Tami Keenan begins second three-year term on NCRF Board of Trustees
RESTON, Va., Aug. 12, 2020 — The National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF), the philanthropic arm of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), announced that Tami Keenan, a retired court reporter from Battle Creek, Mich., was appointed to serve a second three-year term on its Board of Trustees. NCRA is the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers. The announcement was made during NCRA Connect Virtual 2020, the Association’s virtual conference that took place Aug. 7-9 in lieu of the traditional Conference & Expo that was canceled due to COVID-19.
Keenan holds the nationally recognized professional certifications of Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) and Certified Program Evaluator (CPE) and is also a Fellow of the Professional Academy of Reporters (FAPR). She began her career as a freelance court reporter in 1988 and became an official court reporter in 1990, serving in the 37th Circuit Court of Michigan. She retired from court reporting in 2014.
Keenan has served on NCRF’s Angels Committee, including as chair and has been an Angel donor since 2006. She has also been a member of the Foundation’s Legacy Society since 2012 and was a Major Gifts Donor from 2004 to 2005. She is also the Immediate Past Chair of NCRF’s Board of Trustees.
Keenan is a past President and Director of NCRA and has been a frequent contributor to the Association’s monthly membership publication, the JCR. She is also a long-time member and past president of the Michigan Association of Professional Court Reporters (MAPCR) and is a recipient of the Alton Cobb Award, as well as the MAPCR DSA and Harry Howse Lifetime Achievement Award.
The court reporting and captioning professions offer viable career choices that do not require a four-year college degree and yet offer good salaries, flexible schedules, and interesting venues. There is currently an increasing demand for more reporters and captioners to meet the growing number of employment opportunities available nationwide and abroad. Court reporters and captioners rely on the latest in technology to use stenographic machines to capture the spoken word and translate it into written text in real time. These professionals work both in and out of the courtroom recording legal cases and depositions, providing live captioning of events, and assisting members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities with gaining access to information, entertainment, educational opportunities, and more.
To arrange an interview with a working court reporter or captioner, or to learn more about the lucrative and flexible court reporting or captioning professions and the many job opportunities currently available, contact pr@ncra.org.
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has been internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 14,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator, and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership.
Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to grow by 7 percent through the year 2028, faster than the projected employment growth across all occupations. According to 247/WallSt.com, the court reporting profession ranks sixth out of 25 careers with the lowest unemployment rate, just 0.7 percent. Career information about the court reporting profession—one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree—can be found at NCRA DiscoverSteno.org.
As a charitable organization, the Foundation relies almost solely on tax-deductible donations, the majority of which come from NCRA members and associated businesses. To donate, or for information on NCRF’s programs, visit NCRA/Foundation.org, or call 800/272-6272, ext. 126.