Miles of knowledge
Date: September 13, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Online via Zoom
Step Into Your Strength: Finance, Focus, and the Fast Lane
Join us on September 13th, 2025, for the Miles of Knowledge virtual Fall event. Fuel your future with fearless finesse!
Fall into empowerment this season as we explore:
- Financial fluency for freelancers and firm employees alike
- Focused fundamentals for life and career clarity
- The fast lane to fitness, freedom, and far-reaching opportunities
Whether you're:
- Figuring out finances,
- Flying across foreign lands, or
- Finding your footing on the 5K course,
…this seminar will fortify your skills, fire up your motivation, and help you forge forward with fortitude.
Register Now
Cost:
$60 VCRA Member|$45 VCRA Board Member
$70 Non-member price|$20 Student
Schedule
| Topic/Speaker |
Description |
Time/CEUs |
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The View from the Bench
By Judge Sal Iaquinto
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VCRA is proud to welcome Judge Sal Iaquinto for a candid and insightful session offering a judge’s perspective on the vital role court reporters play in the courtroom. In "The View from the Bench," Judge Iaquinto shares his first-hand experiences and observations about what strengthens the court record—and what can compromise it.
This session will explore the working relationship between judges and court reporters, highlight common challenges, and offer ideas for building stronger, more collaborative courtroom teams.
Session Highlights:
- Professionalism and Teamwork in the Courtroom. Judge Iaquinto will discuss how judges, court reporters, clerks, and attorneys function as a team, and what happens when communication or decorum breaks down. He’ll share his thoughts on maintaining professionalism and resolving misunderstandings when tensions rise.
- Handling Difficult Situations: Fast Talkers, Emotional Witnesses, and Unruly Courtrooms. From rapid-fire speech to high-emotion testimony, court reporters face intense pressure. Judge Iaquinto will provide practical suggestions on how the bench can better support reporters in these moments, whether that means slowing things down, repeating information, or simply being more attentive.
- Lighter Moments from the Bench: While much of courtroom work is serious, there are moments that bring unexpected levity. Judge Iaquinto will share a few (anonymized) humorous stories and situations that challenged even his ability to keep a straight face—and how court reporters handled those moments with professionalism.
- What Judges Wish Court Reporters Knew – and Vice Versa: The session will close with an interactive discussion encouraging open dialogue between the judiciary and court reporters. This is a chance to share feedback, express appreciation, and strengthen mutual understanding.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from the bench and gain valuable insights into improving communication, collaboration, and the integrity of the record. Learning Objectives: NCRA – Section 3.02 (a) (g) (l)
|
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
.1 CEUs
|
|
Foundational Accounting for Financial Confidence
By CPA Thomas Hlavaty and Financial Advisor Donna Gero
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Foundational Accounting for Financial Confidence
This presentation, led by CPA Thomas Hlavaty and Financial Advisor Donna Gero, offers essential financial guidance for independent contractors and salaried court reporters and covers:
- Employment Types: Understand the differences between 1099 (contractor) and W-2 (employee) roles.
- Tax Deductions: Learn what expenses are deductible based on your employment status.
- Business Structures: Compare sole proprietorships and corporations for tax and legal benefits. Tips and common deductions.
- Retirement Planning: Explore Solo 401(k), SEP IRA, Roth IRA, and other savings options.
- Tax Planning: Estimate and pay quarterly taxes, and stay compliant with federal, state, and local rules. Tax strategies for freelancers and officials.
- Advanced Strategies like income splitting and HSAs
Learning Objectives: NCRA – Section 3.08 (b)(c)
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10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
.1 CEUs
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Beyond the Boarding Pass: The Realities of Working Worldwide
by Leah Willersdorf, RMR, CRR
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This session isn’t about being based in the US and taking the occasional assignment abroad. It’s about living in a region where cross-country travel is the norm - on at least a monthly basis, it’s just business as usual for Leah. Think interstate travel in the US but with the cultural, economic, and logistical headaches that can quickly become overwhelming.
At the end of the day, having your steno machine in your hands and a passport in your pocket isn’t just about going to a destination; it’s about navigating the travel complexities, country regulations, and ever-changing schedules. If you think it’s just another trip, think again. For those of us living it, it’s a challenge that shapes how we work, adapt, and succeed every single day.
