Message from the Board Q1 2005

Hans Fenstermacher, GALA Board Chair

As we begin 2005, GALA has acquired a great deal of momentum. Our organization continues to grow at a good pace; we are particularly pleased about new members joining from new countries and regions. We are also getting more inquiries from potential new members, who are hearing great things about GALA from their friends and colleagues.

This year, we have two new members of the Board, who were elected last October. Aki Ito (Prisma International) and Arancha Caballero (TSG) joined us in January and have stepped right into their new roles: Aki is now Vice Chair of the Board and Arancha is Secretary. We are looking forward to adding their enthusiasm and great ideas to our association leadership. Let me also take a moment to thank our outgoing Board members Don DePalma (Common Sense Advisory) and Hedley Rees-Evans (formerly with SDL) for their contributions over past two years. We will miss working with them, but we hope they will continue to play vital roles in GALA and in our industry.

An ambitious year stands before us. GALA will be present at numerous events throughout the world, including the CSN Expo, Localization World conferences, the international STC conference, and more. On the promotions side, in response to our members who have identified this issue as #1 on our agenda (!), we are putting together a plan to promote GALA and the industry as a whole. We will keep you updated regularly on its progress. Our efforts to cooperate and forge alliances with other players in our industry are continuing. We have a partnership with Localization World; we are participating with CSN in developing a strong industry recognition and awards program; and we are a founding member of the International Corporate Language Council (a group that unites associations from around the world in the interest of promoting our industry), just to name a few initiatives.

As we move ahead, we look forward to your participation and involvement. Without you, our members, this organization would not exist, so it is with your support that we continue to thrive. All of us on the Board welcome your comments and input any time.

For the GALA Board,

Hans Fenstermacher
GALA Board Chair
 

Hans is chair of the GALA Board and president and founder of ArchiText Inc., a globalization and localization services company.