The National Court Reporters Foundation presented the 2025 Jim Bouley Family Lifetime Award for Altruism to Deborah A. Kriegshauser, FAPR, RMR, CRR, CRC, CLVS, an official court reporter from Dallas, Texas.
The announcement was made at a special awards luncheon at the 2025 NCRA Conference & Expo held in Minneapolis, Minn. The Jim Bouley Family Lifetime Award for Altruism was created in 2021 when the eight Bouley family children chose to donate to NCRF in recognition of their father who was an exemplary role model as a court reporter, instructor, and philanthropist. The award is given to a court reporter or captioner with more than 25 years of experience who has given back to the profession and to the community with no expectation of a reward.
Kriegshauser, who holds the nationally recognized professional certifications of Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC), and Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLSV), is also a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters (FAPR). She also holds the Realtime Systems Administrator Certificate. Kriegshauser is the fourth recipient of the Jim Bouley Family Lifetime Award for Altruism.
Kriegshauser graduated from Midstate College in Peoria, Ill., in 1980 and began her career as a freelance court reporter with Keefe Reporting Company in Belleville where she worked for 10 years. She has also been an agency owner, a court reporting instructor and program director for Belleville Area College, an advisor for the St. Louis Community College Advisory Council for Information and Reporting Technology, a captioner, and a CART provider. She has also worked as an official court reporter for the U.S. District Court, Eastern Division of Missouri. She currently serves as an official court reporter for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas.
Among her career highlights are captioning the 2000 and 2001 Senior PGA Tour, Boone Balley Golf Classic in August, Mo., where she provided realtime transcription services pro bono of player interviews for the tournament media, proving CART services for a partially deaf student majoring in agriculture at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill., and providing realtime services to deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers at various meetings of the State of Illinois Office of Rehabilitative Services. In 1992, for the NBC affiliate KSDK Channel 5, she assisted with captioning the 48-hour around-the-clock coverage of Pope John Paul II’s visit to St. Louis, Mo., as well as the presidential election and presidential acceptance speech, and the nationally televised Thanksgiving Day Parade.
At the national level, Kriegshauser currently serves on NCRA’s Technology Committee. In addition, she has been a frequent dictator for the national Speed and Realtime Contests. During her 45-plus years of membership with NCRA, Kriegshauser has served on numerous committees including the Student/Teacher, Membership, Council of the Academy of Professional Reporters Verification, and Test Advisory Committees. She has also served on the Student Community of Interest, the Constitution and Bylaws Review Task Force, the Certified Legal Videographer Specialist Council, including as chair and newsletter editor, and as an NCRA Chief Examiner.
As a student mentor, Kriegshauser is also known for her dedication to supporting and motivating students and new professionals. She has also been a contributor to the JCR magazine and was recognized in March 2001 as NCRA Legislative Activist of the Month. She also holds membership in the U.S. Court Reporters Association and is a past Eighth Circuit Representative Board member for the group.
At the state level, Kriegshauser has served on numerous committees for the Missouri Court Reporters Association (MCRA), including its Student Affairs Committee and as chair of Public Relations for the East Region and Annual Convention committees. She also served as the MCRA’s Region One Vice-President.
Kriegshauser is also a past president and president-elect of the Illinois Court Reporters Association (ILCRA). She also served as Coordinator of the CART Task Force for the organization and as a co-chair of its Convention Committee. In 2001 she was honored with the Association’s Distinguished Service Award.
Kriegshauser has presented numerous times at NCRA’s Conference & Expo, at state court reporter association events, career fairs, and a number of state bar associations on the topic of realtime technology and has led many federal courthouse tour groups.
Outside of her court reporting career, Kriegshauser holds membership in the National Association of Female Executives where she was honored in 1993 as a Woman of Achievement. As a member of the Illinois Chapter of the Jaycees, Kriegshauser served as a state director, and has earned numerous honors from the Mississippi Valley Region Jaycees and the Belleville chapter of the Jaycees. In addition, Kriegshauser is a past Boy Scouts Cub Master and Tiger Club coordinator and member of the Belleville Parent/Teacher Organization.
In her spare time, Kriegshauser enjoys gardening, cooking, and baking. She is especially known for her excellent pie baking skills and for making those in hospice their favorites and delivering them personally. She also bakes Thanksgiving pies for food kitchens and has been known to deliver homemade turkey dinner plates to the local homeless. During COVID she baked and delivered cookies to nurses working in local hospital wards.
“No one sees how excited my mom gets before hoping on a Zoom call with students, creating an NCRA skit, or grading a successful test of a court reporting student but me,” wrote Kriegshauser’s daughter, Carolyn, in a nomination letter. “My mom loves her NCRA family as if it were her own. No amount of words can come close to describing how much she loves the court reporting profession,” she added.
“Debbie Kriegshauser is a unicorn. She’s of those rare creatures that you’re not quite sure exists – then you discover her and are so thankful you did,” Melanie L Humphrey-Sonntag, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC, an official court reporter from Cheyenne, Wyo., wrote in a letter of nomination on behalf of Kriegshauser. “Debbie is the epitome of someone who gives her all for others, not looking for reward in return,” she added.
“If NCRA had 100 Debbie’s, they would increase their presence 10,000-fold,” wrote Mark W. Hagood, owner of Q&A Court Reporting in Florence, S.C. “I could fill an entire page and more with stories I can attest to of Debbie’s unwavering support for someone in need or recognizing a special day or event in someone else’s life, at times traveling miles and miles to accomplish that goal,” Hagwood added.
“Debbie just doesn’t talk the talk; she walks the walk. She leads by example. She uses her skills and knowledge of technology every day and never shies away from trying something new,” wrote NCRA member Diane L. Sonntag, FAPR, RDR, CRR, (Ret.), from Rogersville, Mo.
For information about The Jim Bouley Family Lifetime Award for Altruism, contact NCRF Manager Jill Parker Landsman at jlandsman@ncra.org.
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