NCRA’s Leadership Library provides state association leaders immediate access to an array of resources aimed to help them to excel in their governing roles.
“Although NCRA has always provided resources to its state leaders, these materials were never housed in one accessible location. With the recent launch of NCRA’s new series of monthly leadership training webinars, it made sense to create the library so members could access information and resources whenever they wanted,” said Matthew R. Barusch, NCRA’s Manager, State Government Relations.
In addition to the webinars, the library houses other resources vital to running an effective state association, including information on leadership policies and best practices. There are also templates for executive committee job descriptions and charges from the role of president down to secretary.
NCRA recognized that one of the hurdles state associations face is recruiting and training board members, and knew that gap needed to be bridged, according to Kristi Johnson, a deposition reporter from Rancho St. Margarita, Calif., who serves on the Association’s National Committee for State Associations (NCSA).
“Bringing in new board members and training them to be an effective member of the board has always been a difficult task. With our association leaders all being volunteers, holding down a full-time job and/or running their own business, trying to fulfill their association commitments is a juggling act,” said Johnson.
“Finding the time to train incoming board members so they are effective in their new positions can sometimes slip through the cracks. With the help of NCRA’s State Government Relations team, NCSA has created a leadership library, which is an incredible tool for state associations to utilize in their endeavor to train and create effective board members and officers,” she added.
According to Barusch, the Government Relations team will update the library on a monthly basis, adding the latest in leadership webinars and other documents including presentations, information that will help new leaders grow into their roles, and educational resources state leaders can use when they need information regarding handling association business or promoting and protecting the profession. The effort is a direct response by NCRA to provide an increase in assistance to state leaders.
“We also welcome suggestions for additional resources from our members and encourage them to share with us ideas for topics to address and other such items,” he noted
“The NCSA Leadership Webinar series has been well received by state leaders. Our monthly attendance has been great, but we court reporters have busy schedules. With the establishment of the Leadership Library, those leaders who are unable to attend our webinars when they are presented do not miss out on the information. They can catch up on their own time,” said Mary P. Bader, RPR, an official court reporter from Medford, Wis., and chair of NCRA’s National Committee for State Associations.
“My hope is that our webinar series is just the beginning of the information we will find in the Leadership Library. NCRA is our go-to site for all things court reporting and having a handy repository with useful information for state leaders just makes our lives easier,” she noted.
