Schedule

Joshua Elliott is a Federally and State Certified Court Interpreter with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Murray State University and a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of
Louisville. He has also been certified as a medical interpreter through the
Certification Commission for
Healthcare Interpreters. After serving a stint in the United States Border Patrol in Southern California, Joshua returned to his home state of Kentucky and
joined Humana Insurance Company, where he spent several years working with Humana’s Spanish-speaking clientele in a variety of capacities. Joshua then joined the Kentucky Court of Justice, where he spent over ten years working as a Spanish staff interpreter, division supervisor, and statewide manager within Kentucky’s Office of Language Access. In 2018, Joshua and his family relocated to Miami, Florida after he accepted the position of Supervisory Staff Interpreter with the federal courts in the Southern District of Florida. After nearly two
years serving the federal judiciary in the Sunshine State, a unique opportunity arose for Joshua and his family to return to Kentucky, where he now serves as the Executive Officer of Kentucky’s Office of Language Access. Joshua has done extensive work as an interpreter trainer, routinely presenting topics of interest to aspiring and advanced interpreters alike in venues across the nation. Joshua was fortunate enough to marry the love of his life, and he and his wife
have been blessed with four beautiful children.

Marva Johnson, NIC, is a nationally certified sign language interpreter. She currently serves President of Kentucky Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (KyRID) and Chair of Kentucky Board of Interpreters (KBI).
Marva’s professional interpreting career began in 1999. As a heritage language learner, Marva trained by attending workshops and networking with experienced colleagues. After earning the NIC in 2008,
Marva completed an Associates of Applied Science/Criminal Justice at Harrison College in Evansville, IN. She went on to train as a facilitator with Project CLIMB (Cultivating Legal Interpreters from Minority Backgrounds) which led to several opportunities to facilitate communities of learning. In addition, Project CLIMB provided the opportunity for her to participate in an ad hoc national advisory body tasked with identifying Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) essential for legal interpreting. Marva works as a private practitioner in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky in a variety of settings. She is most invested in interpreting work within legal and social justice settings. One of her passions is community service which
has led her to serve in multiple leadership roles at the local, state, and national level. Currently, she is immersed in training to become an Integrated Model of Interpreting (IMI) practitioner. She prides herself on being a life-long learner and sharing knowledge with colleagues in the interpreting field by
presenting on various topics. In her free time, Marva enjoys spending time with her granddaughter, Juliona, and running marathons across the U.S.A.

Kelli Sanchez serves as the Statewide Language Access Liaison for ASL with the KY Courts in the Office of Language Access. She holds a Bachelors in Sign Language Interpreting from Eastern Kentucky University. Through RID, she has earned both an NIC and SC: L certifications. For the last 15 years with the KY Courts, you will find Kelli on the frontlines as a court proceedings interpreter. Behind the scenes, you will find her working diligently to bridge gaps between KY courts and the Deaf community. While in-court language access is the priority, there is no limit to her efforts of advocating and educating on Deaf culture, ASL interpreter best practices and ADA considerations. Kelli has done extensive D/HH and Language Access topic
trainings throughout the Court of Justice. She also mentors and provides ongoing support to all her fellow ASL court interpreter peers. While she’s based at the Hall of Justice in Louisville, you often may see her work across the state. Although she enjoys what she does in court...she loves her family even more. Kelli prides herself as a blessed wife of 21 years and mother of 2 beautiful children, a daughter 17 and a son, 10.

Sonja W. Smith holds BEI Master, BEI Court, and RID NIC certifications, as well as licenses in Michigan and Kentucky. She has a BA in Deaf Education and an MA in Interpreting Studies, with an emphasis in interpreter education. She is currently the Director of the ASLIS Program at the University of Louisville, in Kentucky. Sonja has been interpreting for over 20 years, working in private practice for approximately 15 years in Austin, Texas, working briefly in Michigan, and now in Kentucky. Her primary practice focuses are conference interpreting, legal interpreting, and working from ASL to English. She is the current treasurer of KyRID and is also a former RID Region IV representative and has held various volunteer leadership positions throughout her career. Her passions include legal interpreting, technology, squishy faced dogs, and being 60 ft under water.