Zehner Editing and Consulting

Edwin Zehner's Resume

Paid Positions | Volunteer Positions | Education

EDWIN ZEHNER

3516 Seward Avenue · Rockford, Illinois · 61108

Phone (815) 399-2135 · Fax (815) 399-2154 · Email zehner1234@aol.com

Experienced writer, editor, office manager and assistant. Ph.D. in anthropology from Cornell University. Extensive experience in business, non-profit, and university environments.

Paid Positions

2006-2007 Central College, Pella, Iowa 50219, Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Teaching “Cultures of the Middle East,” “Ethnicity and Nationalism,” “Minority Groups,” and “Ethnographic Field Methods.”

2004 – present Proprietor, Editor, and Writer, EXPRESSITWELL.COM

Editor and proprietor of an editing, writing, and consulting service targeted initially at authors of scholarly works and expanding at times to technical writing, technical editing, and public relations.

2006 (Summer) University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL, Instructor in Anthropology

Taught "SOCI 347 Cultural Anthropology," a required upper-division course in the Health Arts degree completion program (course location: Des Plaines, IL).

2004 – 2006 First Lutheran Church, DeKalb, IL, Ministry Support Coordinator

Acted as Executive Assistant to the Pastor, working primarily to support the development of Adult Christian Education and small group ministries, while managing the church website, writing print publicity, and engaging in other outreach efforts.

2005 (Autumn) Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Teaching "Anthropology of the Modern World," an upper-level undergraduate course.

May-Jun 2004 SBC Communications, Hoffman Estates, IL, Accounting Clerk – Finance Department (Contract Worker employed by ProStaff, Arlington Heights)

Using Excel, Internet, and proprietary software, analyzed and corrected SBC’s information on parent-subsidiary relationships among its customers. Trained fellow contractors on some of the techniques.

Aug-Dec 2003 ConAgra Foods, Schaumburg, IL, Operations Analyst – Transportation Logistics (Contract Worker employed by ProStaff, Arlington Heights)

Processed and analyzed data to help management and load planners track their performance in reducing cost while preserving quality in their use of outside trucking services to ship product within the company and to customers.

1995 – 2002 Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, Editor and Business Manager – South East Asia Publications

Responsible for directing a mostly self-supporting publishing program. This included handling all aspects of the program from manuscript assessment and editing to advertising, customer relations, budgeting, business management, and oversees promotion. Also served as editor of The Journal of Burma Studies and Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies.

Consistently met profit objectives.
Quadrupled manuscript submissions and tripled sales.
Created a website for entire publishing organization.
Developed budgeting systems for sales reports, projections of expenses and income, and forecasting of production and cash flow.
Debuted a new journal.
Developed new marketing to increase visibility among individual buyers, improve relations with resellers, and improve overseas distribution.
Improved quality of content and production.
Developed office procedures, procedures manual, and employee training.
Attracted a growing stream of publishable submissions from authors.
Created website for entire publishing program.
Developed overseas distribution.

1992 - 1995 Olsten Staffing, Paige Personnel, Mack and Associates, and Right Temporary Services, Cook and DuPage Counties, IL, Project Management and Administrative Support. Placements included McDonalds Corporation, Evangelical Health systems, Elkay Manufacturing, Keebler, ServiceMaster, Northern Trust Company, and College of DuPage.

Prepared and revised presentations.
Updated quarterly catalogs.
Streamlined sales report preparation.
Provided administrative assistance to Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Sales staff.
Assisted departments of Marketing, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Corporate Training.
Formatted scripts for corporate presentations.
Trained employees on new techniques.
Self-instructed in new software.

1992 Taught Anthropology at Wheaton (IL) College (Sabbatical replacement position).

1991 Taught English as a Second Language at Tompkins County BOCES (Ithaca, NY).

1989-1991 Taught Anthropology at Houghton (NY) College (part-time).

1987-1988 Taught English as a Second Language at Phadung Daranee School (Bangkok, Thailand).

Volunteer Positions

Administration

President (2003-2004) and Vice-President for Education (2002-2003), DeKalb Area Toastmasters, DeKalb, IL

Helped members achieve their goals
Coordinated work of the officer team
Communicated Toastmaster expectations and club achievements
Led club to Distinguished Select Club award (2004)

President, Illinois Parents of Blind Children (1998-2000)

Developed organization’s website
Co-founded and co-edited newsletter
Organized seminars for parents and teachers
Initiated a national listserv for parents and teachers of blind children

English Fellowship Coordinator, Hope of Bangkok Church, Bangkok, Thailand

Founded the English-language ministry of this Thai-led denomination
Attendance grew from zero to fifty within two years.
Developed a method of partial integration with the Thai congregation that persists 15 years later and has been emulated in the denomination's other ministries.

Education

Ph.D., Anthropology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Degree awarded August 2003

M.A., Anthropology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Minors in Linguistics and Southeast Asian History
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship
Fulbright Grant for research in Thailand
Student Assembly Co-speaker
University Assembly Chairman

B.A., History, Houghton College, Houghton, New York

Minor in Political Science
National Merit Scholar
Graduated with high honors
Student Government Treasurer and Vice President
Campus Activities Board Treasurer and Chair

Additional graduate coursework in Bible, Theology, and Missions at Fuller School of World Mission and Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary.

Additional graduate coursework in Counseling, Northern Illinois University.