TAIF CORTANY
Interpreter/ Project Manager/ Security Specialist
Dallas,TX
Summary
Organized Team Leader builds positive rapport, inspire trust and guide teams toward achievement of organizational goals. Strong facilitator adept at working cross-departmentally with co-management and top-level leadership. Excellent trainer and mentor, Security Specialist, Arabic Linguist, and Program Coordinator. I’m driven from a military and civilian background. I have Ten-plus years of leadership, security, and managerial experience. I have a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Studies concentration in National Security & Diplomacy. I possess broad knowledge of the Middle East culture and politics. I also possess excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with all levels of management. I’m trilingual, fluent in English, Arabic, & some Turkish. I am seeking an opportunity in an organization to grow and build on my foundation.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Language
Work History
Team Leader
U.S Army National Guard/ Texas
Weatherford, TX
03.2015 - 08.2021
- Functions: - Function as member of firing team during drills and combat training.
- Response to domestic and international emergencies, which can range from armed insurrection to natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and tornados.
- Responsible for overseeing all activities within my team.
- Responsible for deciding how to approach tasks and develop plan to accomplish them.
- Responsible for distributing information to team members from leadership.
- Maintain weapon proficiency in my squad’s weapons and mine as well.
- Mentored and guided subordinates to foster proper completion of assigned duties.
- Built strong relationships with my team through positive attitude and attentive response.
- Provided constructive criticism regarding performance in field.
- Coordinated treatment and placement activities while supervising team of five team members.
Arabic Language Specialist and Culture Advisor
Valiant Integrated Services/ SUB-The Electronic On-Ramp, Inc
Baghdad, Mosul, Erbil, Iraq
02.2019 - 02.2020
- Key Functions: - Assist project manager in monitoring and reporting of client’s needs and issues.
- Help in conducting regular assessments and survives - Prepare and organize training for newly recruited staff.
- This training could be scheduled regularly if any development/update occurs - Play active role in establishing unit policies to provide program management, updates, and recommendations to ensure customer’s requirements are met.
- Coordinate in monitoring and reporting on access and operational environment and applicable security issues to ensure that adequate coordination between Iraqi linguists and military units they are assigned to - Independently coordinate, receive, triage, prioritize, screen, translate, transcribe, interpret, report, disseminate, store, and archive foreign language materials.
- Provide cultural and ethnic context of conversational engagements and inform supported teammates regarding cultural and ethnic significance.
- Provide effective and accurate real-time interpretation between English and Arabic, including colloquial, technical, and slang words/phrases that may alter meaning.
- Attend meetings and provide real-time interpretation support to include participation in relevant briefings.
- Write effectively in most formal and informal exchanges.
- Establish tasks for employees, ensure company goals and objectives are being met, and provide constructive feedback.
Operations Manager/ Private Investigator/ Recruiter
Ranger Watch Solutions
Dallas, TX
01.2017 - 01.2019
- Prepare overall security plans and manage security operations of organization, including assignments and staffing.
- Recognize potential leaders in my team and promote new opportunities from within.
- Contribute to investigations of property loss, thefts, and criminal activities.
- Manage all security costs through financial analysis.
- Maintain and conduct routine checkups of several sites contracted by company, and apply recommendations.
- Monitor performance of security units installed on assigned sites.
- Research market to gain knowledge of latest trends in security system implementation and possible security threats.
- Recommend installations of new/ latest security systems or possible up-grading in existing systems.
- Conduct annual research on crime risk analysis.
- Build relationships with local law enforcement agencies, Sheriff Department, and other local agencies to keep my team up to date on any activities in my area of responsibility.
- Established and administered annual budget with controls to prevent overages, minimize burn rate and support sustainability objectives.
- Devised processes to boost long-term business success and increase profit levels.
- Established positive and effective communication among unit staff and organization leadership, reducing miscommunications and missed deadlines.
County Marshal
Dallas County Marshal Security Service
Dallas, TX
03.2018 - 12.2018
- Marshall key Functions: - Ensure security, safety, and well-being of all personnel, visitors, and premises - Provide excellent customer service.
- Adhere to all company service and operating standards.
- Remain in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
- Maintain a strong relationship with courthouse staff, local police & security forces in my areas of duty.
- Conduct Daily and Weekly Coordination meetings with my team members.
- Patrolled government buildings to preserve law and order, deter and detect criminal activity, enforce laws and regulations, respond to citizen requests for assistance and provide public safety.
- Performed rescue functions at accidents, emergencies and disasters by directing traffic and administering emergency medical aid.
Private Investigator
ROC Investigation Solutions
Dallas, TX
07.2017 - 12.2018
- Functions: - Work with team or individually on Insurance fraud, background check, and surveillance.
- Conduct auto accident scene reconstruction, serve subpoenas and locate witnesses when needed.
- Write clear and descriptive reports, timestamp video, upload via cloud storage, and maintain several years of data backup.
- Ensure quality of service through client’s feedback and management quarterly evaluation.
- Analyze intelligent information context before generating final report to clients or court.
- Manage and advise clients on risks by implementing standard operating procedures defined by company rules and regulations.
- Furthered criminal investigations by taking active interest on behalf of loved ones, businesses and other interested parties to uncover truth of unlawful activities.
- Produced professional reports outlining findings of cases, expenses incurred and any important incidents.
