Policies & Procedures

Last Revised 03/16/2024

This document is to outline the policies and procedures for the New Mexico Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Board of Directors. This is intended to be a working document.

Table of Contents

Policy and Procedures Introduction:

This is a living document intended to serve as a guide for the Board of Directors of the New
Mexico Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. It should be updated as needed with changes being approved by the Board of Directors. This Policy and Procedural Manual should be passed down to each consecutive board to ensure institutional knowledge and practices are preserved.

NMRID President
March 2024

Acronyms:

NMRID – New Mexico Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
RID – Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
BOD – Board of Directors
NO – National RID Office
RIV – Region IV
AC – Affiliate Chapter
DCC – Deaf Cultural Center
NMCDHH – New Mexico Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
NMM – New Mexico Mentoring
RGCA – Rio Grande Community Access
RLD – Regulations and Licensing Division (State Licensure)
UNM SLIP – University of New Mexico Sign Language Interpreting Program

Where to Find AC Information:

For a general outline of position description and duties for each position, see current Bylaws:
NMRID Bylaws as Revised June 21, 2023 

National RID Office Requirements (NO) for Affiliate Chapters (AC) are outlined and explained in depth in the Affiliate Chapter Handbook: Affiliate Chapter Resources 

NMRID BOD have access to a Google Drive through their official NMRID email accounts. The Drive should be used as the official storage of NMRID documents. Items in each Drive are specific to the email address to which it is tied. To share items with other members of the BOD, you will have to manually grant access by sharing the file. Shared files may be accessed from the Drive by clicking the “Shared with me” button in the menu on the left hand side of the Drive’s main page.

The President and the Treasurer may have access to physical files of historic NMRID documents.

Mission Statement:

NMRID is a group of interpreters/community members committed to creating and nurturing a community of interpreters that collaborates to grow as a profession and, in turn, provides the highest quality communication access to the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Deaf Plus
community of the state of New Mexico.

Bank Account & PO Box:

NMRID banks with PNC Bank. Our account is a non-profit account. The only fees we should be assessed are for returned checks.

Checks require two signatures. The following positions must submit new signature authorization forms to the bank upon the start of the elected term in order to access to the account:

  • President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary


Our PO Box for Mail Correspondence:

PO Box 30611
Albuquerque, NM 87190

Our PO Box is located at the USPS Office at:

2505 GRACELAND DR NE
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87110-9998

The Treasurer is primarily responsible for checking mail. Most correspondence is currently done electronically; however, we do still have some members, vendors, and others who prefer to utilize the PO Box.

Communication:

All NMRID business is conducted through Google accounts. Members of the Board are expected to check their email at least once a week and respond to messages within a timely manner.

Emails currently utilized are the following:

Board Emails/Current Board Members:


Currently the Member at Large email address is shared by all three MAL positions. Future
boards may create new and separate addresses. Previously “memberatlarge2.nmrid@gmail.com” and “memberatlarge3.nmrid@gmail.com” were used; however, the 2 accounts are inaccessible.

Committee Email Addresses (in use as of March 2024):


Event Calendar:
The event calendar is available for scheduling NMRID events through all NMRID Google
accounts. Events can be added to the calendar by logging into one’s Gmail account and selecting Calendar. The default calendar is the President calendar, but in order for the event to appear on the website calendar, you MUST select the NMRID WEBMASTER calendar.

Board Representation and Service on Committees:

The bylaws state that the President serves as Ex-Officio for all AC committees and that the President appoints committee members with the board’s approval.

The President is also asked to serve/participate in several state-wide advisory boards and
committees. Allocating these responsibilities is up to current board leadership.

Records:

NMRID BOD have access to a Google Drive through their official NMRID email accounts. The Drive should be used as the official storage of NMRID documents. Items in each Drive are specific to the email address to which it is tied. To share items with other members of the BOD, you will have to manually grant access by sharing the file. Shared files may be access from the Drive by clicking the “Shared with me” button in the menu on the left hand side of the Drive’s main page.

The President and the Treasurer may have access to physical files of historic NMRID documents. Archives were cleaned out and pared down in 2008 in an effort to minimize storage needed. Currently, physical archives are stored by the president. Archives are not substantial enough to warrant storage rental.

Physical archives are in the process of being scanned into electronic format and sorted by year and subject matter in the President Google Drive to be shared with the Treasurer. Remaining documents and archives that are unable to be scanned will remain in the possession of the current President.

