreting Program at York University, Toronto and currently teaches for the UMASS Amherst Online Certificate in Translation and Interpretation.
Katharine is co-author of The Community Interpreter®: An International Textbook, The Medical Interpreter: A Foundation Textbook for Medical Interpreting, The Indigenous Interpreter®: A Training Manual for Indigenous Language Interpreting and several other training curricula, including programs for victim services interpreters, indigenous interpreters and military programs targeting global health and disaster relief efforts.
Katharine is a founding member of the newly created American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE). She is co-founder of InterpretAmerica, which received the American Translators Association's most prestigious recognition, the Alexander Gode Award, for outstanding service to the translation and interpreting professions.
Otisha Ayala-Faya
A resident of Westchester County, New York, Otisha Ayala-Faya has been a professional freelance interpreter for over 20 years. She is nationally certified as an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (NIC-RID) and a qualified Spanish interpreter. As a registered interpreter for the New York State Unified Court System for close to 10 years, she is often asked to cover special cases that require trilingual interpretation.
Throughout her career, Otisha has worked intensively as a systems advocate and language access consultant. A former hospital administrator for interpreting services, and an ADA & LEP compliance officer at one of the largest medical centers in New York City, she also served as an advisory board member on medical interpretation and best practices with the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA).
Otisha has over 15 years’ experience teaching ASL and English as a Second Language (ESL). She has a special love and passion for teaching and for the Deaf and Latino communities that she serves. Otisha has also been a medical interpreter trainer for over 10 years. In her role as a mentor to new interpreters and college students, she works on relating theories of professional practice to real life situations. She continuously thrives in understanding how best to serve the interpreting community around her, and shares her passion and her experiences in the classroom, providing a safe and beneficial learning environment for all of her aspiring interpreting students.
James Cech, BEI III
James is currently a staff interpreter at Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan Health, and owner/performing interpreter with Synergy On Stage. He is a graduate of, and formerly an instructor at, Baker College’s Interpreter Training Program, and he earned his BA in Interpreting Studies from Madonna University. He maintains a private practice and specializes in medical, political, business, and entertainment interpreting. He is also interested in physical health and repetitive motion injuries. He has been a certified interpreter since 2010, and a licensed trainer of The Community Interpreter® International since 2018.
Sylvana Fernandez-Ellauri, MD, CMI
From Uruguay, Sylvana Fernandez-Ellauri was a physician for 14 years in her home country before moving to the United States in 2002. She received her medical diploma and postgraduate degree in pediatric medicine from the Universidad de la Republica (UDELAR). Sylvana changed careers upon her arrival to the U.S. and has now accumulated 12 years of experience as a professional medical interpreter and interpreter trainer. Her areas of training expertise include: medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. A Certified Medical Interpreter (NCBMI), since 2014 Sylvana has been a full-time staff medical interpreter at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, where she also offers refresher courses to healthcare interpreters, and classes on specialized medical terminology and concepts for interpreters in various specialty settings. She is a graduate of The Community Interpreter® International – Training of Trainers and co-author of Medical Terminology for Interpreters: An Instructor’s Guide (3rd ed.).
Carola E. Morton, FCCI
Carola E. Morton (formerly Green) is a federally certified English/Spanish court interpreter, language services consultant, interpreter trainer and test developer, as well as a former California state court interpreter. She served as key staff for the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination (FCICE) and the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts (CLAC) programs at the National Center for State Courts. She has over twenty-five years of experience in professional interpreting in the legal and medical fields. Carola also has extensive experience in developing interpreter training curricula, training interpreters and is a licensed trainer for The Community Interpreter® International. Carola has co-authored interpreter training curricula including The Voice of Love’s Healing Voices, Interpreting for Survivors of Torture, War Trauma and Sexual Violence, and Ayuda’s Breaking Silence, Interpreting for Victim Services, featuring a workbook, glossary and training manual. Carola holds a BA in Communications and is originally from Guatemala.
Omari Jeremiah, MA
Omari Jeremiah has worked as a freelance Spanish interpreter and translator for over five years. He received his BA in Sociology from Goucher College and his MA in Counseling from the University of Baltimore. Omari is a passionate advocate for language access in educational systems. He has worked as a resource provider for ESOL students and their families in Baltimore City Public Schools and currently works as a resource provider for a school in Baltimore County. A native of New York City, Omari has traveled extensively to various countries including Spain, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Chile. He is fluent in Spanish and is currently learning Swahili, Portuguese and American Sign Language. Omari also does freelance work as an online ESL teacher. Besides his love for languages, Omari is the author of the children’s book series Paperboy.
