Meet the Team

With profound sadness, the Red T board says goodbye to our dear friend and colleague Beatrice, who passed after a courageously fought battle with cancer. As a Red T director for 12 years, she contributed immeasurably in various capacities to our non-profit’s success. Her dynamism was inspiring and her dedication unfaltering—even during her most challenging times. We will always remember her with much love and deep gratitude.

Beatrice was Red T’s treasurer and acting social media researcher. She read through dozens of articles every day to help us stay informed so we could keep our social media feeds current. Beatrice served as a Senior Legal Secretary and in-house translator at prominent international corporate law firms. She was fluent in four languages and had over 30 years of experience translating legal materials in the U.S. and Europe. She also regularly provided pro bono translation/interpretation assistance to humanitarian and political asylum seekers.

Peter is Red T’s marketing and branding specialist extraordinaire. He is the owner and co-founder of Brooklyn-based design firm Lúgh Studio, whom we must thank for our website design, advertisements, and the typesetting of Conflict Zone Field Guides. For over 20 years, Peter has been a graphic designer and consultant specializing in international visual branding. Innovation is in his genes and, as such, he is a partner in several start-up businesses, an experienced actor and teacher, co-founder of The Hello Herman Project, and the founding art director of the award-winning Native American media platform, Indian Country Media Network.

When it comes to promoting awareness abroad, Linda is Red T’s go-to partner. A former president of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC), she is one of the founders and the chair of AIIC’s project to help interpreters in conflict zones. One of her group’s successes was the passage in the Council of Europe of a Members Declaration for the protection of conflict zone interpreters. Linda was a practicing conference interpreter for 37 years, 17 of them as a staff interpreter for the European Parliament. Her vast expertise in this field proves invaluable to Red T: Since 2010, she and Maya have co-presented at numerous conferences, as well as co-authored safety publications and other documents.

Muhammad is a Professor of Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies at C.W. Post College of Long Island University, and an Associate Member of the University Middle East Seminar of Columbia University. He is the author and co-author of numerous books and articles; his current research focuses on contemporary Islamic political thought. He is also a sought-after lecturer, TV commentator, consultant at several NGOs, including USAID, and a two-time recipient of grants from the U.S. Institute of Peace. He has worked as a translator for the UN Security Council and served as a linguistic expert witness at terrorism trials. Muhammad is a very busy man, but when he can, he offers Red T exemplary cultural advice and his linguistic genius.

Naomi is our valued wordsmith. Hers are often the first and last set of eyes on what we write, and she is particularly active in our Open Letter Project. She is thrilled to be part of Red T, which she views as a tireless force for good in an arena close to her heart. Naomi began her professional life in business, specializing in marketing/product management at home and abroad, and earning an MBA along the way. But she quickly realized her true passion was language, so she redirected her focus and got an MA in Translation. During the 30 years since, she has been translating, interpreting, and editing in Spanish, English, and French across a range of disciplines.

Lucy Gunderson, CT, is an ATA-certified Russian to English translator. As a specialist in humanitarian and journalistic translation, Lucy has a deep knowledge of human rights and political issues throughout Eurasia. Without translators and interpreters, these issues and others that affect all of our daily lives can never be properly addressed. That is why Lucy is so dedicated to Red T’s mission. When not at her desk in Woodside, Queens, Lucy can be found in the Adirondacks, playing tennis, swimming, and walking in the woods.

Roberto picks up the Red T microphone whenever there is a call for interviews in Spanish. He is a seasoned journalist with 20+ years’ experience and has received multiple Emmy awards, both as a news reporter and anchor at major US Spanish-language stations and in his current position as news director at Spectrum Noticias NY1, a 24-hour New York cable news channel. In these roles he has come to know all about the challenges facing interpreters and the fragility of “fixers” who accompany journalists in conflict zones. Nicaraguan by birth, Roberto’s love for his native tongue runs deep and in his spare time he can be found buried in the pages of Latin American literature.

James is our Visual Communications Manager, an amazing photographer and visual artist. He has provided us with powerful graphics both for the Red T website and the petition for a UN Resolution. A former marine, James can usually be found backpacking through Afghanistan and Iraq, photographing an ethnographic record of the local people. In the United States, he has taught international relations at San Francisco State University and works as an analyst specializing in qualitative research in the area of armed conflict. He is the co-author of Entry Point: Accessing Indigenous Perspectives During Complex Operations. James’ photography has been featured in The Sacramento Bee and SF State Magazine, as well as at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.

Eileen is always ready for a challenge. She is a branding and design expert who has left quite a mark on Red T. Applying her fine aesthetics and impeccable taste, she has created the Red T letterhead and thank-you cards, among other items. As a pioneer businesswoman who traveled extensively in all the Pacific Rim countries, she received an invitation to Mainland China in 1976, the first year it was opened to foreign buyers. In partnership with a Chinese businessman, something unheard of at the time, she produced “the sweater of the year.” All her dealings and cultural encounters on foreign soil made her well aware of the importance of translators and interpreters.