Our People

Dr. Luis A. de la Vega
CEO

As the founder and CEO of ProTranslating, I have had the pleasure of growing this company from a two-person start-up to a 100+ employee operation, without ever losing our focus on quality and service. Over the past three decades, we have changed drastically and, as the typewriter led to the PC and standard mail led to email, we have helped our clients preserve their brands and communicate flawlessly across linguistic and geographic boundaries. My contributions to the company stem from my background as a linguist, and as the original translator in the English, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, German, Russian and Italian departments, I stand proudly behind the strongest team of linguists in the industry.

Today we face a highly competitive environment, and the Internet has opened the gateway to competition for both clients and linguists. Notwithstanding the technological advances in our industry, at ProTranslating we refuse to cut corners, and with a linguist at the highest position in the firm, our clients know that they will always receive the highest-quality translation. Our goal, in a nutshell, is to ensure that we continue delivering the same quality product that has made us an industry leader since 1973.

Outside the office, I am an avid musicologist and musician, always on the lookout for the rarest pieces of classical, retro-ethnic and Cuban music. My love for music and languages has led me to meet some of the foremost experts and collectors of classical and Cuban music, and I have had the pleasure of traveling the globe to share my knowledge and stories with them.

Formal Education:

1974 PhD in Modern Languages and Linguistics

1969 MA in Modern Languages

1967 BA in Modern Languages: French, Portuguese, Russian and German

Year hired: 1973 (Founder)

Maria Cristina de la Vega
President

As one of the founders of ProTranslating, I am directly responsible for the Court Interpreting Department as well as the Conference Interpreting Department, in addition to general oversight and business development responsibilities. I am both a consecutive and simultaneous Spanish<>English interpreter and continue to work in those capacities.

It has been very exciting and gratifying to witness the growth of our industry both at our headquarters in Miami and throughout the U.S., since the time we opened our doors in 1973.

At that time, I was the only female interpreter in the local court system. There were very few conferences that needed simultaneous interpreting and there was not a significant amount of translations. At the start, our company did mostly interpreting work.

This has all changed significantly. The ranks of female court interpreters have swelled. We now have conference work on a regular basis and translations, especially since the onset of the Internet, have far surpassed interpreting work.

On a personal note, I enjoy playing the guitar, singing, golf, nature and travel. I am fortunate that I have had the opportunity to travel in a professional capacity throughout the world.

Formal Education:

2009 MBA - Florida International University

1972-1973 Boston University

1970-1972 Moore College of Art

Certificates:

2010 Member of AIIC, The International Association of Conference Interpreters. Language Classification: Spanish A, English A

2010 Certified Spanish<>English interpreter/Translator by the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators

2008 Certified Spanish<>English Interpreter by the State of Florida

1982 Certified Spanish<>English Interpreter by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Year hired: 1973 (Founder)

Silvia Diaz
Sr. Account Executive

I began working at ProTranslating as a 19-year-old newlywed and have been here for more than 20 years now, all in the Translations Department. The company and I have both grown and evolved tremendously in this period of time. We were a total of 8 employees in our department back in 1986, and our department now numbers over 100 of us. Along the way, my family also grew to include my three children. From experience, I can certainly say that there's never a dull moment in our company. Our clients and the work we do for them are diverse and interesting, and at times quite challenging, which usually makes the day go by quickly. Our eclectic group of linguists also brings a lot of variety to the table, and our interaction over the years has allowed me to grow in my professional as well as personal capacities.

Formal Education:

1986 BA in Psychology and Certification and Minor in Translation Studies - Florida International University

1983 AA in Business Administration - Miami-Dade College

Year hired: 1986

Luis R. de la Vega
Managing Director

I’ve had the pleasure of working in most positions in the company, from interpreter all the way to management and, depending on when you look for me, I can be found in different areas of the firm, always working to ensure harmony and productivity across all departments. ProTranslating has given me the opportunity to change roles several times and, through this experience, I have gained in-depth departmental knowledge, and staffed the firm to meet the growing needs of our clients.

“Work Hard, Play Hard”

When I’m not in the office crunching numbers, I’m usually dedicated to the other love of my life, music. At night I try to take my mind off the business, making music with the folks that taught me how to play. It is because of them that I’ll always play rock & roll, but I also enjoy Cuban, afro-beat, folk and Latin music. Influences include John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Cachao and Fela Kuti.

My other love is for the ocean, and you can oftentimes find me on the water, fishing and diving whenever I get the chance. I’ve fished and taken dives in South Florida, the Florida Keys, Costa Rica, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, the British Virgin Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico.