Annual Reports:

Annual reports must be submitted to the National Office every year by September 15th. The current Affiliate Chapter Liaison will send an email with a reminder and a link to a form where required documentation is to be submitted.

The list of required documentation can be found in The Affiliate Chapter Handbook, and
includes the following:

  • Current contact information of the Board of Directors
  • Membership List
  • Copies of letters regarding political actions
  • IRS Form 990 or 990 EZ
  • Financial statement that has been certified or approved by the board or an auditor and
    includes all revenue and disbursements in the Fiscal Year.


The President and the Treasurer will work together to gather and submit the required
documentation.

National and Regional Expectations:

Conferences:
The NMRID President or a designated representative is expected to attend National and Regional Conferences whenever possible. The budget planning for the fiscal year should include cost for conference registration, travel, and a per diem.

Region IV Council Meetings:
Region IV has quarterly Zoom meetings with the Region IV Representative and other region Affiliate Chapter leadership. The President and/or Vice President should participate in these meetings. They may select a designee from the BOD if either the President or Vice President are unable to attend, but the designee should be used sparingly. There is a lot of regional specific information shared during these meetings, so participation is vital. The Region IV Representative will send out a schedule.

Elections:

The timeline and requirements for elections are outlined in the bylaws under Article IX.

Election/nominations committee should be formed well in advance of board elections. Elections should be run by individuals who do not seek to serve on the board in the upcoming term. Historically, the nominations/election committee has been composed of two recent graduates or pre-certified interpreters as it provides a great way for these individuals to learn about the bylaws and serve their AC. However, any member in good standing can volunteer for this position. The current board should NOT run elections in order to ensure impartiality and conflicts of interest.

Election committee should utilize the Nominations.NMRID@gmail.com account to communicate with members during the elections process. The password for this account should be changed after each election cycle to ensure secure future elections. All members of the organization can nominate individuals. Only VOTING members can vote. The
nominations/election committee should confirm receipt of nominations and verify a given nominee is eligible to run. If a nominee is eligible, the committee should contact the nominee to see if they would like to accept. Nominations are anonymous. See Nominations Committee PPM below for further responsibilities related to this committee.

The election committee will need access to the membership database in order to see who is eligible to run, who is eligible to vote, as well as email addresses for electronic voting.

Members must be “in good standing” for the fiscal year previous to elections in order to serve on the board of directors. Therefore, if dues are paid late, there is a lapse in membership which could prevent a member from running.

Board of Directors:

Composition:
The Board shall consist of the following members: President, Vice-President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Three (3) Members-at-Large, and the Immediate Past President. Qualifications and terms can be found in the NMRID Bylaws under Article VI.

President:
The President shall have general supervision and direction of the business and affairs of NMRID and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed, from time to time, by the Board or the members.

  • The President shall call for and preside at all meetings of the members and/or Directors.
  • The President shall appoint with the approval of the Board, the Chairpersons of each committee of NMRID. The President shall be an ex-officio member of every committee of NMRID.
  • The President shall share with the Secretary and Treasurer the right to sign checks from NMRID’s bank account(s).

 

In addition to these duties written in the bylaws, the President should:

  • Become familiar with the NMRID Bylaws and Policies and Procedures Manual
  • Represent NMRID and our members at all appropriate events and work toward achieving organizational goals
  • Supervise/assist in the work of other board members and committees
  • Oversee all projects including ad hoc committees, social events, workshops, and
    conferences
  • Partner with Region IV Representative and attend all Region IV Meetings
  • Ensure incoming board members receive proper training in the roles they will be taking on
  • Verify that all incoming board members gain access to their email account, drive, and any other needed systems
  • Transfer bank card ownership by appointment with PNC Bank from outgoing President, Treasurer, and Secretary to the incoming members in respective roles
  • Ensure PPM is kept up to date
  • Maintain Google Drive access and organization for preservation of documents/records
  • File the Annual Report with National Office annually by September 15th
  • Meet with Treasurer annually to create proposed budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year
  • Manage MailChimp account and facilitate email blasts to membership regarding NMRID events, meetings, and other community news
  • Create all flyers and graphics for email and social media blasts/posts
  • Manage JotForm account for RSVPs to events
  • Manage Zoom account
  • Serve an additional term on the NMRID board as Immediate Past President following term completion.

Vice President:
The Vice-President shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform all duties of the President and in so acting shall have all the powers of the President. The Vice-President shall have other powers and perform other duties as prescribed by the Board of Directors.

