Distinguished Service Award

The purpose of the National Court Reporters Association Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is to encourage and recognize work amounting to distinguished service by individual members of the National Court Reporters Association for the benefit of the reporting and captioning professions.

Nominees may include Registered members who:

  • Have worked in the background for many years to further the goals of the profession
  • Have devoted countless hours to NCRA or to association affairs
  • Have contributed articles to the JCR
  • Have been active in legislative or public relations efforts over the years

Nominations for the DSA may be submitted only by NCRA voting members or affiliated court reporting associations.

The committee may direct that the name of any candidate or candidates not selected be carried forward for consideration by the next year's DSA Committee. To make sure your candidate remains on the list, please submit his/her name each year.

The award winner will be announced during the Premier Session at the next NCRA Conference & Expo.

Eligibility requirements

A recipient of the Distinguished Service Award shall meet the following qualifications:

  • Shall be a Registered Member of the Association in good standing, Registered Retired Member [i.e. RPR (Ret)], or a Registered Retired Lifetime Member who was a member in good standing upon retirement.
  • Shall not be acting as a member of the Distinguished Service Award Committee, or as an officer or director of this Association.
  • Shall not be an NCRA Past President until three years has elapsed upon conclusion of Board service.
  • Shall have been involved in NCRA affairs on an extensive level, during which involvement the candidate shall have rendered distinguished service to this Association, which has contributed to its good reputation, general welfare, or worthy accomplishments.
  • The DSA Committee may consider, among other things, services rendered to state and other reporting associations, public affairs and public relations, writing for association publications, and the advancement of the profession.
SUBMIT NOMINATION

Past Distinguished Service Award recipients

2025Carol Studenmund (posthumously)
2024Sarah Vaught Nageotte
2023Heidi C. Thomas
2022Sue Terry
2021Alan Peacock
2020No award in 2020
2019Bruce A. Matthews 
2018Heywood Waga 
2017Nancy C. Varallo
2016William S. Greenley (posthumously)
2015Sandra B. VanderPol
2014Brenda L. Fauber
2013Ellen Corbett Hannum
2012Jerry Kelley
2011Arnella I. Sims
2010Forrest Brown
2009John Prout
2008Vicki Akenhead-Ruiz
2007J. Edward Varallo
2006Tammie Shedd
2005Lana M. Fruke
2004Judith H. Brentano
2003Jean Lea
2002Joseph Karlovits
2001Gary Cramer
2000Richard A. Sherman
1999Irving L. Starkman
1998Mae Glassbrenner
1997Merilyn A. Sanchez
1996Dennis Hagestrom
1995Shirley Houston
1994Robert H. Clark
1993Richard Heilig
1992Sandra McFate
1991Al Weinstein
1990Nancy Patterson
1989Frank O. Nelson
1988Harold Krabbenhoft
1987Doris Wong
1986Mary Knapp
1985Frank Sarli
1984Richard E. Peppey (posthumously)
1983Harry Foster
1982Richard Smith
1981Samuel A. Fitz-Henley
1980Mary Louise Gilman
1979Sally J. Cochran
1978Irving Kosky
1977M. Eugene Olsen
1976Casey B. Smith
1975Robert B. Morse
1974Mabel Snodgrass
1973R. Forrest Brenner
1972Joseph J. Sweeney
1971Vivien R. Spitz
1970Rosemary K. Overstreet
1969William Cohen
1968Roy E. Voelker
1967Nathaniel Weiss
1966J.L. McAtee
1965Ray J. Lerschen
1964Tula C. LeWald
1963Francis J. McSwiggan
1962Rachel M. (Smith) Lerschen
1961Nathan Behrin
1960Richard Mowers