IOWA COURT REPORTERS ASSOCIATION
MIDYEAR CONFERENCE AGENDA
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Chair: Rachel Waterhouse-Schwalm
DMACC – Newton, Iowa
Approved for .8 CEUs
8:30 – 9:00 Registration
9:00 -- 9:50 Preparing for Disasters
Commander Janelle Cleaveland, Jasper County Salvation Army
9:30 – 10:00 Break
10:00 – 11:30 Iowa Human Trafficking Network -- Iowa's Unseen and Quickly Spreading Crime
Mike Ferjak
11:30 – 11:40 Break
11:40-12:20 Lobbyist Update -- Bill Wimmer
Meet our New State Court Administrator -- Todd Nuccio
12:20 – 1:00 Lunch and Learn
Patti Ziegler – DMACC Update
1:15 – 1:30 Break
1:00 – 1:50 Chemical Dependency and its impact on the courts and legal process
Julie Smith
1:50 – 2:00 Break
2:00 –2:50 Iowa Sex Offender Registry
Special Agent Terry Cowman, Karen Hamilton & Cheryl Nolan
2:50 -- 3:00 Break
3:00 -- 4:30 Striving for Justice by Learning From Mistakes
Professor Emily Hughes, University of Iowa College of Law
__________________________________________________
Room Block Information:
Holiday Manor Best Western
208 W Fourth Street North
Newton, IA 50208
(641) 792-3333 (better to call local number for room block)
$77 per night plus tax
__________________________________________________
SPEAKER INFORMATION
9:00-10:00 A.M.
Commander Janelle Cleaveland
History of the Salvation Army and its work in Jasper County, Iowa
Natural disasters have been very prominent in the news this year and for the past few years. Preparedness is key to surviving these events and recovering your life and work if you are a victim of such.
The Jasper County Salvation Army will see new leadership following a change in officers’ appointments. Commander Janelle Cleaveland has joined the Newton Office. Janelle Cleaveland attended college in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Cleaveland graduated in May of 2008 with a bachelor's degree in public relations and business marketing. She was commissioned in 2010. She was commissioned as an associate core officer at the Des Moines Citadel. Then she was moved to Des Moines and was the head officer there for five years. Following those five years, Cleaveland was appointed as an officer in Mason City for one year. Cleaveland has led a variety of communities in Iowa, and those experiences will be beneficial as she takes on the Jasper County Salvation Army in Newton.
********************************
10:00-11:30 a.m.
Michael J. Ferjak, B.S., M.A.
Chief Trainer / Consultant
Mike Ferjak’s law enforcement career started in 1976 in suburban Chicago, Illinois. From 1976 to 1998 he served as a Patrol Officer, Sergeant, Captain and Chief of Police. In 1998, he was recruited by the Iowa Department of Justice as the lead investigator for its Sexually Violent Predator Unit. In 2004, he was placed on special assignment to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s (DCI) Cyber-Crime Unit where he served on the federal Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force while continuing to work as the criminal investigator for the Attorney General’s Area Prosecutions Division. In 2012, Mike was selected by the Attorney General of Iowa to lead the Department of Justice Human Trafficking Enforcement and Prosecution Task Force. In that role he worked closely with leaders at the local, state and federal levels developing law enforcement and operational intelligence response capacity, specific victim services training and community outreach and allied professional education efforts.
In September of 2016, Mike retired from the Iowa Department of Justice completing a 39 year career of service in law enforcement. Today, he provides services as a consultant and trainer to government and non-government agencies on the issues of child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and provides in-depth investigative training to officers and agents from state, federal and provincial agencies throughout the United States and Canada and remains in service with the Iowa ICAC Task Force as an instructor. In addition, Mike serves as the Executive Consultant for Human Trafficking for Youth Services & Shelter (YSS) in Ames, Iowa, advising and supporting the Teens Against Human Trafficking prevention and education program.
Mike is an honor graduate of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and also graduated with honors from Upper Iowa University with a degree in Public Administration with a Law Enforcement emphasis. He earned his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Simpson College. Areas of concentration in his professional experience include highly specialized training in written, verbal and non-verbal communication analysis, criminal behavioral assessment and threat assessment. He has served on the faculty of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and is an invited guest lecturer at Drake University’s Law School speaking on sex crimes, sexual predators and human trafficking issues. He is also an adjunct professor for three Iowa College and University criminal justice programs. Mike is a recognized expert on Human Trafficking and has been called to testify before the Iowa Legislature and the United States Congress on the topic of Human Trafficking.
