Natalia Abarca, is a bilingual leader with more than 20 years of experience working on educational programs at a national and international level. As a passionate bilingual professional, Natalia Abarca facilitates, leads, and manages the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) Multilingual Consortium, a professional network which she established in 2014 to support high-quality translation and interpreting services in schools. 

Natalia Abarca is the main contact for the annual OCDE Interpreters and Translators Conference in Education which she has spearheaded for the past 6 years. 

 She is also a founding member of the American Association for Interpreters and Translators in Education (AAITE). 

 She is a licensed trainer for The Community Interpreter International training and a Medical Interpreter. 

She provides services and consultations to assist in the development and implementation of T&I programs, multilingual and multicultural networks, language services units in school districts; fostering leadership and building capacity among multicultural staff. 

 Natalia Abarca has a BA in biology and a master's degree in coastal management from the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral from Ecuador. She worked in South America as a coastal manager for over a decade relocating to the USA in 2006, working for the OCDE since then.

Natalia has attended numerous Leadership and International management seminars, conferences and training in South America and Europe through her career.