- Your Business/Occupation. In one or two sentences, explain your services or products.
I am an official court reporter in the Appalachian Circuit of North Georgia. This is a Superior Court position, so I handle all things court (trials, pleas, probation revocations, motion hearings, etc.) I also cover depositions and other hearings on the side. In addition, I have some transcription-only clients as well. - Our Industry. A. How would you describe the challenges and opportunities that our industry faces (in the Court, Agency, and Deposition markets)? B. What do you see as the challenges and opportunities.
There is definitely a nationwide shortage of court reporters and transcriptionists. That can be a challenge and an opportunity. While I’m as busy as I want to be, I also turn away work because I’m only one person. Another challenge for the industry is the misconceptions about digital reporters. I mostly only see that on social media though by reporters in other methods. - Reason(s) To Run. A. What is/are the reason(s) you decided to run for the board? B. Whom and what do you want to impact?
I would love the opportunity to further the mission of AAERT and the court reporting industry. With 20 years in the industry, I hope that I can offer knowledge and assistance. I would love to provide high school students with more information on court reporting as it’s a wonderful career and I feel it’s not talked about enough. - Your Goal. A. If you had a mandate—board authorization, financial resources, member support—what do you want to do? B. How would you improve the capabilities of our members (reporters, transcribers, proofreaders, videographers, business owners and executives)?
I would love to create a mentoring program for reporters. It can be lonely out here, and it would be great to know you had someone to bounce around ideas or ask questions of. I would also love to get into the career days at schools. I feel the young folks just don’t know enough, if anything at all, about court reporting. - Involvement. A. How long have you been a member? B. How many conferences have you attended? If you have not attended conferences, would you explain why not? C. Do you plan to attend this year’s conference?
I’ve been a member of AAERT since 2013. I received my CET in 2015, my CER in 2019 and my CDR in 2022. I was on the government relations committee in 2017 and the Atlanta conference committee as well. I’ve been on the Certification Committee currently since 2020. I’ve attended the last two conferences virtually. I attempted to get to Milwaukee. But after sitting in the Atlanta airport for 14 hours, my flight was cancelled. I would love to attend this year’s conference in person. Unfortunately, I have not been able to secure coverage for court those days. I am still trying =) - Experience. A. What has been your leadership experience? B. Do you have experience as a board member of a non-profit organization? C. Please list the organizations, your positions, and duties.
I am currently the leader of my court reporting business and serve seven transcriptionists and one proofreader/admin. I have three court reporting students in school and hope to have my agency opened by the fall. I was a transcriptionist for 20 years and became a court reporter four years ago. Prior to that, I was a manager of 25 data entry operators working for an outsource company who serviced car titles for Ford, Toyota, and Volkswagen. I was also a leader in the foster care ministry at my church and a small-group leader for elementary school students for ten years.