“20/20 Seeing Clearly Into Our Profession”
Join us for the 2022 VCRA Convention on March 25th through 27th at the beautiful Virginian Hotel in Lynchburg, Virginia. It will be a three-day celebration of our profession! Our keynote speaker is Mark Kislingbury, the Guinness World Record holder for "Fastest Court Reporter." Register today! You're not going to want to miss this! Please bring your steno machine and laptop.
Don't Delay! Early Bird pricing ends February 15th!
Register Now
View the Schedule
Note: Convention registration fees may be transferred, but NOT refunded. Early Bird not available to Students, Non-Members and Non-Reporters/Guests.
Schedule
Friday, March 25, 2022
| Topic/Speaker |
Description |
Time/Location/ CEUs (NCRA/ VCRA/NVRA)
|
|
Speed Contests
|
VCRA’s first ever REALTIME and SPEED contests for STENOGRAPHERS AND VOICE WRITERS at 3:00 and 3:30 p.m. The Realtime Contest will be a Q&A at 225 wpm. The Speed Contest will be given at 280 wpm, with 90 minutes to transcribe. You must indicate your desire to compete in one or both contests on your conference registration form.
Fee: $45 per contest.
|
3:00 to 4:45 p.m.
Mary Bell Washington
|
| Early Registration |
|
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Eleanor Rose Madison
|
|
Troubleshooting Today's Tech
Kristina Tan, CCR
|
An interactive and fun seminar designed to guide today's reporter through various job settings--in-person, remote, or hybrid--using different gadgets and various computer and program settings to ensure that even the toughest jobs go a little bit smoother!
|
6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Eleanor Rose Madison
(.10/.10/1.0)
|
| Speak Easy Welcome Reception |
Roaring 20s theme with prizes for the best costumes! Join us for heavy hors d’ oeuvres and fun. |
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Eleanor Rose Madison
|
Total CEUs Friday: NCRA .10 | VCRA .10 | NVRA 1.0
Saturday, March 26, 2022
| Topic/Speaker |
Description |
Time/Location/ CEUs (NCRA/ VCRA/NVRA)
|
| Registration Open |
|
7:00 a.m.
Ballroom Foyer
|
| Breakfast Buffet |
|
7:00 to 8:00 a.m.
The Gallery
|
|
Two Pillars of Writing and Realtime Excellence for Court Reporters
Mark Kislingbury
|
Mark's seminar will thoroughly cover his two pillars of writing and realtime excellence for court reporters: writing short, and high speed practice. He will demonstrate with numerous interesting and compelling proofs how that these two pillars contribute directly to speed, accuracy, comfort, health, money, time, and job satisfaction. His entertaining and informative presentation relies on a thorough PowerPoint presentation as well as stories and anecdotes relating to his 37-year court reporting career involving high-level realtime jobs and 12 NCRA contest wins in speed or realtime. Mark's seminars are highly popular and get universally high marks. You don't want to miss this one!
Bring your machine and laptop!
|
8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.15/.15/1.5)
|
| Break |
Pro Bono Award and Visit with Vendors |
9:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Grand Ballroom
|
|
Two Pillars of Writing and Realtime Excellence for Court Reporters
Mark Kislingbury
|
Part II of Mark's presentation. |
10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.15/.15/1.5)
|
| Lunch |
Town Hall, Annual Business Meeting and Elections |
11:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Grand Ballroom
(NA/.10/NA)
|
|
Two Pillars of Writing and Realtime Excellence for Court Reporters
Mark Kislingbury
|
Part III of Mark's presentation. |
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.10/.10/1.0)
|
|
Watson Today, Quantum Computing Tomorrow. Can Stenotype Reporting Survive the Advance in Computing?
