Board Members
Eliza Fowler, President
2022-2024, two year term
Eliza Fowler was born and raised in Northern Vermont until she came to RIT and matriculated into the ASLIE program. She graduated in 2016 and has spent the last couple years working in the Department of Access Services at RIT as a staff interpreter.
Eliza has previously served one term as Treasurer and has been actively involved in several other GVR projects and committees.
Email: President@GVRRID.org
Eric Severson, Vice President
2021-2023, two year term
Eric Severson is from Salem, OR. He graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in ASL and English Interpreting, a minor in Criminal Justice, and an immersion in Public Policy in 2019. Before arriving in Rochester to study interpreting, he went to the University of Oregon where he got a BS in Sociology with a focus in Criminology and a minor in music. Currently, he is in the Apprentice Program through the Department of Access Services at RIT.
Even though he’s newer to the field, Eric has been seeking ways to stay connected and involved with the community; serving on the GVRRID board is one of the best ways for him to achieve that.
Email: VicePresident@GVRRID.org
Michele Martinez, Secretary
2022-2024, two year term
(Michelle was elected unopposed by special election in August 2022 to fill the position, which had been vacant since July 1st, 2022)
Michele is a graduate of the interpreting program at the National Institute of the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has been a certified interpreter for over 20 years working in Rochester and Buffalo, NY. In 2018, Michele transitioned to working remotely, expanding to provide services across the United States which brought new challenges and opportunities. Throughout her career she have held many different roles in the field of interpreting. Michele has worked as a Dedicated Interpreter, Trainer, Manager, Director, Diagnostician, and Instructional Designer in the field of interpreting, as well as other industries. Michele is currently serving as the Director of Professional Development for Partners Interpreting.
Email: Secretary@gvrrid.org
Emily Call, Treasurer
2021-2023, two year term
Emily Call (she/her) has lived in Rochester since 2007, and graduated from the ASLIE program in 2014. She has worked at the Department of Access Services (DAS) at RIT since 2015, and recently joined Sorenson VRS. She regularly mentors student and apprentice interpreters and cofacilitates the weekly meetings for the DAS Apprenticeship Program. In addition to her undergraduate in ASL-English Interpreting, Emily holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from The College at Brockport (2007), a masters degree in Management from the Saunders College of Business at RIT (2020) and gained her NIC in 2019. She’s looking forward to taking on the role of treasurer.
Email: Treasurer@GVRRID.org
Jeanette Corso, Member-at-Large
2022-2025, 3 year term
Jeanette is from downstate New York, Queens/Long Island to be more specific. She relocated to Rochester in 2007 following the completion of her Interpreter Training Program. She attended Northeastern University and graduated in 2006 with a double major in American Sign Language Interpreting and Human Services. She later returned to the University of Rochester to pursue a graduate degree; She graduated in 2021 from The Warner School of Education with a Masters of Science in Human Development.
Currently she is a staff interpreter at Strong Memorial Hospital, a freelance interpreter, video relay interpreter, as well as a video remote interpreter with higher education institutions that provide distance learning opportunities. Since graduating from U of R, she has had the opportunity of teaching the curriculum she created, which focuses on her thesis work, and she looks forward to more of those opportunities in the future. She was involved with GVR in the past when she served on the Professional Development Committee; she loved finding presenters and exciting resources to bring in and share with her fellow community of interpreters.
Email: JeanetteCorso@gvrrid.org
Shannon Tracy, Member-at-Large
2020-2023, three year term
Shannon is originally from Homer, NY but has lived in the Rochester area for 7 years now. She graduated from RIT/NTID in 2017 and currently works as a staff interpreter at Monroe One BOCES. In addition to working in the K-12 setting, she also works as a freelancer in the Rochester area as well as spends some of her time volunteering in the community. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and learning. She is always searching for more ways to be involved and is looking forward to having a more active role in GVRRID.
Email: ShannonTracy@gvrrid.org
Lisa Prinzi, PhD, Member-at-Large
2022-2025, three year term
Dr. Lisa Prinzi is a native of the Rochester area and has worked as an interpreter for over 20 years (community, VRS, educational). She obtained her associate degree in educational interpreting in 2001 and her bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language-English interpretation in 2004, both from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She also earned her master’s degree in secondary education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing from NTID at RIT in 2007. Lisa completed her Ph.D. in educational culture, policy, and society from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2020. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education (ASLIE) at RIT/NTID. Statement of Interest: I firmly believe in the idea of life-long learning. Education is an individual journey yet a collaborative effort. People learn and grow best when they feel safe, supported, and seen. My interest in serving as a Member-at-Large is to liaison and support the local community, ensuring that the membership’s interests, needs, and desires are addressed and collaboratively met.
