Douglas Masiroff  new_releases

My professional life began with a combination of case management and teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at Jubilee Partners and International Institute. Throughout my career, I've worked closely with immigrants and refugees from many countries. I've also taught language classes for adults and children. With 20 years of experience in program administration, I bring strong project management skills and a passion for strengthening intercultural understanding. In my role as Education Specialist for ESL with Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (now Literacy Pittsburgh), I managed a large budget for curricular materials and served as a five-term site supervisor for AmeriCorps. I prepared and delivered trainings for adult education teachers and volunteer tutors, and I designed individualized education plans using both standardized assessments and informal assessments—for tutor pairs and small group instruction. I became a trained interpreter through my state's Office of Health Equity. Soon after, I became Director of a nonprofit service focused on improving Language Access for refugees and immigrants in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Over the next five years, I expanded Pittsburgh Language Access Network's available languages from three to more than twenty—recruiting, training, and supervising over 100 active interpreters and translators. Additionally, I trained and supervised a team of multilingual office workers as assignment schedulers and managed translation projects for social service and medical providers. My ongoing leadership in civic engagement and community development projects includes being active with the Benedictine Sanctuary Committee in Erie, the Latino Roundtable in Pittsburgh, co-chairing the Language Access Committee of Allegheny County Department of Human Services' Advisory Council for Immigrants and Internationals, serving on the Board of Directors during the launch of Casa San José in Pittsburgh, and contributing in other community-based volunteer roles in my home state of Pennsylvania. In recent years, I've taught Spanish and currently freelance as an interpreter and instructional designer for learners of all ages. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I continue to create educational materials while drawing on my international experience—having lived abroad and traveled extensively in Europe (France, Spain) and Latin America (Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru). I speak fluent English and Spanish, conversational French, and have working knowledge of German and Brazilian Portuguese.