LEADERSHIP TEAM
David
Founder
In April of 1979, David Benjamin Shafer was born on the island of Barbados to missionary parents, Gary and Carolyn Shafer. At the age of five, David’s parents moved to Barcelona, Spain, where David attended first grade in Spanish. At the age of six, David’s parents moved to another coastal town in Spain on the “Costa Brava”, where David lived for ten years and learned the Catalan language as well. While living in Spain, David’s parents encouraged the use of the Spanish and Catalan languages in the home. Meanwhile, an American tutor would come to the house once a week to help David maintain fluency of the English language.
Having been immersed in the Spanish culture, David learned key elements of living among Hispanic individuals which has transcended to his daily life and propelled him vocationally into professional interpreting. According to David’s expertise, knowing the Spanish culture and how that culture influences thinking and reactions to specific situations helps him to understand nuances and convey idioms accurately.
In 1996, David’s parents moved to San Diego where David finished his high school education and began his studies to become a certified medical interpreter. He often traveled to Spain for months at a time to maintain fluency of the Spanish language and stay up-to-date with changes in the language and culture. At the age of 23, David became the youngest person at that time to pass the State Examination to become a Certified Medical Interpreter in California. Having accomplished that at a young age enabled him to work for various companies across California and gain the experience and knowledge he needed to operate his own agency. Shortly thereafter, David founded DFS Interpreting.
In 2008, David moved to Redding, California to follow God’s direction for his life. His business began to grow and David has been able to build a network of certified interpreters throughout the State of California. In 2012, David passed the State Examination for Certified Court Interpreter allowing him to assist courts, judges and lawyers in the rural areas up North.
David also balances being a single father of three young children; and despite obstacles, DFS Interpreting has become known as the only company North of Sacramento and the Bay Area which can reliably provide certified interpreting and translating services. DFS Interpreting has solidified its reputation of integrity, reliability, and precision. In fact, these traits led to widespread recognition professionally; in 2015 DFS Interpreting received the community award for Best Interpreting in the North State region. This award has now been given to DFS Interpreting for 9 consecutive years.
David loves being a father to his three children, David, Sofia, and Emily. David is an avid fisherman. He enjoys taking his drift boat out on the Sacramento River, traveling up to the Trinity River to fly fish, and making trips to the ocean when he can. David also enjoys golfing and spending time with extended family. David loves to bless others too, both financially and as God leads him. Putting God and his children first, David is confident that everything will come to fruition according to God’s plan for his life and trusts the same for DFS Interpreting.