In addition to these duties written in the bylaws, the Vice President should:

  • Become familiar with the NMRID Bylaws and Policies and Procedures Manual
  • Become familiar with the National Office AC Handbook to ensure NMRID is in alignment with all requirements
  • Assist the President with tasks, projects, and event planning
  • Create reports to be presented quarterly at board/membership meetings
  • Attend all meetings of NMRID
  • Be a liaison for all committees

 

Secretary:
The Secretary shall keep a full and accurate record of all proceedings of the Board and of the membership in appropriate books; additionally, they shall attend to all correspondence and present to the Board at its meetings all communications received.

  • The Secretary shall also keep such other books and perform such other duties as are incident to the office, or as are assigned to the Secretary by the President or by the Board
  • The Secretary shall share with the President and Treasurer the right to sign checks from NMRID’s bank account(s).


In addition to these duties written in the bylaws, the Secretary should:

  • Keep accurate minutes of all meetings
  •  Keep records of all documents, reports, and minutes in the Google Drive
  • Conduct general correspondence with members and prospective members
  • Serve as liaison to committees
  • Attend all general membership and board meetings
  • Create reports to be presented quarterly at board/membership meetings
  • Monitor the website and facilitate updates to outdated information as needed
  • Compile Annual Report documents as needed with other members of BOD


Two Weeks Prior to Meetings:

  • Notify Board Members about the location, time, and date for all meetings
  • Notify membership of upcoming meetings or have the President send our email blast notifying
    • Field all requests for accommodations from membership
    • Request interpreters if needed
      • Interpreters – we can contact the UNM SLIP program for practicum
        student interpreters and we also have contracts with RGCA and Sorenson
  • Send out call for agenda items and reports from BOD
  • Send out call for agenda items to membership
  • Send draft of previous meeting minutes to BOD for review in preparation for approval at upcoming meetings
  • Send email to committee chairs requesting committee reports


One Week Prior to Meetings:

  • Compile BOD reports
  • Compile Committee reports
  • Create and disperse meeting agendas to the BOD for approval
    • Ensure President has agenda to send out to the membership prior to meetings
  • If applicable, ensure interpreters have access to prep materials


Day of Board Meetings:

  • For in-person meetings, prepare a sign in sheet to accompany minutes
  • Have a hard copy(ies) of pertinent documents to be discussed
  • Roll call for BOD
  • Write the minutes
  • Transcribe motions during meetings and upon request
  • Facilitate all votes on motions during meetings
  • Read reports of those who are not in attendance (board members and committee chairs)


After Meetings:

  • Send out draft of new meeting minutes
  • Send recently approved minutes to RID Director of Member Services
  • Post approved minutes on website

Treasurer:
The Treasurer shall keep full and accurate records of receipts and disbursements of NMRID, in books belonging to NMRID. The Treasurer shall deposit all monies and other valuables in the name of NMRID in such accounts and depositories as may be designated by the Board.

In addition to these duties written in the bylaws, the Treasurer should:

  • Perform all duties as may from time to time be assigned to the office by the Board
  • Share with the President and the Secretary the right to sign checks from NMRID’s bank account(s)
  • Forward to the national office of RID and to the President of NMRID within ninety (90) days after the expiration of each fiscal year a certified copy of NMRID’s financial statement
    • Financial statements shall include a description of the source of all receipts and a description of all disbursements
  • Forward to the RID Regional Representative and to the national office of RID by
    November 15 of each year the 501 C-3 tax-exempt reporting form (Form 990, Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax)
  • Disperse funds for all awarded scholarships as approved
  • Disperse funds as requested to Committee chairs for events as approved

 

Banking:

  • Obtain NMRID debit card and transfer PNC account to new board, including President, Treasurer, and VP or Secretary
  • Deposit all incoming checks in a timely manner and obtain deposit slip – Account for ACH deposits and teller fees
  • Obtain and maintain NMRID account checks


Treasurer Email Account:

  • Manage Treasurer email account, including responding to messages in a timely manner
  • Update and maintain the annual membership preferred email list
    PO Box:
  • Regularly pickup incoming mail through the P.O. Box
  • Pay renewal fees for PO Box in September


Membership Processing:

  • Process all membership payments (via PayPal and through mail)
  • Generate and send out digital membership cards and welcome message
    • Maintain current annual membership log
  • Maintain up-to-date membership list for each Fiscal Year (July 1 – June 30)
    • Send out membership renewal reminder emails in June


