Cristina Franco’s BIO

Cristina is the CEO and President of International Communications Resources,
ICR, a professional organization dedicated to bilingual resources in the English/Spanish
and Spanish/English combinations; interpretation, translation, cross-cultural and diversity training are also entailed.  Her professional qualifications and experience include national, international, and government relations, and experienced translator. Cristina is a Georgia State Registered Mediator and Arbitrator since 2003, and Qualified and Registered Court Interpreter 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).

Among the most recent translation and interpretation assignments’ are the International Annual Conferences of the Association of Conflict Resolution, ACR (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007 in Orlando, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Phoenix) with an average attendance of 1200 participants where Cristina has been the lead translator and interpreter.

Other recent jobs include: 2002/04 – Cristina worked with the Georgia Secretary of State, Cathy Cox, for the FTAA, Future Trade Area of the Americas, translating and helping in 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 (2005)
• Stryker International at the Hughston Orthopedic Clinic of Columbus,  4-day seminar to train 25 Latin American orthopedic surgeons – hip and knee replacement surgeries (2006)
• Official translator for the Georgia Hispanic Contractors Association, GHCA, GA. 
• World Mediation Forum, WMF (2006)
• NET-ARB.com. Translator of interactive arbitration web site 2007 (under construction).



Education:

2004-2007 – Have completed 340 hours on mediation and legal related s
                     subjects towards masters on the subject.

2006  -   Grantseeking Basics, Writing, Funding & Non-Profits
              The Foundation Center, Atlanta, GA

2003  -  State of Georgia Registered Mediator and Arbitrator
              Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, Registration No. 2516

2003 -   Conference & Simultaneous Interpreter--Skill Building Seminars
               Kennesaw State University (Student and Instructor)

2002  -  ‘Bridging the Gap’ Medical Interpreters Training  
                GMACC/Department of Health (80 Hrs.)

2001  -  State of Georgia Qualified and Registered Court Interpreter
              Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Interpreters
                 
1994  -  State of Georgia Licensed Commercial Real Estate Broker
               Georgia Commission on Real Estate (Active)

1990  -  States of 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