Supervisor
Allied Universal Security
Mesquite, TX
09.2017 - 02.2018
- Supervised eleven plus security officers and communicated information to managers to ensure team effectively responded appropriately to security measures.
- Create positive learning environment by providing clear, specific, timely, respectful coaching and feedback to partners to ensure operational excellence and partner performance improvement - Develop positive relationships with shift team by understanding and addressing individual motivation needs and concerns - Recognize and reinforce individual and team accomplishments by using existing organizational tools and collaborating with store manager to find new, creative, and effective recognition methods.
- Maintain regular and punctual attendance.
- Created successful work schedules for each team member to maintain deadlines and fully staff shifts.
- Applied strong leadership talents and problem-solving skills to maintain team efficiency and organize workflows.
Sales Consultant
Richardson Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Ram
Richardson, TX
06.2016 - 08.2017
- Qualify buyers by understanding buyers’ requirements and interests, matching needs and interests to various models, building rapport.
- Demonstrate automobiles by explaining characteristics, capabilities, and features; taking drives; explaining warranties and services.
- Closes sales by overcoming objections; asking for sales; negotiating price; completing sales or purchase contracts; explaining provisions; explaining and offering warranties, services, and financing; collects payment; delivers automobile.
- Enhance dealership reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
- Created detailed sales presentations to communicate product features and market data.
- Cold called and conducted face-to-face sales calls with C-level executives and directors in assigned sales territory.
Supervisor/ Sales Manager
Top Gun Security & Investigations
Dallas, TX
01.2015 - 06.2016
- Key Functions: - Assist security officers and assigned shifts.
- Responsible for preparing paperwork and training new officers for their duty.
- Carry out supervisory responsibilities according to organization’s policies, applicable laws, address employees’ complaints and resolve problems.
- Guide recruits and provide qualified officers with advanced opportunity to grow.
- Mentor new employees and recommend promotions to qualified members to HR by conducting assessments and testing.
- Managed order cycle to enhance business development and maintain sustainability and customer satisfaction.
Coordinator & Team Leader, Arabic Interpreter
KA Research Limited
Istanbul, Turkey
11.2010 - 10.2012
- Key Functions: - Supervise more than 30 researchers as complete research project.
- Responsible for developing and implementing timeline and ensuring that we reach goals before deadline by delegating tasks and applying training.
- Serve various roles in organization to get tasks done by using all resources available.
- Identify new potentials in my team and promote qualified members to new higher positions.
- Ensure meeting deadline and completing projects on time.
- Ensure efficiency of team equipment such computers, headsets, and software, IT, etc.
- Coordinate between project managers and clients.
- Present my company with newest technology by partnering with other sister branches to keep my team up to date.
- Gathered and organized materials to support operations.
- Devised and implemented improvements to reporting procedures.
Medic/ Arabic Interpreter/ Salary Officer
Iraqi Ministry of Justice
Baghdad, Iraq
08.2005 - 09.2010
- Provide emergency medical treatment, limited primary care, and health protection, and evacuation from point of injury or illness.
- Oversee 13-18 healthcare specialists, including administering team.
- Perform low - and high-level interpretation from Arabic into English and vice versa.
- Brief Camp leadership on interpreter/translators’ utilization and need.
- Work as payroll officer to organize and manage Camp Cropper/ Iraqi Ministry of Justice employees’ salaries - Oversee technical site surveys, vulnerability assessments, and assist in motorcade route planning.
- Exceeded goals through effective task prioritization and great work ethic.
- Used Microsoft Word and other software tools to create documents and other communications.
- Coordinated with treatment center personnel to obtain patients' vital statistics and medical history.
- Administered first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
- Assessed nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
Education
Associate of Arts - Theater Studies
Richland College
Dallas, TX 05.2016 - 05.2019
No Degree - Information Technology
NPower
Dallas, TX 06.2018 - 12.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Homeland Security
University of North Texas
Denton, TX 01.2020 - 05.2021
Master of Arts - International Studies
University of North Texas
Denton, TX 08.2021 - 12.2022
Skills
Staff education and training
Timeline
Master of Arts - International Studies
University of North Texas
08.2021 - 12.2022
Bachelor of Arts - Homeland Security
University of North Texas
01.2020 - 05.2021
Arabic Language Specialist and Culture Advisor
Valiant Integrated Services/ SUB-The Electronic On-Ramp, Inc
02.2019 - 02.2020
No Degree - Information Technology
NPower
06.2018 - 12.2018
County Marshal
Dallas County Marshal Security Service
03.2018 - 12.2018
Supervisor
Allied Universal Security
09.2017 - 02.2018
Private Investigator
ROC Investigation Solutions
07.2017 - 12.2018
Operations Manager/ Private Investigator/ Recruiter
Ranger Watch Solutions
01.2017 - 01.2019
Sales Consultant
Richardson Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Ram
06.2016 - 08.2017
Associate of Arts - Theater Studies
Richland College
05.2016 - 05.2019
Team Leader
U.S Army National Guard/ Texas
03.2015 - 08.2021
Supervisor/ Sales Manager
Top Gun Security & Investigations
01.2015 - 06.2016
Coordinator & Team Leader, Arabic Interpreter
KA Research Limited
11.2010 - 10.2012
Medic/ Arabic Interpreter/ Salary Officer
Iraqi Ministry of Justice
08.2005 - 09.2010
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