Iowa Court Reporters Association

I am Bobbi Jo (Wilson) van Deusen. I was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa. I graduated from AIB in 1981 and worked as an official reporter for many different judges in the First Judicial District for six years. I freelanced with Kool & Nygren for three years after moving to Cedar Rapids. Then I found what I believe is my favorite official work, Juvenile Court for the Sixth District, where I stayed for ten years until the day before my daughter was born in 1999. I sold my equipment believing I had quit court reporting and joked that I was on a five-year “extended maternity leave.”

Fortunately I kept my certifications current because during the summer of 2004, The University of Iowa made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Within two months I purchased new realtime equipment, got warmed up and began providing CART for a deaf student at The University of Iowa taking Introduction to the Arts of Japan. Each semester since then, I have been given an interesting class for which to write. It’s a new and different challenge every semester. Sometimes it’s the course content; sometimes it’s the accent of the foreign-born instructor; sometimes it’s the lateness of the hour of the class or some combination of the three. People often ask if I’m learning anything at college. It’s possible, but mostly I’m in the process of cleaning up my realtime writing. I particularly appreciate the casual, friendly campus atmosphere that my CART service offers me.

I live in Williamsburg with my husband, Robert, who teaches Elementary Math Methods at The University of Iowa and with my daughter who will start third grade soon.

I also volunteer in Girl Scouting as the cookie program coordinator for Iowa County and a co-leader of my daughter’s troop. I coordinate enrollment in personal development courses for the Iowa City Learning Foundation. I also serve on the Iowa County Empowerment Board, but my favorite activity is scrapbooking.