Jim DeCrescenzo
|
The session addresses the incredible advances in computing power and the threat it presents to stenotype reporters. From the advent of the tape recorder, stenographic reporters have constantly faced threats from different advancing technologies. IBM's Watson, and many others, are focusing on Automatic Speech Recognition. With billions of research dollars pouring in, quantum computing is the next major advance being worked on by the global tech companies. In the face of these threats, will there still be a place for us? This seminar will explore current and future technologies and give you the facts you need to know on this critical question. |
2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.15/.15/1.5)
|
| Break |
Tayloe Award and Raffles |
4:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Grand Ballroom
|
|
Rebuilding Our Profession Together, Trends in Court Reporting and Let’s Cover Our Bases
Jim DeCrescenzo
|
There’s always change afoot in our marketplace and we need to keep pace today! How better to stay abreast of market trends than mingling with Project Steno’s leader as he discusses with us the changes and trends impacting today’s court reporting professionals and how we can work together to bring young people into court reporting and captioning. Learn about our just-launched Military Spouse program, Project Steno’s exciting awareness campaign, and our tuition assistance/student monitoring program. Walk away with a new can-do spirit. |
4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.10/.10/1.0)
|
Total CEUs Saturday: NCRA .65 | VCRA .75 | NVRA 6.5
Sunday, March 27, 2022
| Topic/Speaker |
Description |
Time/Location/ CEUs (NCRA/ VCRA/NVRA)
|
| Breakfast |
Installation of Officers |
7:00 to 8:30 a.m.
The Gallery
|
|
Realtime Outputs - The Latest Technology
Michele Eddy
|
Whether you’re working remotely or in person, I will demonstrate different methods for outputting stenographic realtime to clients or your Judge on an iPad or through the web, including Catalyst’s CaseviewNet, Eclipse’s BridgeMobile, Live Litigation’s RealtimeDirect, StreamText, and completely free, basic streaming through WebEx or Zoom. |
8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.15/.15/1.5)
|
| Break |
|
10:00 to 10:30 a.m. |
|
Motivate Your Vision!
Debra A. Dibble, NCRA President
|
There will be no lethargic Sunday morning in store for our attendees as we join our NCRA President Debbie Dibble, CSR, RDR, CRC, CRR, Realtime Systems Administrator and National Speed and Realtime Qualifier for a revitalization. She will help us clean off our lenses, adjust our spectacles, and concentrate our vision as we motivate ourselves to focus on building our value and identifying the positives in our present to create a stronger and better future than we ever imagined possible. Come and draw from this one-of-a-kind Energizer Bunny as she electrifies us to action. |
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.10/.10/1.0)
|
|
Panel Discussion
VCRA Board of Directors
|
Multiple topics will be discussed including court reporting ethics, best practices for remote proceedings, and the potential for legislation requiring licensure of all court reporters within the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the conclusion of the presentation, attendees will be invited to ask questions of the panel. |
11:30 to 12:30 p.m.
Grand Ballroom
(.10/.10/1.0)
|
Total CEUs Sunday: NCRA .35 | VCRA .35 | NVRA 3.5
Total Event CEUs: NCRA 1.1| VCRA 1.2 | NVRA 11.0
VCRA Speakeasy Welcome Reception
We're throwing a Roaring 20s themed reception! Bring 10 of your best briefs to share, and wear your 1920s attire! Prizes for the best costumes! Join us for heavy hors d’oeuvres and fun!
Speed Contests
VCRA will hold their first ever REALTIME and SPEED contests at the Convention on Friday, March 25, 2022, at 3:00 and 3:30 p.m. The Realtime Contest will be a Q&A at 225 wpm. The Speed Contest will be given at 280 wpm, with 90 minutes to transcribe. You must indicate your desire to compete in one or both contests on your conference registration form. Fee: $45 per contest.
View the Contest Details
The Virginian Hotel
A centerpiece of downtown Lynchburg since 1913, this magnificent hotel has been thoughtfully restored to its historic grandeur and refreshed with modern amenities. Walk to restaurants and boutiques, stroll along the James River, and dive into the arts and creative scene. Downtown is full of hidden gems. Point of Honor is a mile away, and the Snowflex Center is nearby for year-round skiing.
Reserve Your Room
The cut-off date for reserving rooms in the discounted room block is 4:00 p.m. on February 25, 2022.