PayPal Account:

  • Transfer Treasurer PayPal account into incoming Treasurer’s name
  • Treasurer PayPal account can be used to send and receive payments
  • Regularly transfer money from PayPal account into the NMRID Bank account
    • Create PayPal buttons for use on the website (HTML code) or to be sent via email (emailable link)
  • Keep record of all PayPal transactions and PayPal fees on Financial Statement Sheet


Bookkeeping:

  • Maintain annual Financial Statement sheet detailing all transactions (incoming and outgoing)
  • Reconcile the Financial Statement sheet with the bank account as often as possible
  • Maintain all paper receipts of transactions and upload digital copies into the Drive
    • Maintain a spreadsheet for categorized spending
  • Track New Mexico Mentoring (NMM) account
  • Maintain past Treasurer records and files in the Drive


Budgeting:

  • Create new a new budgets for each fiscal year with the President to be voted on by BOD
  • Regularly reference set budgets and expenses to ensure agreeance
    • Scholarships, committees, contractors and business expenses can be paid via PayPal, check or NMRID debit card respectively


Board Meetings:

  • Inform members and BOD of NMRID’s financial standing, membership numbers,
    and any business conducted by the Treasurer through quarterly reports

Taxes and Reporting:

  • Work with tax preparer to compile the necessary documents
  • File and send taxes to IRS by November annually
  • Report taxes and summary report spreadsheet to RID before September 15th
    • Send to President to attach to annual report
    • Must include all income and expenses

Members-at-Large:
Members-at Large shall act as liaisons to the Board from the membership, working directly with the membership assisting with the coordination of activities and communication within the organization.

In addition to these duties written in the bylaws, the Members-at-Large should:

  • Serve as resource persons to the membership
  • Perform other duties of the office as prescribed by the BOD
  • Works with the region representatives, assisting with the coordination of activities and communication in and among regions
  • Sends out the membership renewal reminder to membership at the start of the new fiscal year
  • Supports pro bono committee by being on rotation to check and manage requests
  • Serves as a liaison to committees
  • Be a representative of NMRID at the DCC meetings whenever possible
  • Support other board members as needed.
  • Prepare incoming MALs for their duties and responsibilities
  • Updates the calendar for the NMRID website
  • Update the NMRID Facebook Page
  • Prepare reports for quarterly membership/board meetings
  • Track meetings of RID committees
  • Track deafness/interpreting related events

Committees:

Establishment:
BOD may establish any standing committee deemed necessary to carry out the objectives of the organization as detailed in the bylaws and based on the needs of the voting membership. All committee members should be members of NMRID.

Meetings:
Chairperson of the committee shall be responsible for setting meeting dates and times for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the committee. All committee actions shall be subject to the approval of the BOD and presented to members by report during quarterly meetings.

Certification Maintenance Program:
Purpose: To review, approve, and process CEUs/ACETs for RID members at the Sponsor’s discretion following the guidelines from RID.
Activities fall in 4 basic categories: Sponsor Initiated Activities, Participant Initiated Non-RID Activities (PINRA), Academic Coursework (AC), and Independent Studies (IS).

CMP Sponsor shall:

  • Maintain access to templates, forms, and rules and regulations from the National Office
  • Maintain any copies of electronic CEUs both in process and completed as well as a list of activity numbers
  • Use our sponsor code (0037). All activity numbers should start with this. Activity numbers should be listed as follows: Sponsor Code.MMYY.Activity number (ex.
    0037.0612.001)
  • When approving or processing CEUs of any kind, be in touch with the membership board member to verify NMRID membership status
  • Maintain the CMP email account at NMRIDCMP@gmail.com
  • Process the CEUs for all workshops/conferences provided by NMRID
  • Undergo an audit at least every 3 years. CMP Sponsor will work with the National Office during this time to provide accurate and complete information

Additional guidelines:

  • Sponsor Initiated Activities must be submitted to RID 30 days prior to the activity. Therefore, all pertinent documentation must be submitted to the NMRID sponsor 45 days before the activity date
  • Attendees must be in attendance for the entire workshop. No partial CEUs will be granted
  • PINRA Forms should be submitted and approved by the sponsor at least one week before commencement of activity date

Community Engagement Committee:
Purpose: To coordinate events and initiates that encourage community involvement with NMRID and to provide opportunities to give back to the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind,
DeafDisabled, and interpreting communities as a whole.

