Ron Zellon, founder

Spanish Translator and Interpreter

The child of a Brazilian mother and an American father, Ron Zellon grew up speaking Spanish, English, and Portuguese in Lima, Peru. His earliest memories are of wonderment of the three linguistic worlds he seamlessly inhabited. As a young man, Ron earned a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona, quickly putting what he learned at the service of intercultural communication. Tucson’s big-city-small-town vibe and proximity to the Mexico border swayed Ron to make his life and base his business out of Tucson. In 1998, Ron launched Sonora Translators & Interpreters to provide Spanish translation and interpreting solutions. As Sonora Translators & Interpreters grew, Ron and his fellow interpreters started traveling out of town, across the States, and even out of the United States. Nowadays, Sonora Translators & Interpreters routinely travel in the United States and Mexico on assignment.

Closer to home, Ron has been a faculty member at the now National Center for Interpretation, and an adjunct faculty member with the Interpretation and Translation Program, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Arizona.  A lead rater for the Spanish interpreter exam given by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Ron also puts his expertise to work in the rigorous process the AOUSC has in place for certifying Spanish interpreters.

• Master of Arts - Latin American Studies - University of Arizona

• Bachelor of Arts - Political Science - University of Arizona

• Team Lead Rater for National Federal Court Interpreter Certification Exam

• Team Lead Rater for California and Utah State Court Interpreter Certification Exams

• Adjunct Faculty, Spanish Translation and Interpretation, Department of Spanish and  Portuguese at the University of Arizona 

• Faculty, Agnes Haury Institute for Court Interpretation at the University of Arizona  

• Faculty, State Bar of Arizona Continuing Education Seminars

• Editor of “El Independiente”- The Official Bilingual Newspaper of the City of South Tucson, published by The University of Arizona Department of Journalism

• Pima Community College - Spanish Language Instructor

• Federally Certified Court Interpreter (Certificate No. 98-107):

Anchorage, AK; Birmingham, AL; Tucson AZ; Indianapolis, IN; Cedar Rapids, IA; Sioux City, IA; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, KS; Great Falls, MT; Missoula, MT; Kansas City, MO; Lincoln, NE; Omaha, NE; Las Cruces, NM; Cleveland OH; Columbus OH; Rapid City, SD; Chattanooga TN; Knoxville TN; Nashville, TN; Yakima, WA; Casper WY; Cheyenne WY.   

• Third Language: Portuguese

Isabel Fierros

Spanish Translator and Interpreter

Isabel Fierros’ zest for language traces back to her formative years with her Cuban mother, who was a stickler for correctness in language and instilled in Isabel and her sisters the importance of efficient verbal expression.  After secondary school in Madrid followed by undergraduate coursework in philosophy at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain, Isabel moved back to her native Arizona, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts at Arizona State while falling in love with Spanish ˂ ˃ English interpreting. Isabel cut her professional teeth and worked as a staff interpreter for the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County through the end of last century. She is certified as a Spanish interpreter by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. This century, Isabel has been freelancing court and conference work, where she derives immense satisfaction when the listeners’ responses confirm that effective communication is indeed happening. Isabel takes pride in relaying the voice of the speaker through accurate and nuanced content and veracious tone. Isabel has participated in translation workshops and conferences in the United States, Mexico, and Spain, and she completed a Diplomatura en Traducción Jurídica with the Organización Mexicana de Traductores. She also earned a Master’s degree in Spanish ˂ ˃ English Translation from the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo in Spain. Her base being in Phoenix, Isabel and Ron travel extensively on assignment, mostly in Arizona and Mexico.

“El trabajo de intérprete de español en Arizona, Estados Unidos.” IV Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Lenguas Modernas, Sevilla, Spain, Instituto Superior de Estudios Lingüísticos y Traducción, 2015.

• American Translators Association

• International Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators

• Organización Mexicana de Traductores

• Sociedad Española de Lenguas Modernas