Call for 2019 DSA nominations: Recognize that special professional

March 8, 2019 by

Has a peer or colleague gone above and beyond to support NCRA and the court reporting and captioning professions? Then consider nominating that person for NCRA’s 2019 Distinguished Service Award (DSA). The deadline to nominate someone for NCRA’s 58th DSA is March 15.

The DSA is the highest honor NCRA can bestow on a member. It recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR or service at a state court reporters association or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are recognized at the NCRA Convention & Expo.

“While attending the convention I had no idea I would be receiving this great honor. I do recall that about four years ago my dear friend Louis Rennillo sent my name in to be nominated. But not having heard about it again, I didn’t think about it,” said 2018 DSA recipient Heywood (Woody) Waga, FAPR, RMR, CRR (Ret.), a retired court reporter from Montclair, N.J. “I just thought the DSA Committee had so many more names of people more deserving of this great honor. I still feel that way. There are great reporters who have been overlooked,” he added.

“When the description of the recipient was being announced, all of a sudden I realized they were talking about me. My daughter, Lauren Schechter (a great CART reporter), was sitting next to me and smiling; she said, ‘Dad, go get your award.’”

Only voting members of NCRA or recognized court reporting associations can submit nominations that will be eligible for consideration. In addition, nominations must include information supporting why the nominee should be considered. Finally, DSA candidates cannot be an active member of the DSA Committee or the NCRA Board of Directors.

The purpose of the Distinguished Service Award is to encourage and recognize work amounting to distinguished service by individual members for the benefit of the reporting profession. A recipient of the DSA:

  • Must be a Registered Member of NCRA in good standing or a Registered Retired Member who was a member in good standing upon retirement
  • Cannot be an active member of the DSA Committee or an active officer or director of the Association
  • Must have been involved in NCRA affairs on an extensive level, along with service to state and other reporting associations, public affairs and public relations, writing for association publications, and the advancement of the profession

“Receiving the DSA has meant the depth of accomplishment to me. There is no greater reward than to be recognized by your peers. It came to me at a particularly sensitive period in my career. I had retired a short while ago, and I truly missed the involvement and challenges to overcome. I guess that’s for others to do their own way. I respect that,” Waga said.

“I hope that other professional members would think of worthwhile candidates to receive this great award in the future and send in their nomination. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say, ‘I love the profession of court reporting as well as this great association representing the interests of all its members.’”

Voting members of NCRA may submit nominations through an online form, by email to dsa@ncra.org, or by mail to NCRA, Attn: DSA, 12030 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20191, by March 15. Click here for more information.

Filed Under: Events, Member Announcements, NCRA & You, News Tagged With: ,

Honor someone with NCRA’s highest award: The Distinguished Service Award

January 2, 2018 by

Nancy Varallo recognized with NCRA Distinguished Service Award

Nancy Varallo received the 2017 NCRA Distinguished Service Award

NCRA’s Distinguished Service Award (DSA) recognizes the distinguished work and service of an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting and captioning professions, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the Association. It is also often viewed as the highlight of the recipient’s career. The deadline to nominate a candidate is Feb. 9.

“What an honor to be NCRA’s 2017 DSA recipient! The thrills of that day won’t soon be forgotten — seeing my family members appear as if by magic as my name was announced, the applause of my peers, the sentimental video created by my good friend Bill Weber and my father, and my own ‘aha’ moment when I realized my husband, Ed, had kept this wonderful secret from me,” said Nancy Varallo, FAPR, RDR, CRR, a freelance reporter and firm owner from Worcester, Mass. Varallo is also a past president of NCRA.

DSA recipients are also recognized for other displays of notable work, including contributing to the JCR or service at a state court reporters association or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are recognized at the NCRA Convention & Expo.

“I realized how my involvement in NCRA followed the example of so many leaders who served before me. I felt a real sense of gratitude for the mentors who had helped me along the way: first my dad, my court reporting mentor; and my mom, my feminist role model,” Varallo said.

“I also realized the gratitude I had for the inspiring leaders I’ve been privileged to know throughout my almost four decades of volunteerism. Those leaders blazed the trail! They set the bar for excellence. They taught me the responsibilities that come with commitment, the importance of doing my best, always, and to be ever mindful that a leader is always a role model. I take that seriously. I’ve sought to be a good and thoughtful leader, and I hope I’ve helped to empower others to take the reins of leadership. That would make me happy,” Varallo added.

