Julia Freeman-Woolpert retired in 2018 from the New Hampshire Disability Rights Center where she spent her career advocating on behalf of people with disabilities. She holds a B.A. from Boston University and an M.Ed. from Antioch University. She has worked as a mentor, advocate, and friend with refugees for two decades, and with Deaf refugees since 2011. She has traveled throughout Nepal and India and spent a week in 2010 visiting the refugee camps in Nepal. Julia spent  many years as an advisor to People First of New Hampshire, and has served on the Planning Committees of the Concord Multicultural Festival and World Deaf Refugee Day. She has served on the Boards of Sycamore Community Gardens, the Bhutanese Community of New Hampshire (Now Building Community of New Hampshire), and Concord Community Television. She coordinates the Merrimack County Master Gardeners through the UNH Cooperative Extension. In her spare time she loves to visit her daughters in France and Baltimore, garden, and travel the rest of the world meeting people and learning about other cultures.

Lesley Richardson is a fully certified American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter, Licensed Interpreter Trainer, Mentor, and Justice of the Peace with a lifelong commitment to communication access and cross-cultural understanding. Born in Toronto, Canada, to parents from the West Indies, she was raised in a bicultural and multilingual household that fostered a deep appreciation for language, culture, and community.

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Her connection to the Deaf community began in childhood and grew into a distinguished career serving Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, immigrant, and refugee communities. With a background in Gerontology and decades of interpreting experience, Lesley is recognized for her ability to build trust, navigate cultural differences, and facilitate meaningful communication.

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After settling in New Hampshire, she developed strong relationships with Deaf refugees and immigrants from around the world, including members of the Bhutanese and Nepali Deaf communities. These experiences inspired her to study Nepali Sign Language and deepen her understanding of Bhutanese and Nepali Deaf culture. Fluent in English and ASL, she remains committed to lifelong learning and cultural exchange.

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Whether mentoring interpreters, serving her community, or exploring new places by e-bicycle, ski bike, or motorcycle, Lesley approaches life with curiosity, respect, and a genuine interest in people. She is especially passionate about connecting with others through their stories, traditions, and cuisine—an enthusiasm that continues to enrich both her personal and professional life.
 

Mary Hughes is a New Hampshire screened American Sign Language (ASL)/English interpreter currently working towards national certification. She was born and raised in New Hampshire, the sixth of seven children. As such, she grew up in a bustling home with a loving family who frequently took advantage of the great outdoors. Mary's first exposure to American Sign Language was a pocket dictionary of basic signs and phrases her uncle had, and later endeavored to learn the language with her friends, though without guidance and involvement from the Deaf community this effort did not get far. Years later when she enrolled at the University of New Hampshire's Manchester location, Mary had the opportunity to take ASL classes with Deaf language models, and was exposed to individuals from across the country and around the world who were united in their use and reverence of signed languages and Deaf cultures. After graduating from the University in 2021 with a degree in American Sign Language/English interpretation, Mary briefly worked in a school setting before beginning her interpreting journey in 2022. While she continues to learn as much as she can to best serve the community she works in, she also enjoys crafting, reading, being outside, and watching baseball.