Welcome to the Official's Community of Interest page. This committee was formed by NCRA to be of special interest and benefit to official reporters. We are committed to helping the official reporter in any capacity that we can. If there are topics you would like researched or displayed on this site, please contact one of the committee members.
- Amy Quint, RMR, CRR, Benton, IL, Chair
- Adam Alweis, RPR, Manlius, NY
- Mary Fagan, RMR, Salem, OR
- Mary Gaffey, RPR, Eureka, KS
- Patty Artip Gels, RMR, Washington, DC
- Lance Oviatt, Jackson, WY
- Maellen Pittman, RDR, CLVS, Chicago, IL
- Kelly Powers, RPR, Lemont, IL
- Becky Russo, RMR, CRR, Grand Rapids, MI
- Yolanda Walton, RPR, Norwalk, OH
Midyear Conference Seminars for Officials
The Official Community of Interest is sponsored two seminars at the Midyear Conference in New Orleans. Information about upcoming seminars for the Midyear Conference in San Francisco will be available soon. If you have ideas for future seminar sessions, please e-mail Jacki Schmidt at NCRA headquarters.
Steno Briefs for Officials
NCRA has created a free steno briefs database sponsored by the Official, Freelance, CART, and Captioning Communities of Interest. Please submit your favorite briefs to help other reporters. Visit the site for guidelines on submitting briefs.
Also, looking ahead, the Officials CoI will sponsor a steno swap for officials at this summer's convention.
Checking Your CEU Status
You can check your CEUs anytime on the NCRA Web site. Just go to the home page and sign in with your member ID and password, then click on the Check CEUs link by your name at the top of the page.
The Business of Being an Official
Do you think of yourself as a business? In this JCR article, a veteran reporter explains why you should and how you can. Read the article…
Hope in Crisis
By Robin Bradshaw, RPR, Adair, Okla.
Officials Community of Interest Committee Chair
While researching other material, I ran across an article that immediately brought the official reporters across the nation to my mind. Because of the budget shortages that almost all states are facing, it seems almost every day we hear of new cutbacks, furloughs or layoffs. The official reporters are certainly in a crises.
The ancient Chinese symbols for crisis is a combination of two pictographs, one which means “danger” and the other which means “opportunity”.
A crisis of any kind changes a person's perspective on almost everything. The new perspective often involves a much deeper understanding of and commitment to one's most essential self and what is most important in life.
No matter the crisis, there is reason for hope. It is helpful to draw on your strengths. What is the purpose of your career and your most important goals? What would you like to strengthen or repair?
Take advantage of the opportunities to change. Many times when a crisis is present we do not feel emotionally strong enough to see the opportunities. If you are on furlough, use that extra time to practice and pass the CRR, or volunteer your time to help your state association, national association, or even those that are in a worse position than you are financially. When the economy finally becomes stronger, perhaps you will be stronger in your career or your spirit.
Allow yourself to consider the possibilities. Dreams often have a way of changing reality for the better. Readjust your life as you feel you are able to. Make some meaningful and specific plans for the future and enjoy looking forward to things to come. Even if your future is uncertain, there is always room for hope.
Page updated: November 20, 2009