Speakers
Mark Kislingbury, RDR, CRR, FAPR
Mark started his career as a freelance court reporter in 1983 in Houston, Texas. He began working on realtime from the beginning and has won 12 total NCRA speed and realtime contests. He also has a Guinness World Record for "Fastest Court Reporter" for passing a one-minute take at 360 wpm with 97.22% accuracy in 2004. He is the author of four court reporting books and runs the popular Internet training site for court reporters, the Magnum Steno Club. He opened the Mark Kislingbury Academy of Court Reporting in 2011 and his first 11 graduates averaged 1 yr. 11 mos. to graduate. He is the author of his own theory, the Magnum Steno Theory, and the author of "My System: The Road to Realtime Excellence," currently in the NCRA bookstore. Mark is married with three grown children and makes his home in Houston, Texas.
Jim DeCrescenzo, RPR, RMR, CRR, RDR, FAPR
Jim operated a court reporting agency in the Greater Philadelphia area for three decades before opening Exhibeo, LLC, a paperless deposition service, in 2015. Jim has served in countless volunteer capacities at the state and national level over the years. He is a Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR), a Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), and is a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters (FAPR).
Michele E. Eddy, RPR, CRR, CRI, CLR, Realtime Systems Administrator Certificate
Michele has been a freelance court reporter for over 30 years, beginning her career in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1989, then moving, in 2009, to the D.C./Northern Virginia area. She has been a Certified Realtime Reporter since 2000 and earned the Realtime Systems Administrator Certificate in 2012.
Up to June 2020, Michele worked as a high-volume reporter in deposition, trial, or arbitration settings on almost a daily basis, providing interactive realtime, rough drafts, daily copy, or rush transcripts. In 2019, Michele had the privilege of serving as a temporary Reporter of Debates for the U.S. Senate for several weeks, quickly learning the basics of Case Catalyst software in order to have a part in creating the Congressional Record on a daily basis.
From June 2020 forward, Michele has been working for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a contract Verbatim Reporting Officer, covering Board and Committee Meetings, providing realtime and rough drafts.
While in Ohio, Michele served as an instructor in the court reporting program at Cuyahoga Community College during the 2006-2007 academic year.
From 2014 through 2016, Michele participated in the Taking Realtime Awareness and Innovation Nationwide (TRAIN) program for the Virginia Court Reporters Association, providing realtime and technical training to fellow reporters. She has also conducted software-related seminars at VCRA’s Education Day. In October 2015, she was awarded the Frank G. Tayloe Award by VCRA. From 2016 to the present, she has served on the Board of VCRA as Vice President, Secretary, and Director, currently chairing the Education Committee, having conducted several A to Z classes and has led efforts to bring awareness of our profession at the Virginia School Counselor Association’s annual conference in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in October 2019 and October 2018.
Debra A. Dibble, RDR, CRR, CRC, NCRA President 2021-2022
Debra A. Dibble is a 32-year court reporter veteran who began her career working in the judicial arena in Salt Lake City, Utah and Memphis, Tennessee. She holds the nationally-recognized professional credentials of Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR), Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), and Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC), and has qualified in the National Speed and National Realtime competitions multiple times. She also holds the Realtime Systems Administrator Certification and has provided broadcast captioning and CART services for over a decade.
At the state level, Debbie served on the Utah Court Reporters Board of Directors for 10 years, serving as the president for 2 and receiving the organization’s Distinguished Service Award in 2010.
At the national level, Debbie has served as an NCRA Chief Examiner, as a delegate to the National Committee of State Associations from 2008 to 2012, as well as serving on numerous other committees. Debbie has served on the NCRA’s Board of Directors for eight years, including a three-year term as Secretary-Treasurer. She has also served as a presenter at the national and state levels.
In addition to being a Utah CSR, she is also certified in California, Nevada, Washington, Tennessee, and Texas, and has been a grand jury reporter in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Debbie also served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the National Court Reporters Foundation for three years and for the past year plus has been leading the team dedicated to turning the vision of a new professionals training program, now known as Career Launcher, into a reality.