Formal Education:

2006 MBA - University of Miami

2002 BS in Business Administration - Georgetown University

Year hired: I was born into this company.

Greg Klebon
Director of Finance

I joined the staff at ProTranslating in November of 2006 and I can say that the challenge of successfully navigating a medium-sized, high-growth company by providing financial recommendations and strategic insight in today’s volatile economy is immensely rewarding. ProTranslating has a strong international presence and is a diverse place to work both intellectually and culturally, and with my previous domestic and foreign work experience and education, it has been a great fit for me.

I grew up in Pennsylvania with dreams of becoming a doctor or professional golfer. I was recruited by a few colleges to play golf, and ultimately decided on Penn State and was a member of the golf team for some time. Upon graduation, I worked for 3 years in the pharmaceutical industry in Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania, and for 2 years in the hospitality industry in Northern Italy.

In my spare time, I still play a fair amount of golf. I have had the privilege of competing against Tiger Woods when he made history by winning the US Junior Amateur for the 3rd consecutive time in 1993, where he played right behind me. I still try to play in tournaments at the local, state and national levels every year. I also enjoy playing the piano and traveling. I picked Italian and Spanish up along the way, which often comes in handy in the office!

Formal Education:

2006 MBA in Finance and International Business – University of Miami

1999 BS in Premedicine, Minor in Spanish – Penn State University

Year hired: 2006

Beatriz A. Vignau
Senior Editor/Translator

More than twenty-five years of experience in the field (all at ProTranslating) have allowed me to make certain observations. One is that translating and language are ever-evolving: not a day goes by that I do not learn something new. By the same token, I have not completely abandoned my previous profession as a language teacher. As Senior Editor, I consider it my duty to teach and mentor new translators and help them hone their skills. My door (or inbox) is always open for consultations and the translators understand that my edits of their work are made not in the spirit of criticism, but of education. Providing the client with a top-quality product is always the ultimate goal.

Another observation is that translating is an art, rather than a mechanical skill. I think that this is part of the reason why nearly all translators are also devoted to the arts in some way. In my case, it is dance (I have my own studio); others are skilled musicians and singers, others are painters and graphic artists, while still others are published poets and authors.

“It runs in the family”

My father was a linguist, being fluent in six languages and proficient in another four. My twin sister, Cristina Martin, has also worked for ProTranslating for more than a quarter century.

Formal Education:

1978 BA in English and History – University of Miami

Year hired: 1983

Carlos Estefani
Director of Operations

I have worked with ProTranslating for over a decade, and shared responsibilities in almost every area of the company. Most recently, my duties have taken me to the frontlines, spearheading the development of our two youngest departments: Sales and Website Translations. Nonetheless, if you’ve worked with ProTranslating in the past decade, chances are you’ve worked with me!

Formal Education:

1993 BA in Economics - St. Mary's College of Maryland

Year hired: 1998

Colin Klevan
Director of Web Translations

As the manager of the Web Translations Department, my responsibilities include managing the day-to-day operations that support some of the largest and most well-known websites on the Internet. ProTranslating has a unique work environment where we tackle projects in a team-based setting that lends itself very well to my “open door” management style.

I came to ProTranslating with a background in Marketing/Advertising that, together with my experiences abroad, has lent itself well to my existing responsibilities. I spent most of my childhood traveling the world as my family lived in Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Tokyo. After completing my studies I continued to travel, moving to Salamanca and Costa Rica where I was able to temporarily fulfill my dream of working and living on the ocean.

When I’m not in the office, I divide my time between my newborn son and my love for fishing and diving. My love for the ocean has taken me and my 2 brothers around the world as charterboat captains in Costa Rica and Australia, and I hope to one day share similar experiences with the newest member of our crew, Connor.

Formal Education:

2002 BA - Emory University

Year hired: 2007

Alexander V. Tuñón
IT Director

I started my career in IT working for several large corporations until I founded my own IT company, supporting several small to medium-sized business in the Miami-Dade area. ProTranslating was one of my first clients, and I had a close business relationship with the company for several years until early 2007, when I came on board full-time as the IT Director. Currently, my main responsibility is creating an IT infrastructure to accommodate the company’s growth over the next 5 years.

Outside of the office I’m a family guy who enjoys spending time with my wife, two children, and pet Boxer. I’m currently coaching my son’s soccer team, and looking forward to doing so for many more years. I enjoy reading, writing, sports, playing, and making people laugh. Although I chose a tech field for my career, I am first and foremost a people person who loves to overcome challenges with others synergistically.

Formal Education:

2001 MS in Management Information Systems

1996 Bachelor of Business Administration

Year hired: 2007