Voting members of NCRA or of recognized court reporting associations may submit nominations through an online form, by email to dsa@ncra.org, or by mail to NCRA, Attn: DSA, 12030 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 400, Reston, VA 20191. Nominations must include information supporting why the nominee should be considered. DSA candidates cannot be an active member of the DSA Committee or the NCRA Board of Directors. The deadline to nominate a member for NCRA’s 56th Distinguished Service Award is Feb. 9.








Filed Under: Career, News, People Tagged With: , , , , ,

2018 nominations sought; deadlines near

December 1, 2017 by

Nominations are now being accepted for the Fellows of the Academy of Professional Reporters, the NCRA Board of Directors, and the Distinguished Service Award. Now is the perfect time to step up and nominate yourself or a colleague to serve or be recognized for his or her commitment to the profession and to NCRA.

Fellows of the Academy of Professional Reporters

Members of the 2017 class of Fellows of the Academy of Professional Reporters was recognized at the 2017 Convention & Expo. Nominations for 2018 Fellows are due Dec. 31.

NCRA’s Council of the Academy of Professional Reporters is seeking nominations for its Fellows of the Academy of Professional Reporters (FAPR). The deadline to nominate a candidate is Dec. 31.

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 must have been actively reporting for at least 10 years and have attained distinction as measured by performance. This performance could include publication of important papers, creative contributions, service on committees or boards, teaching, and more.

“It is an honor to carry the distinction as a Fellow in my profession’s national association. Much of the time and energy devoted to my beloved profession and association has been behind the scenes; when I learned I had been awarded the Fellow, it let me know that my hard work and dedication had been not only noticed but appreciated,” said Sarah Nageotte, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC, an official court reporter from Jefferson, Ohio. Nageotte was inducted as a Fellow in 2017.

“There’s a quote that says, ‘Volunteers are not paid — not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.’ Taking the time to recognize a colleague through a nomination is one way to say thank you for always giving for the betterment of all. If you don’t nominate someone deserving, who will?” added Nageotte, who is also an NCRA Past President.

To nominate an individual, view the full criteria and download a nomination form at NCRA.org/Fellows. For more information, contact Cynthia Bruce Andrews at candrews@ncra.org.

Board of Directors

Serving on the Board of Directors is an excellent opportunity to use your leadership skills to help advance the premier organization that continues to empower the court reporting profession. As a Director, you will serve with others as fiduciaries to steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies as well as by making sure NCRA has adequate resources to advance its mission.

The 2017-2018 NCRA Board of Directors

“After serving on NCRA committees and task forces, observing and respecting NCRA’s leaders, as well as holding several offices with my state association, I decided to challenge myself and seek a position on NCRA’s Board,” said R. Douglas Friend, FAPR, RDR, CRR, a freelance reporter an agency owner from Vancouver, Wash., and a Past President of NCRA.

“A joy of serving on the NCRA Board is attending state conventions and making presentations. Besides meeting reporters who became friends around North America, I also gathered confidence in public speaking. As a firm owner, this helped in speaking to groups of attorneys, legal assistants, and paralegals,” added Friend.

Nominations and recommendations can be submitted to boardnominations@ncra.org by Jan. 19, 2018. As a courtesy, please contact your candidate directly prior to submitting his or her name.

Anyone interested in seeking future Board service can attend a no-obligation orientation webinar on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET. This webinar will help you gain a better understanding of the process and expectations of serving on the Board. For more information about the orientation, contact lbutler@ncra.org.

Distinguished Service Award

Nancy Varallo recognized with NCRA Distinguished Service Award

Nancy Varallo recognized with the 2017 NCRA Distinguished Service Award

NCRA’s Distinguished Service Award is often viewed as the pinnacle of a member’s career. It recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the Association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR or service at a state court reporters association or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are recognized at the NCRA Convention & Expo.

“In 2015, at the NCRA Convention & Expo in New York City, I was humbled that I had been nominated and had been chosen to receive the DSA,” said Sandy VanderPol, FAPR, RMR, CRR, a freelancer and firm owner from Lotus, Calif.

“This award was such an honor, and I will always remember the ceremony and the many emotions that passed over me when my name was called. I tell you this because I want each of you to take the time to reflect upon what this award means to the recipient. Nominate a person you consider worthy, and be proud that you have been a part of the process,” she added.

