Debra A. Dibble Named President-elect of NCRA
RESTON, Va., Aug. 11, 2020 — The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, today announced that Debra A. Dibble, a freelance court reporter and captioner from Woodland, Utah, was elected to serve as President-elect during the Association’s Connect 2020, a virtual event that took place Aug. 7-9 in lieu of the traditional Conference & Expo that was canceled due to COVID-19.
Dibble is a 29-year court reporter veteran who has worked as a deposition reporter in Salt Lake City, Utah, since 2002. She holds the nationally recognized professional certifications of Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR), Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), and Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC), and she has qualified in the National Speed Competition and National Realtime Competition multiple times. Dibble has also worked as a reporter in Memphis, Tenn. She has been a captioner since 2010.
At the national level, Dibble has served as an NCRA Chief Examiner. She served as a delegate to the National Committee of State Associations from 2008 to 2012. She also has served three terms on NCRA’s Board of Directors, including three terms as Secretary-Treasurer. She is also a co-developer of the Career Launcher program funded through the National Court Reporters Foundation. The program, launched this year, offers participants a 10-video curriculum developed from the ground up by a team of seasoned freelance reporters to provide new professionals and students nearing graduation hands-on training in the world of deposition reporting.
In 2010, the Utah Court Reporters Association (UCRA) honored her with its Distinguished Service Award. Dibble has also served in numerous volunteer positions at the state level including as a director and president of UCRA.
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.