NCRA Presents CASE Award of Excellence

SAN FRANCSICO, Aug. 2 -- The National Court Reporters Association issued the following news release:

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country's leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, broadcast and CART captioners, and legal videographers, today announced that Mary Beth Johnson, professor of court reporting at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), Pittsburgh, Pa., was named 2014 Educator of the Year. The announcement was made during a special awards luncheon held during NCRA's Convention & Expo in San Francisco, July 29 - Aug.1.

NCRA's CASE (Council on Approved Student Education) Award of Excellence recognizes the important role student education plays in the court reporting profession, and honors educators for their dedication and outstanding achievement and leadership. Recipients are nominated by an NCRA member.

Johnson, who holds the nationally recognized professional certification of Certified Reporter Instructor (CRI), is from Pittsburgh, Pa., and has taught court reporting for 38 years. She is responsible for establishing and funding a $10,000 scholarship for court reporting students at CCAC, and she has successfully achieved 100 percent student membership in NCRA and the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association (PCRA). She is currently developing a realtime re-training course.

Johnson, the daughter of an English teacher, said she helped her father, now 91 years old, correct papers with a red pen, and added that both he and her mother, who earned a bachelor's degree in nursing, instilled in her the value of education.

She attributes the success of her court reporting program to the fact that she is surrounded by local court reporters who are always willing to mentor, consult, teach, offer internships, and employ CCAC graduates. She said she also believes the support of the faculty and staff at CCAC, as well as the hard work of her students, has fueled the longevity of the program. She is particularly grateful to NCRA for offering a lifetime of encouragement to generations of court reporters.

Johnson is married to an attorney who she said takes a lot of depositions. They have one son.

At the same luncheon, three court reporting students were awarded CASE Scholarships based on their winning entries in an essay writing contest entitled "The Probable Secret of Success in Court Reporting School." A total of 12 nominations were received and were cited as all being thoughtfully written. Recipients included:

Elisa Greenwood, a student at the Business Informatics Center in Valley Steam, N.Y., who received a $1,500 scholarship;

Robert Leifer, a student at the College of Court Reporting in Hobart, Ind., who received a $1,000 scholarship; and

Joan Yeatts, a student at the College of Court Reporting in Hobart, Ind., who received a $500 scholarship.

NCRF also awarded two Intern Scholarships of $1,000 each chosen by a random drawing to students Kelly Greer of the Community College of Allegheny County, Pittsburg, Pa., and Rebecca Russo at the Gadsden State Community College, Gadsden, Ala.

About NCRF

As a charitable organization, NCRF relies almost solely on tax-deductible donations. They are NCRF's lifeblood, and could not exist without them. The majority of NCRF's support comes from NCRA members and associated businesses. NCRF offers various giving options, including dues check-off, phone-a-thon(s), an annual Angels Drive, and a vacation property auction. NCRF is also supported through individual estate planning by members of its Legacy Society. To donate, or for information on NCRF's programs, visit ncra.org/ncrf or contact Deputy Executive Director, B. J. Shorak, at [email protected] or at 800-272-6272, ext. 126.

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 CareersInCourtReporting.com. For information about captioning, visit CaptioningMatters.com.

[Category: Government/Public Administration]

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