03 Dec Going Out With a Bang!

Going Out With a Bang!

By: Hilda Shymanik

I had the pleasure of working with Susan and Robert (“Rob”) Cruz for more than seven years as a NAJIT volunteer, and like so many others before and after my time, I don’t think I could have done it without the Cruz’s guidance and leadership.

Who are Susan and Rob Cruz?

They are, without a doubt, two of the best friends NAJIT has ever had. From July 2015 to January 2025, they served as NAJIT’s management team as co-owners of Comprehensive Management and Consulting, Inc. (CMAC).

Rob Cruz, CAE, is a Certified Association Executive and former Executive Director of NAJIT. A Certified Court Interpreter in Tennessee since 2004, Rob has contributed to national and state-level language access initiatives and is an approved trainer for judiciary interpreters. In addition to leading CMAC, he owns RCIT, an interpreting and consulting firm that provides professional services across the language access field.

Susan Cruz, CFP®, is Vice President of CMAC and former NAJIT Administrator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and—true to her overachieving spirit—earned a master’s in accounting with a focus on taxation during the pandemic. With more than 20 years of experience in financial services, she previously managed more than $200 million in client assets and trained financial professionals in planning and sales. Today, she blends her financial, accounting, and event-planning expertise with Rob’s management experience to lead CMAC with precision and care.

When Rob became NAJIT’s Executive Director, he had already served six years on the NAJIT Board of Directors, three of them as Chair. He brought to the role an unmatched combination of institutional knowledge, leadership experience, and passion for the field. Together, he and Susan offered something no other management company could: deep personal understanding of the translation and interpretation professions, unwavering dedication, and genuine love for the community.

CMAC itself is, in many ways, a NAJIT creation—a company born out of the association’s unique needs. Over time, the Cruzes became the guardians of NAJIT’s institutional memory and helped guide the organization through a period of remarkable stability and growth. Under their leadership, NAJIT achieved consistent success after years of financial uncertainty. The annual conference became a premier event for judiciary, medical, conference, and community interpreters and translators, strengthening NAJIT’s standing among the world’s leading T&I associations. They also led the Board to forge key partnerships with organizations such as FIT, ATA, and AIIC, some under the NIAC umbrella.

This dynamic duo went above and beyond the call of duty for nearly a decade. During conference season—the most important financial and professional undertaking of the year—they worked tirelessly to ensure every detail was perfect. CMAC’s dedication turned each conference into more than an event; it was a reunion of colleagues, friends, and professionals bound by mutual respect and affection.

Attendees often showed their appreciation with hugs, small gifts, and heartfelt words. Many lined up at the registration table not just to check in, but to connect personally with Susan and Rob—because before anything else, they made people feel like friends. They never stepped out of their professional roles, yet somehow managed to make it all look effortless and fun. That’s who Rob and Susan are in a nutshell.

There’s so much more that could be said about them, but as a linguist and lover of words, I’ll let their legacy—and CMAC’s continuing success—speak for itself.

Their legacy in the words of NAJIT members:

“I met Rob when he was a relatively new member of NAJIT and was immediately impressed with his energy and enthusiasm for our profession. We eventually served together on the Board of Directors, and I was confident in his leadership when passing him the reins as Chair. I had already retired when he and Susan took over as Executive Director and Management, but knowing that an interpreter who came up through the ranks, truly understanding the needs of the profession and who had a vested interest in the success of the organization, paired with Susan’s expertise in financial matters, left me no doubt that NAJIT was in good hands. I congratulate them and wish them a happy and fruitful retirement – or whatever their next adventure may be.” — Rosemary Dann

“The departure of Susan and Rob Cruz leaves a void for me, even though I am sure our new teams will do a great job. I always highly appreciated Susan and Rob’s competence, warmth, professionalism, and ability to solve problems quickly and elegantly. I thought it was particularly fitting that Rob, a fellow certified court interpreter, had a leading position within NAJIT, and he always represented us with grace and diplomacy. Susan was so efficient that she made many tasks look almost effortless. I will miss our constant interaction, especially during my years on the conference planning committee, but I am confident that they will excel at their next endeavor.” — Judy Jenner

