MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, USA, April 14, 2020. Women in Localization (W.L.), the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry, is proud to announce Loy Searle will be continuing as President for the 2020 year. Searle was named President in 2019 and will continue serving as a Board Member and sponsoring Education and Mentoring.
Searle said, “It is my honor to serve another term as President of Women in Localization. Our Board, chapters, directors and volunteers continue to amaze me with their commitment during these challenging times.”
Other 2020 leadership changes include Liesl Leary-Perez stepping down as Director, Marketing and joining the Advisory Board in a Marketing advisory capacity. Erica Haims will join the organization’s leadership team as Director, Marketing. Jill Goldsberry will become Board Sponsor, Strategic Partnerships and Events, Silvia Avary-Silveira will become Director, Membership and continue on the Board as Treasurer, and Allison McDougall will become Director, Sponsorships.
In response to the global COVID-19 virus, Women in Localization has adopted a digital strategy for the duration of the crisis. The organization had already been planning a virtual global community for people interested in joining the organization and participating in meetings but are not physically close to chapter locations. With self-isolation required to contain the spread of the virus, these plans have now been accelerated to allow chapters to continue to meet and conduct events virtually.
Searle said, “Our virtual meetings will support people interested in meeting with their chapters, reconnecting with acquaintances and continuing a sense of community, which is especially important right now.”
“Long-term, the global community will provide support, mentoring and education to those who aren’t close to a chapter,” Searle continued. “Having meetings virtually will also enable our worldwide members to attend other chapter meetings. For example, if someone in Japan is interested in a topic being presented at a chapter meeting in the UK, they will now be able to join.”
After phenomenal growth in 2019, plans for new chapter openings will be on hold until the last quarter of 2020 due to the virus and then will be re-evaluated.
“I am truly grateful for how special our global community is – with friends in every country and so many cities around the world. To all our members everywhere, we wish you and your family health and well-being during this challenging time.”
About Women in Localization
Women in Localization (W.L.) was founded in 2008 by Silvia Avary-Silveira, Eva Klaudinyova and Anna N. Schlegel, and is the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry with over 5,000 members globally. Its mission is to foster a global community for the advancement of women and the localization industry. It aims to provide an open, collaborative forum where women can share expertise and experience and help each other move forward in their careers. Started in the San Francisco Bay Area, W.L. has expanded its membership to include women across the globe, encouraging members to meet in other local geographies.
To learn more, visit www.womeninlocalization.com. You can also follow W.L. on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.