NCRA has announced the JCR Award nominees for 2017. The stories of the finalists will be published as featured articles in the March JCR.
The awards were conceived as a way to recognize and highlight the exemplary professionalism, community service, and business practices of NCRA members. Nominations overall were reviewed for components that included compelling stories that bring to life innovative, successful business strategies used to help overcome obstacles that have hindered professional growth. A new category was introduced for 2017 that recognized efforts associated with NCRA’s Court Reporting & Captioning Week.
Awards will be given in the following categories: marketing and consumer service, leadership and team-building, use of technology, community outreach, and service in a nonlegal setting. Both individuals and organizations could be nominated. In addition to nominations for categories listed above, a firm or an individual who has displayed excellence in more than one category will be honored with an overall “best of the year” award.
Nominees for the 2017 JCR Awards are as follows:
Leadership, teambuilding, and mentoring:
- Robin Nodland, RDR, CRR, Portland, Ore.
- Karen Ruud, CRI, Madison, Wis.
- Doreen Sutton, RPR, Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Erminia Uviedo, RDR, CRR, San Antonio, Texas
This category focuses on those who have created programs that encouraged others to build skills or work together to complete a project. Providing a realtime program for employees to better place a firm as a realtime leader or a court reporting program that aids students in creating connections within a broader court reporting and captioning community would be two examples.
Use of technology:
- Jen Krueger, RMR, CRI, CPE, Parma, Ohio
- Jay Vettickal, CRI, Hobart, Ind.
This category highlights innovative thinking by members who use technology to better market their skills or were able to effectively and efficiently use technology to create a better product for a client. For instance, an effective public relations plan using social media or the effective use of technology in the courthouse would fit this category.
Community outreach:
- Aimee Goldberg, Minneapolis, Minn.
- Doreen Sutton, RPR, Scottsdale, Ariz.
This category offers members the chance to show their philanthropic work. Two examples include organizing a Veterans History Project Day or raising money for a charity.
Service in a nonlegal setting:
- Deanna Baker, RMR, Flagstaff, Ariz.
This category offers NCRA members the chance to offer best practices for a nonlegal setting, including remote CART, captioning, or another new initiative.
Court Reporting & Captioning Week (2016) initiative:
- Cuyahoga Community College Captioning and Court Reporting Program, Parma, Ohio
- Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Doreen Sutton, RPR, Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Erminia Uviedo, RDR, CRR, San Antonio, Texas
This category includes any event, promotion, or other activity that occurred during or in conjunction with NCRA’s 2016 Court Reporting & Captioning Week, Feb. 14-20.
NCRA wishes each of the nominees the best of luck and thanks them or their nominators for their participation in the 2017 JCR Awards.