“One of my biggest regrets is not having learned more from both Rob and Susan, but especially Susan. They were both amazing stewards for NAJIT’s affairs, whether financial, administrative, or any other aspect of NAJIT’s day-to-day life, but while Rob was the sage advice-giver Susan was the magician. Rob had all the answers to the technical questions… Unlike other nonprofits that may need management to do something sporadically… not a day goes by for NAJIT that doesn’t need management to take some action on behalf of the organization.” — Janis Palma

“Rob and Susan Cruz were a force to be reckoned with during their many years of service at NAJIT… They will be sorely missed, and those of us who were a part of the organization during these times will forever be grateful for their service and commitment to NAJIT.” — Francesca Samuel

“Susan and Rob Cruz will forever be part of NAJIT history… Thank you guys, you don’t mark the end of an era, you WERE the era. Good luck and thank you for your friendship.”
— Tony Rosado

Join me in saying farewell to our friends Rob and Susan Cruz Below!

Note: I could not include all colleagues’ comments due to posting limitations. Please share your own Cruz experiences and anecdotes below instead.

As we honor what they built, we also have to acknowledge how deeply their absence reshaped our daily operations and momentum.

Blog Letters Scrabble Tiles

So, Where Have We Been?

As we honor what they built, we also have to acknowledge how deeply their absence reshaped our daily operations and momentum.

With the departure of Susan and Rob as our management team, NAJIT fell into a whirlwind of transition: testing our leadership, our volunteers, and the strength of our internal processes.

The NAJIT Observer took a hit.

For a while, our publication paused. We weren’t silent because we didn’t care — we were rebuilding, and learning how to operate without the two people who held decades of institutional memory in their hands.

But we didn’t disappear.
We’ve been reconnecting with bloggers, recruiting new voices, and protecting the heart of this community through change.

A standout gold arrow moves in a different direction from the rest

Moving Forward

We are BACK, steady, and intentional.

The NAJIT Observer will now publish every Wednesday — and members will receive notification via e-mail every Thursday!

More importantly, we want to hear from you!

Comment.
Share.
Tell us what you’d like to read about.

Your voice shapes this space. We’re just here to amplify it.

Keep the Conversation Going

If this topic resonated with you, be sure to check out our previous blog posts for more insights on the realities of our profession, and the evolving world of judiciary translation and interpreting:

• Beyond Language: The Expert Interpreter — An overview of the competencies, decision-making, and professional standards that define expert-level interpreting.
• A Year of Growth, Gratitude, and Community – Welcome to 2025 — A look at NAJIT’s recent accomplishments and the community-focused goals guiding the year ahead.
• The Failings of the Ivory Tower — A discussion of the gaps between academic training and the practical realities of courtroom interpreting.

You can find these and more in our blog archives!

Interested in sharing your insights with our community?

Check out Writing for The NAJIT Observer to learn how you can contribute.

The images used in this post are sourced from Unsplash. They are used for illustrative purposes only.

Hilda Shymanik
Blog Writer and proofreader

Hilda Zavala-Shymanik is a state-certified and approved Spanish court interpreter with extensive credentials, including certifications in NY, NJ, IL, WI, TX, and CCHI performance-tier certification.

A prominent leader in the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), she has served as Vice Chair, Board Member, Director, Treasurer, Chair of the Nominations Committee, Chair of the Elections Committee, Chair of the Conference Committee, Chair of the Advocacy Committee, member of the Education and Training Committee, member of the Advocacy Committee, member of the Conference Committee, Co-Chair of the Conference Committee, interim TNO Editor and current TNO writer and editor. She also served as President of the New York Circle of Translators. Hilda works with the courts in Illinois and Wisconsin. Born in Chicago and raised in Mexico, she brings deep bicultural insight to her profession.