Craig Bennett

Craig Bennett

Jonesborough, TN 37659
craig.bennett5117@gmail.com
423-524-0127
My LinkedIn
My GitHub

Full-stack web developer with prior experience in linguistics, translation, text-editing, and working across cultures. 6+ years of experience working in the South Pacific, training foreign nationals to translate, checking documents for content errors, typographical errors, and understandability. Possesses excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluent speaker of Bislama. Basic understanding of Spanish and French with some limited competence in communication. Experienced in working with people of other cultures.

Technical Skills

Languages:

HTML5/CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery, JSON, SQL

Database:

MySQL 8, SQLite3, MongoDB, Sequelize

Other:

Heroku, Git, Bash, GitHub, Bootstrap, Bulma, Materialize, Express, node.js

WORK EXPERIENCE

GRANT WRITER/MANAGER

PIONEER BIBLE TRANLATORS

2018-2020

Wrote and negotiated a grant for 4 translation projects in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Managed funds spending, and wrote quarterly reports of project progress. Regularly liaised with translation teams and team leaders to track progress.

Key Achievements:

  • Precise management of funds for a grant totaling $243,615

LANGUAGE AFFAIRS COORDINATOR

PIONEER BIBLE TRANSLATORS

2016-2020

Managed progress and planning for 4 translation projects. Coordinated with expatriate team leaders, and liaised with native team leads, native team members, local leaders, and other organizations in Vanuatu. Held regular meetings with expatriate team leaders to check their team progress and remind them of our grant goals.

Key Achievements:

  • Worked with 4 teams from 4 different languages
  • Helped each team develop their own specific strategies to meet their translation project goals
  • Developed a working knowledge of each of the four languages as well as their specific culture and community needs
  • Wrote policies outlining standards for acceptable work and consequences for not reaching goals or absences from team events

TRANSLATOR/TRANSLATOR INSTRUCTOR/TRANSLATION ADVISOR

PIONEER BIBLE TRANSLATORS

2014-2020

This role required creative problem solving while working cross culturally, bridging different personalities and cultures. As an Advisor, responsibilities included checking native translator work for content, spelling, and punctuation errors, as well as testing written works for readability and understandability among the native language speakers. Additional responsibilities included classroom instruction of translation skills, computer use, and word processing. When in the United States and Australia, it also involved meeting with donors, fundraising, and public speaking events.

Key Achievements:

  • Started Bible translations in 4 native languages of the country of Vanuatu
  • Learned to fluently speak Bislama, the national language of Vanuatu
  • Learned to read and write in 4 native languages of Vanuatu
  • Directly worked with 2 teams on the translation of over 4000 verses
  • Taught 16 courses covering topics such as translation, exegesis, Hebrew, Aramaic, and basic computer skills

IT REPAIR TECHNICIAN

PIONEER BIBLE TRANLATORS

2014-2020

Maintenance and repairs of computers belonging to national translators and expatriate coworkers. Involved updating and installing software to synchronize remote machines with the US based organizations policies and software licenses. Frequently involved making small repairs such as cleaning or replacing keyboards, installing batteries, and installing replacement screens. Sometimes involved router configuration and network setup. Frequently involved doing remote IT consultations for team members located on remote islands.

Key Achievements:

  • Maintained and worked on over 20 computers

REPRESENTATIVE

PIONEER BIBLE TRANLATORS

2008-2014

Met with donors, fundraised, conducted public speaking events, and planned for translation work.

Key Achievements:

  • Met with over 100 donors and spoke at over 20 churches on multiple occasions.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

LINCOLN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

2010-2012

Read and graded papers and homework of biblical Hebrew students. Occasionally filled in as a Hebrew instructor.

EDUCATION

CERTIFICATE IN FULL-STACK WEB DEVELOPMENT

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY CODING BOOTCAMP BY TRILOGY EDUCATION SERVICES

In progress.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN LINGUISTICS

DALLAS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Coursework involved extensive reading and writing articles and linguistic analysis.

M.A. BIBLICAL LANGUAGES

LINCOLN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Coursework involved extensive reading and writing articles, reading and translating biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.

B.A. BIBLICAL STUDIES

JOHNSON UNIVERSITY

Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA. Coursework involved extensive reading and writing articles.