Chris Kunej

Experience

• 

  University of Zagreb, College of Civil Engineering

  May 1999 - Feb 2005

  Translator/Linguistic Consultant

  Part-time work.• Translated the published textbook “International Structural Steel Sections, Design Tables According to Eurocode 3” (Approx. 700 pages) from Croatian to English

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  Berlitz Corporation

  Nov 1999 - Sept 2005

  Senior Language Instructor/Translator

  Part-time work.• Language instruction for adults (various proficiency); 3,000+ class hours, translating/interpreting• As a senior instructor held workshops for other instructors for staff development

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  Silver Parchment LLC

  Apr 2004 - Sept 2005

  Director of Language Center / Language Instructor

  • Owned and operated this language center (adult education program) after extensive experience in teaching languages; main role was a trainer and mentor for approximately several dozen language instructors who taught various languages• Held regular workshops for instructors on initial language assessment tests and course instruction (weekly workshops on assessing language proficiency based on guidelines by Council of Europe Common Framework of Reference for Languages), developed and administered assessment tests for Croatian and English• Monitored and evaluated class instruction and tests for various proficiency levels • Conceived and developed language learning course materials and tests for Croatian and English; used personal extensive experience/education and various existing language teaching resources to consolidate the materials; end result was own original manuals for instruction• Taught language classes to adults in various levels of proficiency, 800+ class hours Show less

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  University of San Diego

  Oct 2006 - Jan 2007

  Administrative Assistant III

  Advancement Services Department• Initial recipient of all donation funds to the university; processing/batching/depositing them • General administrative duties, data processing using university database software programs

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  State of Utah

  Jan 2010 - Apr 2019

  Dept. of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance Division• Assign account numbers and tax rates, calculate tax rates, complete inheritance transfers• Independently investigate potential compliance problem areas and recommend a resolution• Determine employer status (subject or non-subject to tax), monitor employer compliance • Primary contact for Utah state employers (approx. 70,000) regarding unemployment insurance • Register new and successor employer accounts, host meetings with employer representatives• Monitor mechanisms of control for tax compliance (including cross-check data with the IRS) Show less

  • Status Examiner / Compliance Specialist

    Jan 2013 - Apr 2019

  • Financial Analyst

    Jan 2010 - Jan 2013
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  US Translation Company

  Sept 2012 - Apr 2019

  Linguist; Interpreter/Translator

  • Translating for clients in numerous various fields• Interpreting; an example assignment was three days of simultaneous interpreting for a client in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2013; interpreter booths for 8 different languages, approx. 1,000 in attendance

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  CommGap International Language Services

  Sept 2012 - Mar 2019

  Licensed Medical Interpreter

  • Medical English-BCS interpreting for clients at Intermountain Health Care (IHC) and University of Utah medical facilities; over 100 appointments interpreted • Assessed language skills of potential future BCS language interpreters

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  Lionbridge

  May 2013 - now

  Linguist; Interpreter/Translator/Reviewer

  Lionbridge Federal / Lionbridge Life Sciences• Underwent investigation for Public Trust clearance and cleared to work for DHS/ICE• Was tested thoroughly on knowledge of the BCS (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian) language and simultaneous/consecutive/sight interpretation, passed all three with high marks• Translator/Interpreter/Reviewer for various branches of Lionbridge company including Lionbridge Life Sciences and Lionbridge Immigration Court Interpreting

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  Utah State Courts (also certified in multiple other states)

  Jul 2013 - now

  State Certified Court Interpreter

  • The first ever Utah state Certified Court Interpreter for the BCS (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian) language (certified by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC))• Also placed on the official certified active roster for Alabama (Master level), South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, Wisconsin, Ohio, Missouri, Colorado, North Carolina, Illinois and Washington. On internal rosters for most US states• Interpreted in Utah District Courts and Utah Justice Courts, over 200 assignments served• Published article on language interpretation for US courts in "Proteus" - The professional publication of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), 2015 Fall Volume XXVIII, No. 3 Show less

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  Social Security Administration

  Jan 2014 - Mar 2019

  Linguist Interpreter

  SSA ODAR (Office of Disability Adjudication and Review)• Actively interpreting for federal Social Security Disability hearings and various law office depositions via agencies that are awarded contract, including (current) LIS Solutions, Trusted Translations, InLingua Utah.(Reference letter by SSA Judge available)

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  United States Department of Defense

  Aug 2015 - now

  Federal Language Consultant

  Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO)• Background check authorized. Intermittent language consultant for the BCS(Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian) languages for the US government via the NLSC.

• 

  Brigham Young University

  Aug 2016 - Apr 2019

  Adjunct Professor

  -Teaching FLANG 330 "Advanced Language Proficiency through Cultural Studies: Serbian/Croatian".-Developed curriculum for the class.-Inaugural class had 23 enrolled students.

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  Utah Judicial Branch

  Feb 2018 - Apr 2019

  Utah State Judicial Language Access Committee Member

  • Was selected to fill a seat on this Committee to help with the following tasks;-research, develop and recommend to the Judicial Council policies and procedures for interpretation in legal proceedings-issue informal opinions to questions regarding the Code of Professional Responsibility-discipline court interpreters as provided by rules

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  University of Maryland

  Feb 2018 - Nov 2018

  Expert Consultant

  • Participating in creation of the DLPT (Defense Language Proficiency Test) for US Dept. of Defense for Serbian and Croatian languages. • Submitting proposed exam sections that need to be at an appropriate ILR (Interagency Language Roundtable) scale level.

• 

  King County Superior Court

  Apr 2019 - Oct 2021

  Manager of Court Operations - Interpreter Services

  • Responsible for court interpreter program management for King County Superior Court in Seattle, King County Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent and King County Juvenile Court. • Coordination/program management for 3 different KC Superior Court locations, over 60 Judges, 165+ foreign languages, 150+ language events per day, hundreds of interpreters.• Management and coordination of high numbers of large translation projects.

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  Iowa Judicial Branch

  Nov 2021 - now

  Director of Language Access Services

  -Oversee state courts’ language access services-Manage court interpreter training, testing, certification, recruitment and the court’s roster of court interpreters-Implement and oversee statewide policies and procedures affecting qualifications, appointment and compensation of interpreters, professional standards for interpreters and interpretation delivery models-Identify best practices and recommend policies for serving persons with limited English proficiency (LEP)-Ensure that laws and policies related to interpreters are implemented and followed statewide-Serve as a member on the Iowa Supreme Court’s Language Access in the Courts Advisory Committee, represents the Iowa Courts on state and national committees, workgroups and task forces related to language access and interpreter services-Evaluate and recommend changes to policies, procedures, court rules and laws governing interpreting services for Iowa courts-Work with external nonprofit and governmental entities to identify and resolve concerns and barriers to effective language access to the Iowa courts-Serve as the subject matter expert for interpreter training programs, judicial and non-judicial employee education programs, and makes formal and informal presentations on language access services Show less