Members of the Community Engagement Committee shall:

  • Collaborate with the Fundraising Committee to plan/coordinate social events
  • Partner with vendors and/or venues for events
    • Book spaces needed for hosting
  • Stay informed on community news and events to scout opportunities for involvement

Fundraising Committee:
Purpose: To plan and host fundraising activities/events in support of NMRID. Works with all committees and board members to gain input and ideas to raise money and solicit sponsors for future NMRID events.

Members of the Fundraising Committee shall:

  • Consider the various types of fundraising: donations, sponsorships, silent auction, etc.
  • Raise money to supplement the cost of upcoming NMRID events
  • Refer to previous fundraising efforts for names of sponsors and other entities
  • Collect and submit all funds raised to the Treasurer
  • Collaborate with the Community Engagement Committee to plan/coordinate social events

Nominations Committee (intermittent):
Purpose: To help facilitate the call for nominees and the unbiased election of members for new terms on the NMRID Board. Members of this committee may not run for a position on the NMRID board during the term they serve on this committee, nor may current board members serve on this committee.

Members of the Nominations Committee shall:

  • Monitor the email address Nominations.NMRID@gmail.com and responding to
    nominations or questions regarding nominations and elections
  • Confirm that any person nominated for a position is a member in good standing and eligible to run for said position
    • Our treasurer, has the master document with everyone’s membership information (treasurernmrid@gmail.com) to be made available to committee members
  • Secure the acceptance or declination of nominees for the nominated positions
  • Collect background and qualification information on all nominees and developing a list of candidates to be sent out to the NMRID membership
  • Send ballots to all members in good standing a minimum of 45 days prior to the election date
  • Count all ballots received and confirm the election results
  • Notify NMRID membership of the election results

Pro Bono Committee:
Purpose: To facilitate networking with sign language interpreters who are willing to provide pro bono services. These pro bono services are provided for interpreting needs that are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) such as funerals, weddings, family functions, etc.

Email: NMRIDProBono@gmail.com

Members of the Pro Bono Committee shall:

  • Assign committee members to check the inbox on a rotating basis
  • Set up a rotation schedule and keep a record of it in the shared Google doc
  • Check the inbox no less than every 48 hours when on rotation
  • Evaluate the request according to NMRID Committee criteria and send the request to our internal distribution list (and Lisa Dignan for the interpreter distribution list)
  • Monitor for interpreter responses, and connect interpreters with the requestors as appropriate
  • Include UNM Practicum students in the distribution and have UNM assign them as appropriate
    • If there is an interpreter from our list available on something that has a practicum assigned, ask the practicum coordinator if they would like them to team with the practicum student(s)
  • Send the request to the distribution list. If no one responds, send the request one
    additional time
  • If there are still no responses after the second call, inform the requester that we are unable to fill the request and provide the NMCDHH fact sheet on interpreter agencies for follow-up
  • If committee member on call is unsure of an assignment or unfamiliar with a responding interpreter, consult fellow committee members on appropriate assignments
  • Update the automatic reply on the email as needed
  • Update the request form as needed
  • Monitor the pro bono placement process from start to finish. This includes evaluating requests, sending requests to interpreters, and making sure responding interpreters have the necessary information to complete the assignment
  • Recruit interpreters for our Pro Bono distribution list to opt in to receiving committee requests via email
    • Ask new members upon joining
    • Intermittently send out call for members to community interpreter pool via
      interpreter distribution list


Scholarships Committee:
Purpose: To assist NMRID members with the cost associated with interpreter certification/skills testing. Scholarships will come in the form of a reimbursement check to be awarded after the test is taken. There will be two scholarships awarded annually to candidates wishing to take any interpreting performance exam for the first time or one award to retake the exam. The scholarship amount will cover 50% of the fee. This scholarship is open for currently certified or pre-certified licensed interpreters working in the state of New Mexico. Tests include but are not limited to the following: Educational Interpreters Performance Assessment (EIPA), Hearing Interpreter Performance Exam (HIPE/NIC), and the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters Certification Exam (BEI).

Members of the Scholarship Committee shall:

  • Re-evaluate application criteria as needed
  • Advertise opportunities to scholarships from NMRID
  • Solicit applications and review them as they are received
  • Make award determinations and disperse awards accordingly
  • Collaborate with the board for approval of awardees and disbursement of funds
  • Integrate new scholarship opportunities as approved by the board

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Mailing Address:

PO Box 30611
Albuquerque, NM 87190
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