Central Region: LaVonia Gorsuch

LaVonia Gorsuch hails from Birmingham, AL and has been providing professional interpreting services in the area since 2014 with experience spanning medical, post-secondary education, VRS (Video Relay Services), K-12, and federal emergency management settings. She is a heritage user of American Sign Language and a coda (Child of Deaf Adults), bringing a deep linguistic and cultural foundation to her work and also currently serves as the secretary of SECODA (Southeast Children of Deaf Adults).

In her role with ALRID, she is committed to fostering meaningful professional development opportunities that support fellow interpreters in their individual growth. With civil rights at the core of interpreting, she strives to help advance the profession in ways that center equity, access, and accountability.

North Region: Maretta Maple (Decatur)

Maretta Maple is a native of Alabama and has been in the field of interpreting since 1996, holding RID certification since 2005.  Maretta started her interpreting profession as an interpreter for Deaf Access and AIDB, later to take on a full-time position with Huntsville City and later Atlanta Public School Systems. She has worked as a freelance interpreter for various agencies throughout her career. Maretta participated in one of the first interpreter training programsAlabama established, which was piloted through the University of Alabama. She has been working for Sorenson Communications for 18 years and has had the wonderful privilege of attending serval of Sorenson’s' professional training courses which have been a great asset to her career. Maretta has a desire for the field of mental health and has taken 100 plus hours of training in mental health and is presently working on her Mental Health Q. 

Maretta has deaf family members which lead her desire to emerge into how to communicate successfully and respectfully with her family. A deep love for her family and people in general led to her furthering her knowledge and skills in making communication accessible to the hearing and deaf communities she serves. Maretta lived in Houston Texas for 13 years and while living in Houston, she acquired her Associate degree in Human Service with a focus on Substance Abuse and Counseling through Lone Star College, Houston Texas. Maretta has been married to her wonderful husband for the last 15 years and enjoys outdoor sports like fishing and camping with her husband. Maretta also loves fitness and holds her personal trainer certification with NFPT and her Group X certification with AFAA; Cycle Certificate with NASM. She also enjoys helping her customers cherish their special occasions by hosting organizational dinner parties and anniversary parties as an event coordinator, SpecialEvents2Remember2. 

Maretta looks forward to serving the Northern Region of Alabama in making available workshops that cater to the needs and growth of our interpreting peers.

AAD Representative: Ryan McDonald (Huntsville)

Ryan was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. Ryan became deaf at 5 months old due to spinal meningitis. She has attended and experienced a mainstream school with a deaf program, a public school (being the only deaf student), and a deaf residential program.

After graduating from Alabama School for the Deaf, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Auburn University.

Ryan began her career as a Vocational Instructor for the Deaf at the Mobile Association for the Blind. During this time, she also worked for one year in partnership with the AIDB Mobile Regional Center as the Case Manager for the Deaf. She went on to join the Independent Living Center of Mobile as the Deaf Service Coordinator before joining the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services as a Deaf Support Specialist.

Ryan joined the team at AIDB’s E. H. Gentry Facility as a Vocational Evaluator for the Deaf before becoming a Rehabilitation Teacher for the Deaf. She then worked as a Program Coordinator at Mountain Lakes Behavioral Healthcare before becoming the Case Manager for the Deaf at the AIDB Huntsville Regional Center, While Ryan worked as Case Manager for the Deaf, she served as the Interim Director of the AIDB Decatur Regional Center, before becoming Director of the AIDB Huntsville Regional Center since November 2022.

She was past secretary for Alabama Association for the Deaf, and is currently president of Alabama Association for the Deaf. She is on the board for Alabama Licensure Board for Interpreters and Transliterators.

Past President: Lisa Gould (Mobile)

Lisa Gould has been an active ALRID member since she became nationally certified in 1996. She holds national certification from RID CI/CT, NAD IV and QMHI. She graduated from Georgia Perimeter College, Interpreter Training Program in 1995. As a student, she was selected as a Region II Student Representative at the RID National Conference. She has served ALRID in various positions as Secretary, Vice President, Regional Representative, Member at Large, Vice President, and currently President. Lisa recently received the Mary Lou Bingham Award from ALRID. She is currently the Interpreter Coordinator at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, Mobile Regional Center and has been there since 1999. She works in medical, legal, mental health and other settings in the community. She has previously served on the Alabama Licensure Board for Interpreters and Transliterators. Lisa grew up signing with her Deaf brother and has a huge passion for equality of communication access for the Deaf community. Lisa is married to her husband, Randy and has two sons, Nikko and Brock. Lisa believes strongly in continuing education as an Interpreter and attends numerous workshops and conferences. She believes ALRID has the same goal of providing top quality educational opportunities for members and will strive to support that goal.