Reporters braved cold wind and icy temperatures Saturday, January 19, to attend ICRA's Midyear seminar.  We were the large group maiden voyage for the beautiful new Iowa State Bar Association building located at 625  E. Court Avenue in Des Moines.  An early 8:30 start time maximized the number of continuing education credits, and breakfast catered by In The Bag was waiting for participants when they arrived. 

Many people are vital to the execution of a successful seminar.  Thanks go to the following for their assistance with and support of the ICRA Midyear conference:

•  Executive Director Alda Helvey — Alda is a pro at seminar planning.  She knows what makes a successful seminar and always caters to ICRA's needs and wishes. She attends our Friday evening board meetings to the very end, on convention day is the first person in the door making coffee and the last one to leave, and she always treats people pleasantly and with respect. 

•   ICRA Executive Board — Your Executive Board is a group of hardworking reporters, at their jobs and as volunteers on your behalf.  Each board member sup-ports the others and offers a helping hand whenever asked.  You are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of reporters at the helm, and I am pleased to call them my friends.

•  Iowa State Bar Association staff — Many thanks for opening your beautiful new building to ICRA for our Midyear conference.  Your staff assisted us and made us feel like welcomed guests.  They thought of everything.

•  Jerry Caligiuri from Video Special-ties in Des Moines donated the videotaping of the morning session.  Mr. Caligiuri was patient with us, and we appreciate the professional manner in which he conducted himself.

•  Vendors Neutrino Group, Steno-graph, and Pro Cat — Vendors showcased the latest in writers, software, and litigation support.  It was great to have you with us.

I met our first speaker while attending NCRA's national convention last August in Dallas, Texas.  Mr. Jason Pardikes is President and CEO of The Neutrino Group, maker of the Gemini writer;

and Sheryl Culver, Linda Dona, and I met him while strolling through the vendor gallery.  In the last two years, Mr. Pardikes has been a guest lecturer at more than 20 industry events, presenting at national and state associations, court reporting institutes, and trade schools.  He is an entertaining and informative speaker.  He understands the role of the machine-writing court reporter and knows how physically demanding our jobs are.  When I watched him demonstrate how reporters curl their fingers and hunch their shoulders while writing fast-talking speakers, I thought, "He really gets us!  He understands court reporters."  

In the first session, Mr. Pardikes spoke about the importance of ergonomically correct tools in our workplace — tools such as keyboards, computer screens, and reporting writers.  During his presentation, I scanned the audience and saw many heads nodding in agreement with what he was saying. 

In the second session, Mr. Pardikes taught us the basics and reporting application of wireless technology.  Wouldn't it be nice to rid ourselves of the quagmire of cords and cables at our worksite? He explained the terminology and the differences in computer applications. Because he knows how court reporters work, he clearly explained what we need in order to go wireless. 

After lunch, Mr. Sean Berry addressed internet safety tips for parents.  Mr. Berry is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa and supervises the Cedar Rapids office's prosecution of internet crimes against children.  He has prosecuted numerous internet predator cases and shared the circumstances of several of those cases with us. He gave us advice on how to protect the children in our lives from internet predators.  Mr. Berry also shared with us the classroom education tool the U.S. Attorney's Office is presenting in middle schools and high schools in Iowa's Northern District to educate young people in the area of internet safety. 

Our final speaker was Mr. Ken Bosier, Deputy Director of the Iowa Court Information System.  Mr. Bosier is the Project Manager of the Iowa Judicial Branch's Electronic Document Management System (EDMS). The Judicial Branch expects to pilot EDMS, a paperless court system, in the year 2008.  Mr. Bosier informed us of the need for electronic filing and gave us the background information leading up to implementation of EDMS.  He stressed that EDMS is not a technology project; it is a business solution to a business problem, which includes misplaced court files, file access, storage problems, and expense just to name a few. He also emphasized that it is necessary for court reporters to educate those who will implement EDMS on how we work.  We must think about how we will do our job without paper.  Friends, consider the EDMS challenge as an opportunity to show others what an integral part of the court system court reporters are.  You may be asked to serve on a committee or volunteer to help with a project.  Please consider giving your time and talent if asked. 

To those reporters who braved the elements to attend ICRA's Midyear conference, thank you.  It was good to see you, visit with you, and have a laugh or two while enjoying good food, hot coffee, and the company of good friends.

Be sure to mark your calendars and attend next year’s Midyear Seminar in January 2009!