Iowa Court Reporters Association - President's Message

June 2006
President's Message

    Thank you for taking the time to visit the ICRA website! Iowa reporters just enjoyed our annual convention at Okoboji, Iowa, and it was a fun-filled and knowledge-enhancing event! I want to acknowledge and thank our fantastic volunteers who put together such a great convention. Your efforts are appreciated by all in ICRA.

    I can tell you that I am truly honored and humbled to be the president of the Iowa Court Reporters Association. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have lived and worked in three different states, and the quality of court reporting professionals in Iowa is outstanding. We are blessed to have a strong organization in Iowa, and it is because of the efforts that all of you put forth every day.

    And what a great profession we are a part of. Court reporters are afforded more opportunities in the workplace now than ever. In addition to the choices of freelance and official reporting that I had as a new reporter in 1991, we now have opportunities in the fields of CART and captioning, as well as other alternative realtime careers. The use and mastery of realtime has changed the way we do our jobs and has made us indispensable. I am continually impressed by the many reporters I see who work to improve their skill levels and strive for perfection. In the process you are making your lives easier, whether it’s by reducing the amount of time it takes to produce a transcript, being able to offer realtime to litigants, or providing a tremendous service by giving communication access to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. It’s amazing at how rewarding this profession is when you think about it and how many opportunities there are today.

    Even with all of the opportunities that this wonderful profession affords, we must continue to be forward looking. We can combat the threat of electronic recording by offering services such as realtime that aren’t available with the use of a glorified C.D. player, otherwise known as an electronic recording system. We can combat low enrollment numbers at our court reporting schools by being advocates and speaking to guidance counselors, students, and the media about what a highly technological and rewarding career this is. We can combat apathy among those we work with by continuing to have a can-do attitude and doing more than what’s expected of us, all with a smile. And we can combat burnout and work stress by continuing to improve our own personal skills, which develops new opportunities and makes our work lives easier and more satisfying.

    ICRA continues to look forward to the future, and we are an organization not of one, but of all. You may have heard in the past that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it takes a united group of court reporters, captioners, and CART professionals to build a strong future for all of us in Iowa. ICRA is simply the foundation on which this future is built.

    Leading up to the state convention, I spent a lot of time thinking about ICRA and my role as president, and often this topic permeated my thoughts as I went through my daily chores. This year I made my first attempt at having a vegetable garden, and as I was dutifully pulling out weeds and errant grass from amongst the garden plants, I realized how much ICRA and its members are like these weeds. Now, I don’t mean in the noxious, I want to eradicate you in whatever way possible kind of way. I mean in the fact that even in the most adverse conditions, these weeds continue to thrive. This is due in large part to their ability to adapt to changes in their environment, most of which they have little or no control over. These weeds are tenacious. They take every challenge you throw at them and still continue to grow and develop. And probably what struck me the most about the similarities between these hearty plants and court reporters is the intricate root systems I would find deep below the soil’s surface. Many times it would appear as if a small weed was standing all alone, but once I dug beneath the surface, I would find that, in fact, it was connected by a strong and deep root system to many other similar plants in the garden. Well, this root system is a lot like ICRA. It’s the connection that we all have to one another. So next time you feel like you’re standing alone in this profession, just dig below the surface. There’s a huge network of support nourishing you and helping you grow. That network is ICRA and your fellow court reporting professionals in Iowa.

    As ICRA president, I hope our association continues to grow and thrive. Please know that as your president, it is my job to serve you, the membership. I would invite your comments, questions, suggestions, and, yes, even criticisms. I am honored to be the president of such a fine organization of such a fine group of professionals. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to give back to you, my colleagues, and a profession that I truly love.