Founded in 2004, Advancing Interpreting & More, LLC has earned a reputation for providing fun, informative and interactive professional development.  We offer workshop topics not typically seen in the classroom, plus we offer more focused skill development in small, safe group settings.  We bring together divergent interpreter groups in the St Louis metro area to workshop together and build camaraderie.  AND we have presented at the Missouri Interpreter Conference and RID Regional conferences.

We owe a debt of gratitude to St Louis Chapter of RID, Deaf Inter-Link and Deaf Way for sponsoring our inaugural workshop series, along with Susan Power, of Deaf Services, who was one of our presenters in that first series.  Kelley Clark and Camille Poe, from central Missouri, were our first non-series workshop presenters in 2005. 

Sally is adding life coaching as part of the package of services that AIM can provide later this year or earlier next year.  Life coaching is not therapy nor is it mentoring.  It is a confidential relationship that enables you to discover what is important to you; discern what is keeping you “stuck” unable to reach your full potential; see things from a different angle and help you write your own goals and action plans to achieve them! 

Founded in 2004, Advancing Interpreting & More, LLC has earned a reputation for providing fun, informative and interactive professional development.  We offer workshop topics not typically seen in the classroom, plus we offer more focused skill development in small, safe group settings.  We bring together divergent interpreter groups in the St Louis metro area to workshop together and build camaraderie.  AND we have presented at the Missouri Interpreter Conference and RID Regional conferences.

We owe a debt of gratitude to St Louis Chapter of RID, Deaf Inter-Link and Deaf Way for sponsoring our inaugural workshop series, along with Susan Power, of Deaf Services, who was one of our presenters in that first series.  Kelley Clark and Camille Poe, from central Missouri, were our first non-series workshop presenters in 2005. 

Sally is adding life coaching as part of the package of services that AIM can provide later this year or earlier next year.  Life coaching is not therapy nor is it mentoring.  It is a confidential relationship that enables you to discover what is important to you; discern what is keeping you “stuck” unable to reach your full potential; see things from a different angle and help you write your own goals and action plans to achieve them! 

Sally King Backer, RID CI/CT, Missouri Comprehensive (level 5), has been an interpreter since 1988, moving to St. Louis in 1990. She has a deaf brother, whom she says inspired her to become an interpreter. Most of her professional time has been spent in the corporate/government arena. She freelanced for several years before that and is currently in interpreter with Special School District of St. Louis. She has designed several classes/workshops for a variety of audiences in her time in the corporate world. She enjoys teaching and learning with colleagues. Together, she feels, is the best way to discover the passion for interpreting that is needed in order to continue striving for excellence. She loves to teach and coach aspiring interpreters toward improving their skills. She has mentored interpreters to higher levels on their state screening tests, coordinated a mentorship program at Sorenson Communications and conducted several NIC study groups. She is a member of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

Sally received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982 from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Theatre and Allied Arts. She received her interpreter training from C.S. Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan. She team taught one semester of Interpreting Principles at Southwestern Illinois College. She is currently teaching Beginning ASL at St. Louis University.

Nicole DeVore, RID CI/CT, Missouri Comprehensive (level 5), has been interpreting professionally for over ten years. She has been learning Sign Language since the age of six from a Deaf friend. She has worked in all areas of interpreting, including medical, mental health, educational and legal settings.

Nicole has nine years experience teaching Beginning and Advanced Conversational Sign Language at St. Louis University in Missouri. Her students are from a wide variety of majors and are looking to expand their language and cultural exposure.

Nicole feels it is every person's responsibility to give back to the community in which they live. Thus, the motivation behind starting AIM.