Proteus:
NOT ONLY A GREEK GOD

It is hard to conceive of Proteus without Dagoberto Orrantia, editor-in-chief since the first issue in the winter of 1992. He established the quarterly's name, its editorial policy, standards of accuracy, masthead and layout, the sections, and its pro-active stance in support of adequate compensation and uniform working conditions for interpreters in state and federal courts throughout the United States. As editor, his decisions were always based on what the record needed to reflect and on accurate reporting of issues that the membership had a right or a need to know. His efforts have been protean, his patience infinite, and his eye for detail unwavering. In the past eight years, our membership has grown from 200 to nearly 1,000. Today Proteus routinely reports events that are not merely national but international in scope. His vision, of establishing a respected publication of record for court interpreters everywhere, has largely been fulfilled. He has now decided to pass the editor's baton because he accomplished much of what he set out to do and knows that the publication's continuity is ensured.

I hope to continue the high standards he set for Proteus, while modernizing the format for ease of reference and intensifying visual interest. The Board of Directors has agreed that to achieve these goals, Proteus needs a graphic designer, and we are fortunate to have found James Mowrey, whose imprint you will no doubt be noticing in this and future issues. For those who regularly visit NAJIT's website, please keep your eye out for new ways to communicate with Proteus directly from the website.

I hope that my predecessor is satisfied in the knowledge of a job well done. As we look to the new millenium, Proteus will continue to carry NAJIT's message to every port. Interpreters and translators have become or are becoming an integral part of the justice system in most of the world. The more accurately the interpreter conveys what all parties are saying, without fear or favor, the more honor is done to the process itself and to those people (from any country, who may find themselves in any other country) who cannot understand or adequately express themselves in the court's language.

Nancy Festinger
Editor
festinger@najit.org