Dear NCRA,

We hope this message finds you safe and healthy during this difficult time. NCRA understands that no one has been left untouched by the pandemic, and, with that in mind, the Association has made the difficult, but appropriate, decision to cancel the 2020 NCRA Conference & Expo that was to take place on Aug. 6-9 in Orlando, Florida. In the meantime, NCRA will be offering some virtual sessions for members to earn CEUs around the same time, so keep your schedules open.

Based on the health directives at both the national and state level, NCRA and the Hyatt Regency Orlando believe the best course of action is to reschedule the Conference for a future date. NCRA will not incur any fees or contractual penalties for canceling, but instead has agreed to secure the Orlando site for our 2022 Conference & Expo.

That said, the decision to cancel was not an easy one. NCRA’s Board of Directors understand the importance of the many benefits the annual meeting provides to its members and looks forward to the 2021 Conference happening in Las Vegas, Nevada, resembling more of the norm. However, this decision aligns with NCRA’s number one concern -- the safety and well-being of our members, their guests, staff, vendors, and all stakeholders in these professions.

The NCRA Board of Directors and staff are working on creating a virtual event that will provide members with the opportunity to experience the educational content they desire, as well as the possibility of online networking sessions. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as more details will be shared via email messages and the JCR Weekly.

In the meantime, thank you for being a member of NCRA and for being a vital part of the court reporting, captioning, and legal videography community. Continue to stay positive in mind and spirit! May you all stay healthy. We will be in touch. Together, we will get through this.

Appreciatively,

Max Curry, RPR, CRI, LCR, B.C.R.
NCRA President

Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC
NCRA Executive Director

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent decision to cancel the NCRA Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla., the Board of Directors has voted to dispense with the Annual Business Meeting and hold a Board of Directors meeting virtually in lieu thereof.

This decision is based directly on the NCRA’s Constitution and Bylaws (Ref. Article IX, Section 1b) and allows us to conduct the needed business to allow the organization to move forward, even during this unprecedented time. The Board had very lengthy discussions on this and feels that, as a member-driven organization, we would be remiss if we were to move forward with the usual and customary procedures of an Annual Business Meeting in a way that would not allow for members to take part in the democratic process of debate on key bylaws changes.

The logistics of handling this online is too unwieldy to give the meeting the importance it deserves. Therefore, the Board will hold its meeting and invite members of NCRA who wish to observe to attend electronically. More information on the upcoming Board meeting will be forthcoming in the near future through the NCRA.org website and the JCR Weekly. Registration will open closer to the date of the meeting. Please note: When the Board goes into executive session, all observing members will be dismissed.

As part of the decision to forgo an Annual Business Meeting, the Board has also decided that all 2020 proposed bylaws amendments will be held over until the 2021 annual business meeting. Under the circumstances, the entire Board has agreed that it is in NCRA’s best interest to postpone any bylaws changes until 2021.

In addition, the announcement of the NCRA Distinguished Service Award honoree and the recognition of new members as Fellows of the Academy of Court Reporters (FAPR), which are traditionally announced during the annual NCRA Conference & Expo, have also been postponed until next year.

Please note: In the July JCR, there is a notice stating that the Annual Business Meeting was scheduled to be held virtually on Friday, August 7. That was the Board’s plan at the time the issue went to print, but this notice supersedes the notice in the print issue.