Structure of the VKD
Members working for members
A community is only ever as strong as the members who contribute towards it. At VKD, a large number of members give up their time to provide support to the Association’s members, monitor developments in the industry, moderate discussions among colleagues, support young interpreters as they enter the market, and make sure the voice of our profession is heard.
We invite you to meet the members who serve the Association on the Executive Board, the various committees and special functions, and to learn more about what they do.
From left to right: Jonas Lunte (adjunct member 3), Beatriz Quintanero Raposo (chair), Jana Lüth (deputy chair), Katharina Helmer (adjunct member 1), Melanie Hauser (treasurer), Nele Kirstein (adjunct member 2)
The VKD's Executive Board publicly represents the interests of the VKD and manages its affairs between the annual general meetings. It is composed of the chair, deputy chair, treasurer and at least two adjunct board members.
Beatriz Quintanero Raposo
E-mail: vorsitz(at)vkd.bdue.de
Jana Lüth
E-mail: lueth(at)vkd.bdue.de
Melanie Hauser
E-mail: kasse(at)vkd.bdue.de
Katharina Helmer
E-mail: beisitz1(at)vkd.bdue.de
Nele Kirstein
E-mail: beisitz2(at)vkd.bdue.de
Jonas Lunte
E-mail: beisitz3(at)vkd.bdue.de
Left to right: Cinzia Turrini, Jirina Koenig, Dr Anja Rütten (substitute member), Anna Hartmann, Felix Brender (chair), Simone Salo, Pawel Kozlowski. Missing in the photo: Britta Klapproth (substitute member)
The Admissions Committee is responsible for processing membership applications and deciding whether applicants meet the criteria for admission to the VKD. It also decides on members’ requests to add languages to their combinations and on changes from VKD-Junior to VKD-Senior status.
The VKD’s admission requirements are set out in the Association’s Admission Regulations. For more information on VKD membership, please visit the 'Become a member' section, from where the application pack can be downloaded.
E-mail: aufnahmeausschuss(at)vkd.bdue.de
Felix Brender (interim)
E-mail: aufnahmeausschuss(at)vkd.bdue.de
Alba Floris
E-mail: floris(at)vkd.bdue.de
Regional Coordinators
The Regional Coordinators can be reached at the following e-mail addresses:
- North
- Berlin and East I
- East II
- West I (Cologne)
- West II (Frankfurt/Main)
- South I (Baden-Württemberg/Rhineland-Palatinate/Saarland)
- South II (Bavaria)
North
Berlin and East I
East II
West I (Cologne)
West II (Frankfurt/Main)
South I (Baden-Württemberg/Rhineland-Palatinate/Saarland)
South II (Bavaria)
Special functions
The members who occupy these ‘special functions’ handle any issues that relate to their area of responsibility and are the first port of call if any such issues arise. These include, e.g., press and public relations, the mentoring programme, CPD and many others.
Lotte Andréani
Responsible for managing members' data (contact details, language combinations, etc.) for internal purposes, the directory search function, and the exchange of data with our parent association BDÜ.
E-mail: dv(at)vkd.bdue.de
Anna Furlan (L), Maarten Austmann (C) & Maria Saavedra Isusi (R)
Responsible for organising CPD courses designed specifically for interpreters.
E-mail: fortbildung(at)vkd.bdue.de
Bea Luz
Responsible for matters relating to court and community interpreters and their work.
Elisabeth Körner-Székelyhidi
Responsible for liaising with the universities and colleges that teach conference interpreting and maintaining the list of recognised providers.
E-mail: hochschule(at)vkd.bdue.de
Ralf Pfleger
Responsible for representing the VKD in ISO/DIN working groups.
E-mail: normierung(at)vkd.bdue.de
Benjamin Gross (L) & Lara Gonnot (R)
Please get in touch with our marketing coordinators by emailing marketing(at)vkd.bdue.de if you
- got to know the VKD at a trade fair,
- are a member and would like to represent the VKD at a trade fair,
- are a member and need marketing materials from the VKD for an event.
Karin Walker (L) & Rafael Adam (R)
Responsible for monitoring market and technical developments in the field of conference interpreting.
E-mail: markt(at)vkd.bdue.de
Ann-Christin Pitz (L), Matthias Staudacher (C) & Isabel Rauschmaier (R)
Responsible for coordinating the VKD’s mentoring programme and organising professionalisation courses.
E-mail: nachwuchsprogramm(at)vkd.bdue.de
Jonas Zimmermann (L) & Hannah Kehl (R)
Please get in touch with our press liaisons by emailing pr(at)vkd.bdue.de if you
- would like to respond to a press release from the VKD,
- are looking for an interpreter for an interview,
- need a statement from the VKD,
- want to find out more about our services.
Zoe Fesseler
Please get in touch with our social media coordinator (smm(at)vkd.bdue.de) if you would like to discuss anything in connection with the VKD’s social media footprint.
Back (from left to right): Laura Hahn, Katerina Nijenhuis;
Front (from left to right): Franz Kubaczyk, Ingrid Körber, Elisa Behr
These members are the editorial team of VKD-Kurier, the VKD's members’ magazine. An electronic version can be downloaded from the internal members' forum (MeinBDÜ).
Thomas Baumgart
Responsible for managing and updating the VKD website.
E-mail: webmaster(at)vkd.bdue.de
Would you like to volunteer for the VKD? Then get in touch - we look forward to hearing from you!