If you’ve ever been tempted by the shiny promise of a(n) assignment(s) or a life that comes with passport stamps and air miles, come and discover how this isn’t just about booking a flight, carefully packing your steno machine and fulfilling what’s on the job sheet. Let’s talk about what’s really waiting for you before and beyond the boarding pass.
Spoiler: It’s not all lounge access, Champagne, and window seats.
- Build the confidence and skills to handle the challenges that often come with working internationally, ranging from travel logistics/issues, equipment issues whilst abroad, and more.
- Through Leah’s real-life (and occasionally unfortunate) experiences on assignments internationally, gain insight into what can go wrong - and how to handle it calmly and professionally.
- Leave with a clear understanding that international work is about far more than just sitting behind the steno machine with your fingers poised.
Learning Objectives: NCRA - sections 3.01 e, f, h; 3.02 a; 3.04 g; 3.05 b, e; 3.08 c; 3.09 b; 3.10 c.
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11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
.1 CEUs
|
Total CEUs: 0.3 CEUs
Speakers
Salvatore R. Iaquinto
Sal Iaquinto served as a judge in the Virginia Beach General District Court from 2013 to 2024 and is currently serving as a judge in the Virginia Beach Circuit Court. Previously, he practiced civil litigation at Poole Mahoney, PC, managing the firm’s collection department and trying insurance defense cases. He also served as Delegate for the 84th District in the Virginia General Assembly from 2006-2013. During his eight years in office, Sal served on the Courts of Justice, Counties Cities and Towns, General Laws, and Martin Luther King, Jr. committees, eventually serving as chairman of two subcommittees. He also served as the Chairman of the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program Commission and worked to successfully strengthen penalties for drunk drivers in the Commonwealth. He also worked to improve the process and decrease the costs for adoptive families, as well as protect homeowners through stricter eminent domain requirements. In addition to his legal and legislative work, Sal served as Regent University’s Vice President for Advancement from 2008-2010. He and his wife, Stephanie, are members of Trinity Church in Virginia Beach and have four children.
Thomas Hlavaty CPA
Born and raised in Cleveland, Tom graduated from Cleveland State University and joined a local CPA firm. There he was exposed to various industries and accounting systems as a senior accountant. Tom left to work for a hospitality company that grew from 6 to 50 locations during his tenure. There he learned strategic planning, budgeting and preparing detailed analysis reports while managing the accounting department. He also attended seminars to learn how to read and prepare corporate tax returns. With a desire to achieve higher goals, he left to open his own tax and consulting business, with a diverse client base specializing in the service industry. He currently resides in Olmsted Township, Ohio, on nine acres where he decompresses from solving client’s challenges.
Donna Gero
Donna Gero is a well-rounded and dynamic professional with deep roots in Cleveland, Ohio.
An accomplished musician and entrepreneur, Donna brings creativity, discipline, and vision to everything she does.
Approaching her 15th year with Merrill Lynch, she has firmly established herself as a trusted leader in the financial services industry.
As a First Vice President and Senior Resident Director of Merrill Lynch’s Hudson, Ohio office, Donna is committed to delivering personalized, long-term strategies for her clients.
Her CRPC™ certification highlights her expertise in retirement planning and holistic wealth management.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Donna is passionate about giving back to her community.
She currently serves on the boards of Cleveland Independents and Veteran Canine Connection, and is an active volunteer with Rise in Love, a Christian-based organization focused on service, faith, and empowerment.
Donna’s diverse background and value-driven approach make her a powerful advocate for her clients and a respected leader in her field.
Leah Willersdorf
Leah is an Australian realtime stenographer who has called London home since 1995. Certified in three countries - the US, UK, and Australia - she holds the RMR, CRR, and CCRR American certifications. Leah’s reporting career began in Adelaide in 1992, after completing a two-year diploma in Court & Parliamentary Reporting in her hometown of Brisbane. Since then, she’s been travelling the globe with her steno machine in her hand and passport in her pocket.
Leah served on the Council of the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters for 11 years, was President for four, and is the Institute’s current Media Liaison. She is also the Communication & Social Media contact for “Tiro – The Journal of Professional Reporting and Transcription,” an Intersteno online periodical.
With continents, countries, and countless cities under her belt, Leah has enjoyed plenty of career highs along the way. But it’s not all rainbows and butterflies - every now and then, things go wrong. And sometimes very wrong.
Come take a trip down Leah’s Memory Lane to cities around the world and discover how she overcame some unexpected challenges.
