Cristina Franco’s BIO

Cristina Franco is a Partner & CEO of International Communications Resources, ICR, a professional organization dedicated to bilingual resources in the English/Spanish & Spanish/English combinations; translation, interpretation, cross-cultural and diversity training.  Her professional qualifications and experience include national, international, and government relations as marketing consultant and translator. Cristina is a Registered Mediator & Arbitrator since 2003, a Qualified and Registered Court Interpreter & Translator since 2001.

Cristina is the former Director of the Commission on Interpreters of the Supreme Court of Georgia, where she recruited and trained over 700 interpreters in 21 languages to work for the court system. She promoted the program by presenting workshops to judges, attorneys and court personnel on interpretation and related subjects (2001-03).  Cristina was contracted as a consultant to develop the Medical Interpreters Certification Program for Georgia’s health system by the Office of Minority Health/Georgia Department of Community Health, (2005).

Recent translation and interpretation include the International Annual Congress of the Association of Conflict Resolution, ACR (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.2008 & 2009)  in Orlando, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, an average attendance of 1200 participants; Cristina has been the lead translator and interpreter.

Other major jobs include: (2002-04) Cristina worked with the Georgia Secretary of State, Cathy Cox, for the FTAA, Future Trade Area of the Americas, translating all relevant documents, provided communication and language services for conferences, meetings and foreign trade missions to Atlanta.

• The Advocacy Institute, Washington DC. Leadership for a Changing World’ Conference ‘05
• Produce Marketing Association, PMA: Fresh Summit, Atlanta.                  A 4-day international conference with 15,000 attendants ‘05)
• Stryker International at the Hughston Orthopedic Clinic of Columbus,  4-day seminar to train 25 Latin American orthopedic surgeons –             (hip and knee replacement, live surgeries -‘06)
• Official translator for the Georgia Hispanic Contractors Association, GHCA, GA.  (2006-09)
• World Mediation Forum, WMF (‘06)
• Net-ARB.com. Official Translator & Vice President.  Interactive Internet Arbitration Service.  Since ‘07 : www.net-ARB.com

Education:
2004-07 – Completed over 400 hours on Mediation, Arbitration & related issues towards a Masters Degree and national accreditation. .
2006  -    Grant Funding/Seeking Basics, Writing, NGOs & Non-Profits
               The Foundation Center, Atlanta, GA
2003  -   State of Georgia Registered Mediator & Arbitrator
              Office of Dispute Resolution, Registration No. 2516
2003 -    Conference & Simultaneous Interpretation
               Kennesaw State University (Student and Instructor)
2002  -  ‘Bridging the Gap’ Medical Interpreters Training  
               NCIHC/GMACC/Department of Health (80 Hrs.)
2001  -  NCSC/Georgia State Qualified & Registered Court Interpreter
              The Supreme Court Commission on Interpreters

1994  -  State of Georgia Licensed Commercial Real Estate Broker
         
1990  -  Florida & Georgia Licensed Mortgage Broker
                             
1981  -  Political Science, New York University, New York.
              Graduate School (U/M), New York
1979  -  Associated Degree, English (ESL) and Marketing
              Bernard Baruch Community College (C.U.N.Y.) New York
1975  -  B.B.A. Business Administration, Minor in Political Science
              Universidad Pontífica Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia                           
1981  -  Political Science, New York University, New York.
              Graduate School (U/M), New York

1979  -  Associated Degree, English (ESL) and Marketing
              Bernard Baruch Community College (C.U.N.Y.) New York

1975  -  B.B.A. Business Administration, Minor in Political Science
              Universidad Pontífica Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia

Patricia Aguilar is a Partner & Vice President of International Communications Resources, ICR. Patricia obtained her National Certification as Legal/Court Interpreter & Translator from The Supreme Court Commission on Interpreters in 2005. She has been actively interpreting and translating for the courts in Texas, Florida and Georgia for the past 10 years.

Patricia is also a trained Mediator and a marketing consultant. In this capacity she just returned from a trip to various Spanish speaking countries including Africa, where she was helping NorthWestern Equipment to enter the market and open new businesses in those areas. As an interpreter, Patricia was the head interpreter at the Superior and Magistrate courts of Fulton, Henry, Roswell and Clayton Counties in Georgia; she also has been active and well regarded in the courts of Austin and San Antonio in Texas. Patricia was the head translator in one of the largest international law suits, the Bankruptcy of AFINSA, tried in New York/Texas and Spain for over 2 years.

Before joining ICR, Patricia was a free-lance translator and interpreter, and managed her own translation agency in Atlanta.

Education

2005-2006  -   ADR Bilingual Mediation & Registration - Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.
2001-2003  -   Associate in Business Administration - American Intercontinental University
1996-1998  -  Translation and Interpretation - Miami Dade Community College