Email: LisaPrinzi@gvrrid.org
Keven Poore, Deaf Member-at-Large
2020-2023, three year term (took over April 1st, 2021)
The previous Deaf Member at Large resigned and Keven was appointed by special election in March 2021 to serve the remaining term.
My name is Keven Poore and I am a CDI. I have been certified since early 2011 and have worked in a range of settings. Prior to relocating to Rochester from the Philadelphia area, I worked as a freelance interpreter for 7 years. I have provided multiple trainings to individuals who are pursuing their DI certification, to interpreters re: interpreting in Behavioral health settings as well as training on Deaf/Hearing teaming. With my behavioral health background (MA in Mental Health Counseling) I bring both interpreting and a working knowledge of mental health and substance use disorder to the table. I was a content expert for Center for Atypical Language Interpreting (CALI) Training - Module 3 and a content expert for CATIE's Introduction to Addiction and Recovery Interpreting Training module. I am a facilitator for the Supervisor Module in CALI's Training series with my fourth year coming up this spring. I am also the co-chair for the Test Development Committee at the Center for the Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation (CASLI). Additionally, I am an instructor for ASLIE’s Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting program and the newly formed Certificate in Deaf Interpreting program. Currently, as Director of Substance and Addiction Intervention Services for the Deaf (SAISD) at NTID/RIT, my work as a CDI is limited to on-call opportunities at URMC and a few press conferences here and there. I enjoy the ever evolving field of interpreting and want to be part of normalizing the use of deaf interpreters in the GVRRID region.
Email: KevenPoore@gvrrid.org
Sarah Morgenthal, Student Interpreter Representative
2022-2023, one year term
A native of Long Island, New York, Sarah Morgenthal is a student in the RIT Honors Program, studying American Sign Language-English Interpretation at NTID/RIT. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society. Sarah began working as a member of the GVRRID Social Media Committee in 2021, and will be the Student Interpreter Representative for the 2022-2023 election term. She serves as a Board Member for the NTID Student Congress and as a Research Assistant in a joint study conducted by NTID and Gallaudet University. Sarah is a Student Interpreter for the Department of Access Services, with a focus in interpreting for engineering and NTID classes.
Email: SarahMorgenthal@GVRRID.org
Committee Chairs
Don Heinz, Membership Committee Chair committees 
Board appointed position with no specific term
Don Heinz is originally from Houghton, NY and is a graduate of NTID. Beginning in 1994, he worked at several different public schools, before he joined Monroe 2 BOCES in 2003 as an Interpreter for the Deaf. Don has served on the GVRID board since 2008 in different positions, such as membership chair, treasurer, and member at large. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
Email: info@GVRRID.org
Vacant Professional Development Committee Chair
Board appointed position with no specific term
This position is currently vacant. Please email President@gvrrid.org if interested.
Email: PDChair@GVRRID.org
Eric Severson, Social Media Committee Chair
Board appointed position with no specific term
Eric Severson is from Salem, OR. He graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in ASL and English Interpreting, a minor in Criminal Justice, and an immersion in Public Policy in 2019. Before arriving in Rochester to study interpreting, he went to the University of Oregon where he got a BS in Sociology with a focus in Criminology and a minor in music. Currently, he is in the Apprentice Program through the Department of Access Services at RIT.
Even though he’s newer to the field, Eric has been seeking ways to stay connected and involved with the community; serving on the GVRRID board is one of the best ways for him to achieve that.
Email: Secretary@GVRRID.org or VicePresident@GVRRID.org
Alyx Vaisey, CI, CT, CMP Coordinator, Website Committee Chair
Board appointed position with no specific term
Alyx is from Rochester, NY and got into interpreting because of their Deaf family members. As a graduate of RIT/NTID, they began interpreting professionally in 2000 and have experienced pretty much every interpreting setting you could name. They currently work full-time at the University of Rochester Medical Center serving their Deaf Professionals. They have been involved with GVR in one way or another since 2011, including doing two terms as Treasurer.
CMP Email: CMP@GVRRID.org
Website Email: Admin@GVRRID.org
The GVRRID Board meets monthly on the second Saturday of the month at 9am. All members are welcome to attend!