Akenhead-Ruiz Receives DSA
Vicki Akenhead-Ruiz, of Albuquerque, N.M., was presented with the 2008 Distinguished Service Award during the 2008 annual convention in Anaheim. The DSA is NCRA’s highest honor. It is presented to members in recognition of outstanding service for the betterment of the profession.
The award was presented by prior recipient Merilyn Marquardt-Sanchez, who made the following remarks:
During preparation for these remarks, I did a little research on the word "distinguished.” One definition is “highly respected.” This year's recipient has certainly earned high respect through over 30 years of exemplary service to this profession. This person has worked as an official reporter, freelance reporter, instructor, freelance business owner, consultant, and manager.
Distinguished also means of great significance or value. Education has been very important to this year's recipient ,who has demonstrated this through dedication, innovation and a deep concern for students. He or she has given many student seminars, written many articles for the JCR, and served on many committees dealing with education, including the Reporter Education Commission. As a testament to her belief in reporter education, after many years of distinguished work as a court reporter, she earned her Bachelor of Applied Science degree.
Someone who is distinguished stands above others in character or attainment or reputation.
We often marvel at this DSA recipient's ability to lead her fellow reporters through a difficult and perhaps demoralizing time of being replaced by tape recorders. but through hard work and perseverance, convincing decision makers of the value of a stenographic reporter and repositioning reporters in the courtroom. One of her best traits is her positive attitude and wanting to make a difference. She certainly has. She has officially or unofficially mentored many students, reporters, and friends. This year's recipient is a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters. She is a past president of NCRA. After her presidency, she has continued to serve in many capacities, including chairing both the Committee on Professional Ethics and the Counsel on Approved Student Education.
One last definition of “distinguished” I found was “marked by eminence, distinction, or excellence.” One of her nominating letters stated that she is truly a role model and an inspiration to us all. While displaying all of these characteristics on a professional level, I think of greater importance to her is the fact that she has accomplished all of these in her personal life through raising two wonderful boys – Chad and Danny - her marriage to Tom, and the number of wonderful friends she has made along the way.
I am honored to present to you, this year's Distinguished Service Award recipient, Vicki Akenhead-Ruiz.
Santo J. Aurelio Award for Altruism
The recipient of the 2008 Santo J. Aurelio Award for Altruism is Jan Garnett Lopez of West Hills, California.
Jan has been a working reporter for 30 years and a member of the local, state, and national associations all that time. Jan served on various committees at the local level, including Chair of Continuing Education from 2001 to 2007 and local association President for three consecutive terms. She regularly attends high school career fairs to spotlight court reporting as a career option and visits local reporting colleges to motivate students and provide moral support.
Jan’s deep and abiding altruistic spirit took over when a national tragedy hit our profession three years ago, and a coward killed a judge, sheriff’s deputy, and court reporter Julie Ann Brandau in Atlanta, Georgia. Jan made it a mission to honor a fallen comrade in a way that would be most meaningful.
Julie Brandau loved dogs, especially her Golden Retriever Heidi, so this year's winner worked to implement a Community Service Memorial Project in partnership with the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. The Foundation rescues dogs from local shelters and breed rescues, trains them, and partners these extraordinary canines with police and fire at no cost to their agencies. Through friends, family, colleagues, and reporting students, Jan raised thousands of dollars to support the training of search-and-rescue canine/handler teams in Julie’s memory.
Currently, the reporting community sponsors two teams in active service, and with the monies raised at this year’s annual convention in Anaheim, the third team is now a reality.
NCRF’s Santo J. Aurelio Award for Altruism is NCRF’s highest honor. It is given to a working court reporter with more than 25 years of experience who has given back to the profession and to the community with no expectation of any reward.
CASE Educator of the Year
Dr. Patricia L. Ziegler, CRI,
AIB College of Business
Des Moines, Iowa
Endorser of the Year
Ms. Annette M. Montalvo, RMR
Revere, Mass.
NCRA Fellows
This year, two people have been named Fellows of the Academy of Professional Reporters. Candidates for the fellowship must have been active reporters, CART providers, and captioners for at least 10 years. They must also demonstrate ongoing service to their local, state, or national associations, or they must show dedication to the advancement of the profession through teaching, writing, or other activities.
Selected as Fellows for 2008 are Vicki Hartmetz, RPR, CLVS, CMRS, CRI, CPE, of Centennial, Colo. and Jacqueline Timmons, RDR, of Darien, Ill.
CMRS Graduates
Kristin Ashenhurst, RDR, CRR
Macomb, Ill.
Rene Bush, RPR
Oakland, Calif.
Kay Collier, RMR, CRR, CMRS
San Diego, Calif.
Beverly Cornetet, CMRS, CRI
Liberty Township, Ohio
Rita Hartke, RPR, CMRS
Cincinnati, Ohio
Kelly Roemer, RPR
Danville, Calif.
Cynthia K. White, RPR, CRR, CMRS
El Cajon, Calif.
Scholarships and Grants
NCRF
Frank Sarli Scholarship ($2,000)
Leia Nikaido
College of Legal Arts
Portland, OR
NCRA
CASE Student Scholarship
- Josephine Ross - $1,500
College of Court Reporting
Hobart, Ind.
- Susan Hill - $1,000
College of Legal Arts
Portland, Ore.
- Brittany Evans-Davies - $500
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Student Tuition Grants ($500)
- Alexis McCutchen
Humphreys College
Stockton, Calif.
- Marci Glotzer
New York Career Institute
New York, N.Y.
- Linda Shoemaker,
Academy of Court Reporting
Plymouth, Mich.
- Sonya Berry
Alvin Community College
Katy, Texas