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PLD Leadership Spotlight: Rafa Lombardino

September 23, 2025 By ATA PLD Leave a Comment

Rafa Lombardino.

 

Where do you currently live?
California

What motivated you to join the leadership of the PLD?
I was in close contact with members of the leadership council then, so I decided to volunteer my time and contribute with my IT and media-relations knowledge.

What was your role in the PLD, and when did you serve?
I joined the PLD Leadership Council back in 2016 to help with web-related tasks, including the PLD blog and social media accounts. I then served as the administrator in 2018 and 2019 to build on the great work of the previous administration.

What were the dynamics of PLD at that time?
We were a small group that joined the leadership council to elevate the PLD brand as one of the oldest language-related groups within the ATA. Our main goal was to engage Portuguese-speaking members and strengthen our professional community.

What do you consider your greatest contribution to the advancement of the PLD?
I was able to build on the great foundation created by then blog editor Bianca Bold and expanded our communication strategy into our social media accounts to increase our reach. We noticed that some members preferred updates by email, as traditionally done through our listserv for decades, but a new generation of members was more connected online and expected updates on social media platforms instead.

What are you currently doing, both professionally and personally?
I’m currently on my 28th year as a translator and my 15th year as a translation instructor. I do believe we’re witnessing a fast-paced shift in our segment. Even so, my wish is to continue using my language skills to help different groups communicate among my working languages and also contribute to educating the new generation of language professionals as they acquire new technology-related skills.

What is your vision for the future of the PLD?
I hope PLD can continue to grow and connect members, helping us discuss and understand the changes in our segment so that we can become a stronger community of Portuguese-speaking professionals.

What advice do you have for PLD members today?
Keep in touch with your peers. I’ve learned so much from fellow PLD members and cherish the friendships we’ve developed. Many of us work in isolation much of the time, but we cannot forget that there’s strength in numbers. So the more we interact with one another, the stronger we are as a professional community.

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