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TLC Executive Director Announces Retirement; New Interim Director Named

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Dr. Janice Snow Rodriguez, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Language Center (TLC), has announced her retirement, effective February 1, 2024. Eric Amos, currently Director of TLC’s Interpretation and Translation Services (ITS), has been named Interim Executive Director, a position he will assume on Dec. 1, 2023.

Dr. Rodriguez joined TLC (formerly the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute) in 1999 and has been the executive director for 22 years. She leaves a legacy of substantial contributions, notably the introduction of a certification program for court interpreters in Tennessee, which gained state adoption.

Dr. Rodriguez’s career at TLC included extensive community involvement across various boards, including the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Committee, the Metro Nashville Police Department’s El Protector Program, and the Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission. Additional boards on which Dr. Rodriguez has served include the Japan-America Society of Tennessee, the College of Public Service Board of Advisors at Tennessee State University (TSU), Sister Cities Nashville, and the International Education Advisory Board at TSU.

Staff headshot of Eric AmosHer efforts have earned multiple accolades, including the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Bridges Award and recognition from TSU as an Outstanding Doctoral Alumna. Under her guidance, TLC and its precursor, the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, garnered significant honors, including the Nashville Business Journal’s Leaders in Diversity and Best Places to Work awards, and a Level Two Baldrige National Quality Award from the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence.

Amos, the new Interim Executive Director, joined TLC as a project manager for Interpretation and Translation Services in 2018. He was named interim director of ITS in November 2022 and was named director of ITS in June 2023. His recent receipt of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service’s Pinnacle Award underscores his commitment to excellence. He has both bachelor‘s and master’s degrees in Intercultural Studies.

As we navigate this transition, TLC remains committed to our mission of fostering language and cultural understanding in Tennessee and beyond.

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TLC Featured in Recent Podcast

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The Tennessee Language Center was featured in the most recent In Touch With Tennessee podcast. The podcast is produced by the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service. This one features TLC’s Interim Director of Interpretation and Translation Services (ITS) talking about our language services. It’s about 12 minutes long – check it out!

TLC Adds Two New Project Managers

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TLC welcomes Genna Linton and Aimee Dunphy as Interpretation & Translation project managers. Genna will focus on interpretation while Aimee focuses on translation.

Genna is a certified medical interpreter and most recently served as the bilingual front desk receptionist at Liberty Collegiate Academy in Nashville. She has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and geography from the University of Georgia.

Most recently, Aimee was a test administrator for Pearson Professional Centers in Brentwood. She has a bachelor’s degree in Japanese from Ball State University in Indiana.

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Monkey Pox Information Translated for TN Dept. of Health

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The Tennessee Language Center translated notices and informational documents about Monkey Pox into Spanish for the TN Department of Health. The information will be used by health departments across Tennessee.

Spring 2022 Edition of Brighter Tennessee Features TLC

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You can read the Spring 2022 edition of Brighter Tennessee, UT’s Institute for Public Service magazine. It features a story about TLC’s work with Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope to train new recruits with limited English proficiency.