VP and Board Chat Event Scheduled (Submit your questions now)

NCRA INVITES YOU TO CHAT WITH THE CANDIDATES FOR VP AND BOARD

•  Vice-President Candidates:  Melanie Humphrey-Sonntag and Jason Meadors
• DATE:  Monday, July 14, 2008
• TIME:  9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST

__________________________________________

• Board Candidates: Tami Smith and Donna Collins
• DATE:  Tuesday, July 15, 2008
• TIME:  9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ES

MODERATOR:  Sandy Bunch VanderPol, RMR, CRR, CSR #3032In order to ensure the candidates and the membership receive the greatest value from this chat event, the following format structure has been developed and agreed to by the candidates:

1. o   Members post questions on forum prior to chat. (Information, Issues & Member Services site)
2. o   Ten questions will be selected by the moderator to present to the candidates on the forum.
3. o   Candidates will post their replies to these ten questions to the forum prior to the chat. 
4. o   Follow-up questions will be presented to the candidates during the chat via the moderator.

TIMELINES:

1. ·         Tuesday, July 8, 3:00 p.m. EST submission of questions to candidates via forum concludes.
2. ·         Thursday, July 10, 3:00 p.m. EST answers by candidates to the submitted questions should be posted to the forum. 

Once the candidates have posted their responses to your ten questions to the forum, please do not expect additional response from them until the chat event.  Use this time to formulate your follow-up questions.  Allow them time to further prepare for the chat event.As the moderator for this chat event, I have been given full discretion by NCRA to communicate with the candidates in setting up the event, the structure of the event, including the rules of the event.   Please look for the rules for the chat, which will be posted to the NCRA Information, Issues & Member Service forum, on Friday, July 11, no later than 3:00 p.m. EST. 

 

Thanks for coordinating this, Sandy. Should be fun and informative.

 - Jason
 

Well, I have a few questions.  Who would have thunk I'd have questions.  Let's get this started here.  :)

Jason/Melanie

• What are each of you going to do to protect the profession in regards to promoting it, protecting it, advancing it?
• Do you see ER as a threat?
• How will you inspire the profession to become involved in it?
• How will you bring back lost members to NCRA?
• Why are you accepting this position?
• The issue in California with more than one association, do you have any thoughts on that matter
• How do you feel about Direct Member Voting?
• Why have we lost membership?
• Will you work with students and push them, advance them, inspire them?
• Do you think certain steno theories are better than others?  What would you do to get reporters into the field if you could change something?

Tami/Donna

• Why are you interested in being on the Board of Directors? 
• What do you bring to the table?
• Do you see yourself advancing up the ladder in NCRA or is being on the Board enough?
• If you do advance up the ladder, what will you do to advance the profession?
• Can you bring lost members back to NCRA/
• Will you have any goals in mind?
• How do you feel about Direct Member Voting?
• Why have we lost membership?
• Will you work with students and help them along, encourage them, inspire them?

Maybe this will get the discussion going.

(tipping hat)

 To add to Breck's great list:

- In your opinion, what are the three biggest threats to reporting today, and what will you do to work to thwart those threats?

- What direction do you hope to see NCRA go in the next five years? 

- What can be done to counter the effects of the "WalMart-ization" of the reporting field (incentives, discounts, contracting, etc.)?  (what do you personally do in your own practice, and what can NCRA do)

What? Nothing about global warming?

 

 

Just kidding, folks. Good questions. Looking forward to it.

- Jason
 

Okay, Jason. Now that I see the humor here I do have one question.......What are the ramifications to the human body when riding a Harley for more than two hours at a time?

A little-known motorcycling condition. I write it TPHUPL/PWUT.

- Jason 

DMB,

As you know, forum rules require your post with your full name. 

Your message will be deleted promptly if your name does not appear instead of your initials.

 

 A little-known motorcycling condition. I write it TPHUPL/PWUT.

 I'm guessing that probably feels better than TPHUPL/TPHUTS.
 

Candidates don't even pretend to think like that, Rhonda. It's that bothersome propriety thing for us.

- Jason
 

Rhonda!!!!???  ROFL!!!!

I'm glad a woman wrote that and not me. (Not sure how a woman could know that feeling.) 

I wanted to write that, but just couldn't bring myself to do it or say it.  (trying to be a gentleman) lol

One more question:

• Are any of you for or against other organizations joining NCRA.....especially based on some of the past attempts?

(tipping hat)

Breck,

From one Texan to another, you are about to start NCRA War III.  You weren't active in 2001 or 2004.  There were a lot of people hurt.  Let's not go to war again unless we absolutely have to.  Asking for other associations to be in this one would be like firing the first shot.

Shirley Houston 

It would be a good idea, however, to ask our candidates if they have any of this in mind.   And BTW, how do you stand on this, Breck? 

 

This WalMart-ization was started quite a long time ago.  At one of our legislative sessions, the president of U.S. Legal at the time said he wanted the reporting firms to be like a  Wal-Mart.  I remember wondering who would be the first to have a blue light special.  I think it has arrived.  We now have these little gift cards as our blue light special.

We have an opinion and conclusion in the NCRA Code of Professional Ethics that says:

The Member Shall . . . .

Refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any gift, incentive, reward or anything of value to attorneys, clients, or their representatives or agents, except for items that do not exceed $100 in the aggregate per recipient each year.

... the Provision is designed to prevent the use of gifts and incentive programs the use of which undermines and dilutes the fact and appearance of the reporter as an impartial and independent officer of the court.

The Committee on Professional Ethics believes that gifts, awards and other incentive programs may compromise, or be viewed as compromising, the neutrality and impartiality of a reporter. The Committee further recognizes that giving certain nominal items should not compromise or be viewed as compromising such neutrality and impartiality. The aggregate dollar amount for such nominal gifts is therefore increased from $50 to $100 per recipient per year.

Firmowners have abused this opinion by giving gift incentives from the "corporation" which is different than the individual member mentioned in the opinion.

What are you going to do, if anything, to change this so that the corporations fall under this opinion?

Shirley, I agree totally and being totally my fault as far as not being active. I was wrong to not be as supportive of the profession as I should have been. For that, I am very sorry. But, not knowing all the history and not nearly as educated on all the issues as many others on this forum, my question isn't reallly meant to stir the pot as it is to make an informed decision before I cast my vote. I'd rather know the feelings of the candidates, good or bad, now as opposed to being surprised later, especially since we are in a differnt realm here with the new voting format. Just trying to learn as much as I can. Respectfully, (Tipping hat)