Voting members of NCRA or of recognized court reporting associations may submit nominations through an online form, by email to dsa@ncra.org, or by mail to NCRA, Attn: DSA, 12030 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20191. Nominations must include information supporting why the nominee should be considered. DSA candidates cannot be an active member of the DSA Committee or the NCRA Board of Directors. The deadline to nominate a member for NCRA’s 56th Distinguished Service Award is Feb. 9.








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Past President Nancy Varallo named 2017 NCRA Distinguished Service Award recipient

August 11, 2017 by

Nancy Varallo recognized with NCRA Distinguished Service Award

Nancy Varallo recognized with NCRA Distinguished Service Award

Past President Nancy Varallo, FAPR, RDR, CRR, from Worcester, Mass., was honored with NCRA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award (DSA), on Aug. 11 at the Premier Session held during the 2017 NCRA Convention & Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. The event runs through Aug. 13 at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Varallo, the 56th recipient of the DSA, is owner of The Varallo Group in Worcester, Mass. She is a 30-year veteran of court reporting and a past president.

NCRA’s DSA recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the Association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR, or service at the state or local court reporters association or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are nominated by their peers and are recognized at the NCRA Convention & Expo.

Read all the news from the 2017 NCRA Convention & Expo.








Filed Under: Career, Events, News, People Tagged With: ,

Call for 2017 DSA nominations

January 17, 2017 by

2016 DSA

Willy Greenley accepts the 2016 DSA on behalf of her husband William

Has a peer or colleague gone above and beyond to support NCRA and the court reporting and captioning profession? Then consider nominating that person for NCRA’s 2017 Distinguished Service Award (DSA). The deadline to nominate someone for NCRA’s 57th DSA is Feb. 10.

The DSA is the highest honor NCRA can bestow on a member. It recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR or service at a state court reporters association or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are recognized at the NCRA Convention & Expo.

To be eligible for consideration, only voting members of NCRA or by recognized court reporting associations can submit nominations. In addition, nominations must include information supporting why the nominee should be considered. Finally, DSA candidates cannot be an active member of the DSA Committee or the NCRA Board of Directors.

The purpose of the Distinguished Service Award is to encourage and recognize work amounting to distinguished service by individual members for the benefit of the reporting profession. A recipient of the DSA:

  • must be a Registered Member of NCRA in good standing or a Registered Retired Member who was a member in good standing upon retirement
  • cannot be an active member of the DSA Committee or an active officer or director of the Association
  • must have been involved in NCRA affairs on an extensive level, along with service to state and other reporting associations, public affairs and public relations, writing for association publications, and the advancement of the profession

Voting members of NCRA may submit nominations through an online form, by email to dsa@ncra.org, or by mail to NCRA, Attn: DSA, 12030 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20191, by Feb. 10. Click here for more information.








Filed Under: Career, NCRA & You, News Tagged With:

William Greenley posthumously honored with NCRA 2016 DSA recipient

August 5, 2016 by

Late court reporter from Sacramento, Calif., becomes 55th to earn national award

 CHICAGO, Aug. 5, 2016 — The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, broadcast and CART captioners, and legal videographers, today bestowed its highest honor, the 2016 Distinguished Service Award, posthumously to past member William Greenley, who was a seasoned freelance reporter, official court reporter, and firm owner from Petaluma, Calif., at a special awards ceremony during its annual Convention & Expo held Aug. 4-7 in Chicago, Ill. Greenley’s wife, Willy, accepted the award for her late husband, who passed away in October 2015.

NCRA’s DSA recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR, service at the state or local court reporters association, or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are nominated by their peers and are recognized at NCRA’s Convention & Expo.

“It’s really hard to express properly how we feel,” said Greenley. “I met Bill in 1968. He was just back from Viet Nam, waiting to finish his tour of duty. That same year we married and moved to southern California, for him to go to college. A friend’s sister told him about court reporting and how some people completed school in two years. He thought it was worth a try, and in less than two years he passed the California Shorthand Test.”

Greeley added that after retirement her husband spent time taking care of and being the best Papa to his two granddaughters, Mina and Lani. He also got very involved in volunteering at Jack London state park near their home and in playing tennis.

For more information, visit NCRA.org. For more information, visit NCRA.org. Career information about the court reporting profession—one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree — can be found at crTakeNote.com.

