CEO’S REPORT EN AVANT! ONWARD!

Star Grieser, M.S.Ed., CDI, ICE-CCP, CAE, CEO RID

I absolutely love the theme for our 2025 National Biennial Conference in Minneapolis: En Avant— Onward. It’s succinct, powerful, and exactly where we need to be headed.

Minneapolis, our host city, carries the motto “En Avant”— French for “onward.” It’s a fitting reflection of the journey we have been on since 2021 and continued in 2023.

In Baltimore, we asked a bold question: “Are You Ready?” Were we ready to face the challenges in our profession? Ready to have difficult conversations, rethink our roles, and push ourselves to grow? Ready to collaborate, heal, and step into a stronger future?

Our attendees answered with a resounding Yes!

In 2025, we ask the next big question: Now what?

We are navigating an era of unprecedented change. The political climate continues to threaten both our profession and the Deaf communities we serve. The interpreter shortage remains a pressing concern. The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the landscape of interpreting. How do we, as professionals, stay ahead of these shifts? How does RID, as an organization, pivot to meet these evolving demands with the resources we have today? How do we, as a collective network of language service providers, not only tackle these challenges but also seize opportunities to innovate, adapt, and elevate communication access for Deaf communities?

And, perhaps most importantly, what does all of this mean for RID’s identity?

For years, RID has grappled with a fundamental question: Are we primarily a professional membership organization dedicated to supporting interpreters? Or are we a certification body committed to upholding professional standards? Straddling both ideologies has created an ongoing internal tug-of-war, leading to disruptions that have slowed progress.

Despite this, to move forward, RID is undergoing a major structural shift—one that will finally provide a clear distinction between the professional membership society and the certification commission. This separation will allow each entity to focus on its core responsibilities without interference from the other. The membership society will be dedicated to supporting interpreters through education, advocacy, and community-building. The certification commission will focus solely on testing, credentialing, and maintaining professional standards—free from membership influence.

This decision comes after more than a decade of discussions and debate on whether the co-existing structures are sustainable. In assessing how best to restructure, in 2016, RID looked to create the Center for the Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation, LLC (CASLI), to manage testing. While CASLI initially operated under RID’s authority, it gradually became more autonomous, providing a model for certification-related activities.

Rather than converting RID entirely into a certifying body, the Board of Directors chose to maintain RID as a membership organization while establishing a clear separation for certification. Moving forward, the membership society will continue to provide professional development, continuing education, scholarships, advocacy, and industry events like conferences. RID will also oversee the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct and provide valuable resources for interpreters. Meanwhile, the certification commission will focus exclusively on testing, certification maintenance, and upholding credentialing standards, ensuring the integrity of the certification process.

This restructuring is not just an administrative shift—it is a transformative step toward strengthening the field of ASL-English interpreting. By clearly defining RID’s functions, we can operate more efficiently and ensure that both interpreters and the communities we serve benefit from strong professional standards and support.

To explore these questions and our path forward, the En Avant plenary sessions at our 2025 conference will provide a space for meaningful, solution-driven conversations. Over four mornings— Thursday through Sunday—each session will focus on a key theme. Invited speakers will set the stage for in-depth small-group discussions, guided by thought-provoking prompts. These conversations will go well beyond surface-level discussions, encouraging attendees to analyze challenges, brainstorm solutions, and reflect deeply on the future of our profession.

The conversation will not stop when the conference ends. The insights gathered during these sessions will be compiled and published, becoming a valuable resource for our members and broader communities.

RID is leveling up. After years of uncertainty, we are stepping forward—together. And now, as we embrace this next phase, we ask ourselves: Now what? Where do we go from here?

The answer is clear. Forward. We move forward. Join us. Let’s move forward—together.