NCRA has announced that Wade Garner, FAPR, RPR, CPE, a retired court reporter and court director from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and Sheri Smargon, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC, CRI, a court reporter and captioner from Riverview, Fla. , have been named 2026 Fellows of the Academy of Professional Reporters (FAPR).
Sheri Smargon, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC, CRI
“Becoming a Fellow is something I’ve dreamt of but never thought I’d be of the caliber to receive the honor. I’m humbled and grateful to be a member of such an elite group of reporters,” said Smargon.
Smargon, who began her career in 1992, is a graduate of the Erwin Technical Center in Tampa, Fla., and holds a bachelor’s degree in applied behavioral science and a master’s degree in psychology from the National-Louis University in Tampa.
She has reported trials, depositions, arbitrations, and council meetings, as well as provided realtime captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers. In addition, Smargon virtually provided CART (Communications Access Realtime Translation) during COVID-19 for group meetings, one-on-one settings, and online classes for students. In 2024, she was appointed to serve on the Guantanamo Bay Team.
At the national level, Smargon has served on NCRA’s Test Writing Committee, and is a past chair of the CRC Committee and a past member of the CRC Test Writing Committee. A long-time competitor, she also earned numerous medals in NCRA’s national Speed and Realtime Contests and in Intersteno competitions, including as World Champion in 2022 in the Audio Transcription division of the international competition.
At the state level, Smargon served as president of the Florida Court Reporters Association (FCRA) and is the current chair of its Realtime/FPR-Committee. She has also served on FCRA’s CRC Test Writing Committee.
Wade Garner, FAPR, RPR, CPE
“It is truly and honor to be welcomed into a fellowship of such outstanding ambassadors of the court reporting profession,” Garner said. “It is not lost on me that those who have received this distinction have made remarkable lifelong contributions through their dedication, leadership, and service to the profession. Thank you for welcoming me into this distinguished fellowship.”
Garner, who began his career in 1990, is a graduate of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and holds an associate degree in arts and sciences from the Brigham Young University in Rexburg, Idaho.
Garner retired in 2021 from his position as director of the Court of Queen’s Bench in Edmonton and Alberta. Prior to that he served as acting senior manager for Southern Alberta Medicine Hat, after serving as a court manger and court reporter for Alberta Justice.
At the national level, Garner has chaired or served as a member on NCRA’s Membership Marketing, CAPR Verification, Finance, Written Knowledge Test, Contests, CASE, Elections, and Test Advisory Committees. He has also served on a number of task forces including the Student Seminar, Business Practice Advisors, Alternative Technologies, Midyear Conference, and the TAC Subgroup Beta Testing. Garner is also a past NCRA National Director, and liaison to the National Verbatim Reporters Association.
At a provincial level, Garner is a past director for the Alberta Shorthand Reporters Association and served on its NAIT Advisory Committee and Professional Governance Act Subcommittee.
Membership in the Academy symbolizes excellence among NCRA members. The designation of FAPR represents an individual’s dedication to the court reporting and captioning professions and expresses the highest level of professional ethics. Candidates for Fellowship are required to have been in the active practice of reporting/captioning for at least 15 years and to have attained distinction as measured by performance (which includes publication of important papers, creative contributions, service on committees or boards, teaching, etc.).
For more information, contact Cynthia R. Bruce, M.S. Ed., NCRA Vice President, Education and Certification at cbruce@ncra.org.
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