About NCRA

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 16,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership. Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to grow by 14 percent through the year 2020. For more information, visit NCRA.org.








Filed Under: Career, Member Announcements, People, People in the News Tagged With: ,

FROM COMMITTEE: The surprise of my life

January 31, 2016 by

By Ellie Corbett Hannum

Sitting in the large conference room at the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville, the excitement mounted as Merilyn Sanchez, RMR, CRR, of Chandler, Ariz., approached the microphone to announce the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Service Award. I have always enjoyed the ceremony so much because most of the time I am familiar with the recipient and firmly believe that he or she was a great choice, and I jump to my feet with excitement when the person’s name name is announced.

In 2013, I was sitting next to my dear friends Cindy and Forrest Brown RDR (Ret.), and listening intently as Merilyn began to speak. After a few sentences, I started to feel the blood drain out of my face and my heart began to race. Merilyn was mentioning committees and activities that were very familiar to me. However, I kept saying to myself that it was just a coincidence until she said something that I knew was pertaining to me. Me? Are you kidding? Me? I don’t deserve the DSA! I can think of many people more deserving. Then I remembered Ed Varallo, RMR, CRR, saying the exact same thing to me when he received the award. In fact, Forrest said it as well. So I guess it is not uncommon that the recipient believes that whatever he or she did to merit the DSA Committee’s selection of him or her was not noteworthy or special; it was just what he or she believed needed to be done.

I now have the honor of being the Chair of the Distinguished Service Award Committee, after having been a member of the committee for the past two years. As a group, the committee decided it was important to inform the membership of the process to nominate someone to receive the award. The more information we have, the better. We would suggest first getting the nominee’s résumé and attempting to contact people who may have explicit information about the nominee’s contributions to the profession and beyond. Although it is nice to hear that someone is a wonderful person, always ready to pitch in, etc., it really is helpful to know what it is that the person has done that sets him or her apart from all the other people who volunteer to our profession.

This does not have to become a daunting task, but submitting a nomination does require some effort. Imagine that the committee has a blank slate in front of them, and you have the luxury of filling in all the words or of painting the portrait of the person that you want them to see. In large part, it does fall to you to capture the essence of the nominee and to then present information that to the committee. We encourage you to look around and see who you think deserves the award and then set about enlightening the committee. My guess is that you will have some fun along the way as well.

Ellie Corbett Hannum, RMR, CMRS, of Wilmington, Del., is a past Distinguished Service Award recipient as well as past Chair of the National Court Reporters Foundation. Questions about nominating a person for the DSA can be directed to: dsa@ncra.org.

 








Filed Under: Member Announcements, Member Announcements, News, People, People in the News, People in the News Tagged With: ,

Call for 2016 DSA nominations

January 19, 2016 by

DSA

Sandra Bunch VanderPol accepts the Distinguished Service Award from Merilyn Sanchez in 2015

Has a peer or colleague gone above and beyond to support NCRA and the court reporting and captioning profession? Then consider nominating that person for NCRA’s 2016 Distinguished Service Award. The deadline to nominate someone for NCRA’s 57th DSA is Feb. 12.

The DSA is the highest honor NCRA can bestow on a member. It recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR or service at a state court reporters association or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are recognized at the NCRA Convention & Expo.

To be eligible for consideration, nominations can be submitted only by voting members of NCRA or by recognized court reporting associations. In addition, nominations must include information supporting why the person being nominated should be considered. Finally, DSA candidates cannot be acting as a member of the DSA Committee or as an officer or director of NCRA.

“Each and every year I attend the convention and one of my most memorable moments is the announcement of the DSA,” said NCRA member Sandra Bunch VanderPol, RMR, CRR, a freelance reporter from Sacramento, Calif., who was recognized with the Association’s 56th award during the 2015 NCRA Convention & Expo held in New York City.

“I relish this moment, hearing about all that each recipient has accomplished for our profession. As I was sitting in the audience in anticipation of the honoree in New York, I began to tremble, with soon-to-be tears of surprise and joy forming in my eyes. This is me, I thought. It was an amazing moment in my career as a court reporter to receive this award. One I will never forget,” she said.

VanderPol, a court reporter for more than 40 years who has worked as a freelance and an official court reporter and has been a firm owner, said she is honored to be included in the same group as NCRA’s previous DSA recipients and noted that the recognition of such magnitude from her peers means a lot.

