Colorado RID Board Members
Meet Haley Hegeman, Our President
Haley Hegeman has been interpreting in the community and post-secondary education for eight years. She graduated from Florida College in 2009 with a BA in music and then graduated with her AAS in interpreting from Pikes Peak Community College in 2016. She now loves instructing up-and-coming interpreters!
She began her CRID journey as the Pikes Peak district financial steward in 2016 and then “leveled up” to the treasurer for the CRID executive board in 2017-2023. Haley has also been the CRID conference chair for two major conferences and helped with every conference since 2015. She is now honored to take on the role of CRID President!
Haley is the co-coordinator for CORE Interpreters Colorado, a program designed to bridge the gap for new interpreters and pair mentees, mentors, and interpreting coaches together to make the interpreting community as strong and supportive as it can be!
When she is not doing things related to interpreting, you can find her behind a camera lens, playing percussion with the local community band, covered in dog hair, caring for a mini-jungle of houseplants (thanks, 2020), being the honorary aunt that feeds the kids sugar and gives them back, or hanging out with an alpaca or two.
Fun fact: Haley once played the troll in “Little Women: The Musical”. It wasn’t easy being green.
Meet Liz Chittenden, Our Vice President
With over 25 years of experience in the interpreting field, Liz Chittenden brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role as Vice President of the Colorado Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching American Sign Language from Columbia University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Interpreting from California State University, Northridge, and an Associate of Arts degree with an Interpreting Preparation Program certificate from Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California.
After establishing her career on both coasts, Liz found her home in Colorado, where she resides with her husband, a native Coloradan. Currently, she works as a freelance and virtual interpreter, specializing in medical, theater, business operations, and faith-based settings. Liz is passionate about enhancing access to interpreting services and strives to elevate the quality of communication for all participants. She actively mentors interpreting students and recent graduates, as well as supports working interpreters in their professional development.
Throughout her career, Liz has also contributed to the academic community by partnering with the American Sign Language program at PS47 in New York City and in various roles at Pikes Peak State College interpreting program in Colorado. Her perspective on interpreting has been profoundly shaped by her marriage to her Deaf husband, which has deepened her understanding of the nuances and importance of effective communication access and professional ethics.
In her personal time, Liz enjoys spending quality moments with her immediate and extended family and beloved dog, cultivating her aeroponic garden, and exploring local markets, particularly Trader Joe’s, to gather ingredients for her next culinary adventure.
Vacant, Our Treasurer
Interested? Email president@coloradorid.org
Meet Emma Fitzhugh, Our Secretary
Emma (she/her) has been interpreting since fall 2020. Prior to that, she learned ASL from a Deaf high school teacher in San Antonio, Texas, then continued her education at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. from 2016--2020. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Interpretation (BAI) degree as well as a minor in psychology. Additionally, she was an intern at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center for a few months prior to Covid. Upon moving to Colorado in fall 2020, Emma began working as a staff K-12 interpreter, during which time she passed the EIPA, obtained her Colorado Department of Education K-12 interpreter authorization, as well as her National Interpreter Certification (NIC). She then transitioned into interpreting freelance full time and absolutely loves it! She works in a variety of settings, namely, medical, business, community, government, as well as being a part-time staff interpreter at a few post-secondary institutions. She is considering taking the BEI exam in order to further improve her skills. She has been involved with the CORE mentoring program since 2023, but worked with one mentee prior to joining CORE. She also joined CRID as the secretary in 2023 and hopes to make a difference within the organization as well as amongst new and seasoned interpreters in beautiful Colorado. When she isn't interpreting she enjoys spending time with her adorable pup, Prince (yes, like the singer), reading, enjoying nature, or spending time with her family in Colorado Springs. One of her favorite quotes is, "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses", as stated by the incomparable, lovely Abraham Lincoln.
Meet Jennifer Mari Gunderson, Our Deaf member at Large
Jennifer Mari Gunderson is a dedicated ASL educator with over 10 years of experience, including 7 years teaching in K-12 settings. Born deaf into a Deaf family, Jennifer is a native signer who has been interpreting in mainstream environments with Deaf students from a young age. She attended a Deaf school, also attended public school, and later graduated from Gallaudet University with a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies in 2013, followed by a Master's in Sign Language Education in 2017.
Jennifer is passionate about fostering cultural sensitivity and bridging communities, especially between Deaf and hearing individuals, to enhance communication and inclusivity. Proud to be the mother of a CODA son, she shares her love for language and community with him. Currently involved with CRID, Jennifer is committed to providing top-tier communication support across diverse communities.
Her connection to nature matches her love for education. Jennifer enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time with her son and furkids in her free time.
Meet Audrey McCann, Our Member at Large
Audrey McCann has been interpreting professionally for over 20 years. She has held BEI Master and RID NIC Advanced certifications for more than 15 years. She has worked in numerous settings such as medical, mental health, technical, corporate, platform/performance, trauma-informed, religion, video relay, and tactile. Raised in Austin, Texas by her Deaf family, she relocated to the Denver area with her husband to work with the dynamic Convo Relay team after having held a variety of lead and managerial positions in her time working in VRS. She is passionate about providing access to the Deaf community and is a staunch advocate of interpreters providing pro bono services as appropriate.
Meet Thom Murphy, Our Member at Large
Thom (he/him) began his sign language journey at the age of sixteen learning BSL (British Sign Language) in Manchester, England. He studied at the University of Bristol where he graduated with his Bachelor of Science Degree in Deaf Studies and BSL Interpreting in 2013. He began his interpreting career in 2013, working predominantly in medical, community, business, and education. He continued down this path until he moved to Colorado in the fall of 2022 to study ASL interpreting. Thom is now on the CRID board serving as Member at Large. When Thom isn’t studying, he is usually FaceTiming with his nieces and nephews, landscaping and fermenting; kombucha, mustard, kimchi, the list hopes to go on and on.