Daniel Sanchez, CMI
Daniel Sanchez is a passionate leader with extensive experience and an accomplished career spanning 15 years in language access and Diversity & Inclusion. Currently residing in Miami, Florida, Daniel serves as Senior Engagement Manager and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Practitioner at Cloudbreak Health – a health care disparities company. Daniel leads the Cloudbreak Culture Council, a DEI committee created to improve workplace culture and increase employee engagement; and serves as key health equity and virtual care strategist for healthcare venues throughout the East Coast and Midwest.
He is an NBCMI certified Spanish<>English interpreter, a graduate of Penn State University Medical Interpreting program, graduate of the Diversity and Inclusion program at Cornell University, licensed diversity practitioner, licensed trainer of The Community Interpreter® International (TCII), and featured host of The Community Interpreter® Online (TCIO).
A member of the Latinx and LGBTQ+ community, Daniel has been a guest speaker at Physician Grand Rounds, Ethics Roundtables, served as Chair of the Diversity Committee at the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, served as Assistant Administrator of the American Translator’s Association Leadership Council and as member of the Ethics Committee at the International Medical Interpreter’s Association. He is an active member of the National Diversity Council, the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE) and a volunteer at the Human Rights Campaign. Daniel is a passionate advocate of social justice and health equity.
E. Zoe Schutzman, MA, NYS CCI, CHI-Spanish
E. Zoe Schutzman, Co-founder and CEO of Cloud 18 Productions Inc., a global creative enterprise, grew up in Seville (Spain) and moved to Connecticut where she completed her BA in East Asian Studies and Architectural Design at Wesleyan University. She received her MA in Linguistics from the City University of New York Graduate School and pursued Translation and Interpretation Studies at Hunter College. Thereafter, she became a New York State Certified Spanish Court Interpreter and a Certified Healthcare Interpreter (Spanish) professional. Zoe is a licensed trainer for The Community Interpreter® International and Medical Terminology for Interpreters; a trained presenter of Interpreting for Pediatric Genetics; and a graduate of The Interpreter Trainer Online.
A seasoned linguist, Zoe has taught at institutions of higher education, trained nascent and seasoned interpreters, developed, enhanced, and implemented curricula, assessment, and quality improvement protocols. She has provided linguistic and culturally appropriate expertise to varied research and creative endeavors, presented to diverse audiences, propelled system-wide strategic initiatives, led and supported new avenues for sustainable professional growth, and forged high-value partnerships with community and institutional stakeholders.
Since 2020, Zoe has served as a Commissioner at the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI).
Lorelly Solano, PhD
Originally from Costa Rica, Dr. Solano is a multi-disciplinarian professional with experience in natural and social sciences. A graduate from the University of Delaware’s School of Public Policy and Administration, she has been active in the fields of access to language, cultural competence, education, and nonprofit management.
Dr. Solano has interpreted in a number of community settings, with particularly intensive experience in domestic violence and sexual assault and community health and human service agencies. She has also performed legal interpreting (she is a court-eligible interpreter on the roster for the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts), including immigration clinics, and various kinds of community interpreting, including a workshop on pruning, educational interpreting and a winter Study Abroad program in Costa Rica for the University of Delaware.
Through various positions, Dr. Solano has maintained close connections with the immigrant community of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the multiple agencies, organizations, and businesses that provide community services to this population. In the past years, she has served as an English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructor, ESL Transition Specialist, Licensed Community Interpreting Instructor and Coordinator of the Talbot Language and Cultural Competence initiative. Dr. Solano was recently promoted to a full-time Advancement Manager position at the Chesapeake Multicultural Center in Easton, MD, where she will support the mission of empowering people from different cultures to become successful and engaged members of their community. Currently, interpreting is an important part of her position.
In addition to promoting cultural integration and training interpreters, Dr. Solano has a passion for the natural environment. She collaborates with organizations such as the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and Chesapeake Bay Foundation, helping to protect and preserve Maryland's beautiful Eastern Shore.
“As you promised, Ms. Carola Green was a perfect fit for our course, and I would like to recognize the outstanding job she did with our group. I look forward to continue building capacity in our community through your programs!”