“Throughout the convention I received congratulations and kind words from many of you. I will always cherish these kind words and will never forget the kind words of a colleague from California, who said that I was her mentor; she always learned from my articles and seminars, and that I had made a difference in her career,” said VanderPol.

Nominations for NCRA’s DSA must include the name and address of the nominator, the name and address of the nominee, the number of years the nominee has been reporting, and a biography that includes the individual’s background and contributions to the profession. Nominations should be sent to the Chair of the DSA Committee by email at dsa@ncra.org or by mail to c/o NCRA 12030 Sunrise Valley Dr., VA 20191.








Filed Under: News Tagged With: ,

Sandra Bunch VanderPol named NCRA 2015 DSA recipient

July 31, 2015 by

DSANCRA member Sandra Bunch VanderPol, RMR, CRR, a freelance reporter from Sacramento, Calif., was recognized with the association’s Distinguished Service Award, the organization’s highest honor. The award was presented to VanderPol during the Premier Session held during the 2015 NCRA Convention & Expo taking place in New York City July 30-Aug.2. VanderPol became the 55th member to earn the national award.

NCR’s DSA recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR, or service at the state or local court reporters association, or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are nominated by their peers and are recognized at NCRA’s Convention & Expo.

VanderPol, a court reporter for more than 40 years, holds the nationally recognized professional certifications of Registered Merit Reporter and Certified Realtime Reporter. She has worked as a freelancer and an official court reporter, and she has been a firm owner.

At the national level, Vander Pol has served as a member or chair of the Wireless Realtime, Paperless Future, Ethics First, and CTC Task Forces. She has also served on NCRA’s Technology Review, Realtime Systems Administrator Certification and Nominating Committees, as well as the Freelance Reporter Community of Interest. She has been instrumental in the development of NCRA’s Realtime Systems Administrator Certificate program.

“There are numerous NCRA members who tirelessly toil in the background for many years and deserve to be recognized for their efforts and commitments,” said Merilyn Sanchez, RMR, CRR, a retired court reporter from Chandler, Ariz., and Chair of the Association’s DSA Committee.

“I am so honored to present this award. This is not the first DSA presentation I have made, but each time is a very emotional experience for me. I know the hard work and the personal sacrifices of each reporter,” said Sanchez, a past DSA recipient. “My heart races as I make the announcement, and I wonder how long it will be before the reporter experiences the shock and disbelief when their name is announced.” (The long-standing tradition for this award is to outline the recipient’s career and achievements without mentioning the person’s name until near the end.)

Throughout her professional career, VanderPol has also been active at the state level, serving on the California Court Reporters Association’s Technology Committee and Legislative Council. She has also served as a presenter and lecture at the national and state levels for court reporting associations and other related organizations. VanderPol has also been published in a number of outlets including the JCR, California’s Caligrams, and numerous monthly and online newsletters.








Filed Under: Events, Member Announcements, News, People in the News, People in the News, Realtime, Technology Tagged With: ,

Call for 2015 DSA nominations

January 13, 2015 by

Know a peer or colleague who has gone above and beyond efforts to support NCRA and the court reporting and captioning profession? Then consider nominating them for NCRA’s 2015 Distinguished Service Award. The deadline to nominate someone for NCRA’s 55th DSA is Feb. 6.

The DSA is the highest honor NCRA can bestow on a member and recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the Association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR, or service at a state court reporters association or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are recognized at the NCRA Convention & Expo.

To be eligible for consideration, nominations can be submitted only by voting members of NCRA or by recognized court reporting associations. In addition, nominations must include information supporting why the person being nominated should be considered. Finally, DSA candidates cannot be acting as a member of the DSA Committee or as an officer or director of NCRA.

“I was very humbled to receive the Distinguished Service Award from NCRA in 2014,” said recipient Brenda L. Fauber, RDR, CRR, CPE, an official court reporter from Omaha, Neb.

“My career in the court reporting field has served me very well. Giving back to that profession through my work with state and national associations has been very rewarding to me. But being recognized for that work was really an honor,” added Fauber, who holds the nationally recognized professional certifications of RDR, CPE, and CRR. She has been a court reporter since 1980.

Nominations for NCRA’s DSA should be sent to the Chair of the DSA Committee or by mail to NCRA, 8224 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna, VA 22182. For more information, visit NCRA.org.








Filed Under: NCRA & You, News Tagged With:
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