Born in Mexico City and raised in a Spanish-speaking home in Southern California, Luis developed an interest in languages and cultures at an early age. After accidentally taking a translation course in college, he decided to pursue a career in translation and interpretation, and over the years has worked in the healthcare, legal, and educational fields. Luis currently manages the Translation Services Unit for the Riverside County Office of Education, focusing on language access and serving as a resource for over 430,000 students and their families in the 23 school districts of Riverside County, CA. He holds a bachelor's degree in Translation and Interpretation and a second bachelor's degree in Spanish with an Emphasis in Translation from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). He also holds a graduate degree in Bilingual Interpreting from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. He is the immediate past Chair and a Founding Member of the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE) and is currently on the Board of Directors as Director of Communications. He is also an active member of the American Translators Association and works daily to professionalize the field of interpreting and translation in education. He brings a unique combination of real-world experience coupled with an academic background and deep, first-hand knowledge of the issues facing LEP individuals and ELL students on a daily basis.