Darlen Devlin, an official court reporter and CART captioner from Patchogue, N.Y., has served on committees at both the national and state levels, and is an active member on NCRA’s Membership, Marketing & Outreach, Political Action, and Constitution and Bylaws Committees. She also serves on the National Congress of State Associations (NCSA) Leadership Team and the REAL Task Force. She shared that she gives back by volunteering to pay back in honor of the support she received from volunteers before her.
“Over the last 26 years as a working reporter, I’ve had the benefit of many helping hands — beginning with the support I received while I was still in school and continuing with people in the field who’ve guided, encouraged, and opened doors for me along the way. Having benefited from that generosity, I feel a real responsibility to give back, support the next generation, and help keep our profession strong,” Devlin said.
“Volunteering has given me the opportunity to collaborate with people who bring different ideas, experiences, and perspectives to the table, which continually challenges and inspires me. And honestly, there’s nothing better than seeing an idea you helped spark turn into something real that people can use and benefit from. It feels good to know that the time I’ve put in makes a difference,” she added.
Devlin noted that she views NCRA staff as the Association’s backbone, while the member volunteers are its heartbeat. Sheattributes so much of what gets accomplished to those willing to step up, share time, and pour passion into the work that helps ensure our profession remains sustainable.
“When we volunteer, we’re choosing to shape NCRA’s future instead of waiting for someone else to do it — and that collective effort is what truly drives progress,” she said.
Read more about why NCRA members give back by volunteering for their Association and Foundation in the April issue of the JCR magazine.
Ready to volunteer?
NCRA is currently seeking members to volunteer for committees for the 2026-2027 year. If you want to be one of our treasured volunteers who moves the court reporting, captioning, and legal videography professions forward, go to NCRA.org/Committees and fill out the Committee Volunteer Form.
Committees begin their work immediately following the NCRA Conference & Expo, so we are seeking volunteers to be considered by the NCRA Board of Directors prior to the Conference happening this July.
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