Mike is a retired career military officer with twenty-seven years of service in the United States Army active and reserve forces including three tours of duty as a commanding officer.
*******************************
11:30-12:20 p.m.
Meet our New State Court Administrator & Lobbyist Update
Todd Nuccio Named State Court Administrator for the Iowa Judicial Branch
The Iowa Supreme Court named Todd Nuccio state court administrator for the Iowa Judicial Branch. The state court administrator is responsible for the day-to-day management of Iowa's state court system. Nuccio will replace David Boyd when Boyd retires September 7 after 40 years of continual service to the Iowa Judicial Branch. Nuccio brings more than 30 years of court administration experience to the position, starting as the assistant court administrator in the Seventh Judicial District of Iowa (Davenport) and most recently completing 25 years as the trial court administrator for the 26th Judicial District of North Carolina (Charlotte).
From Downers Grove, Illinois, Nuccio earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb) in 1984, his master's degree in Judicial Administration from the University of Denver in 1985 and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1999.
Outside of his role as trial court administrator, Nuccio was also an adjunct professor at UNC Charlotte teaching court management. Nuccio established Justice Initiatives, an independent nonprofit to educate the public on the needs of the court system, to advocate on its behalf, and to support and advance innovative and nontraditional programs through seed money. Justice Initiatives won the Harvard Kennedy School, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Bright Ideas Award in 2016.
Nuccio has received numerous personal and organizational awards including the G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation from the Center for Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts; the American Bar Association, Judicial Division, Burnham "Hod" Greeley Award; the North Carolina Conference of Court Administrators, Judicial Administration Award; and the Mecklenburg County Bar Liberty Bell Award.
Nuccio will begin his duties September 18, 2017.
The state court administrator is the principal administrative officer of the Iowa Judicial Branch, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the state court system, which employs about 1,700 people and has a $175 million operating budget. The state court administrator also serves as Executive Secretary to the Iowa Commission on Judicial Qualifications and the State Judicial Nominating Commission and is the administrator of the Iowa Judicial Retirement System.
******************************
12:20-1:00 p.m.
Lunch and Learn -- Patti Ziegler Realtime Instructor @ Des Moines Area Community College
Dr. Ziegler has an extensive reputation in the Court Reporting education field.
Dr. Ziegler has taught Court Reporting for more than 20 years. She served as a Vice President and Academic Dean and as a Professor of Realtime Reporting at AIB College of Business in Des Moines. Most recently she has been an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Information Reporting Technology at St. Louis Community College.
She oversees all aspects of DMACC's new Court Reporting program, including academic requirements, recruiting and mentoring students enrolled in the program. "Court Reporters are extensively used throughout our legal system and across the country.
Dr. Ziegler is a member of the National, Iowa, and Missouri Court Reporting Associations. She is also a Certified Court Reporting Instructor and a Certified Program Evaluator for NCRA. She earned an M.A. from the University of South Dakota and most recently a Doctorate of Education from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
******************************
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Jessica Virzi-Gasser, Julie Smith
Chemical Dependency and its impact on the courts and legal process, both criminal & civil
Jessica Virzi-Gasser, PsyD
Jessica joined Capstone in 2016. She earned her Psy.D. from Wright State University, School of Professional Psychology in Ohio. Jessica works with clients of all ages but especially enjoys working with high risk groups including previous offenders and those with severe mental illness. Jessica also provides psychological testing services to children and adults.
Julie Smith
Julie has worked in a variety of health and mental-health related positions during a career spanning over thirty years. In 2013, she was appointed the Center Director of Capstone. She has a passion for bringing mental health service to those who are in need. Her vision for the future of Capstone is continue to expand services to meet the needs of the community.
Jim Christianson, BA, CADC
Jim holds a BA in theology from Drake University and received his CADC certification through DMACC. Jim joined Capstone in 2006 after completing his internship with Powell Chemical Dependency Center at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines. Jim is available to complete substance abuse and OWI evaluations. He also provides outpatient substance abuse treatment.
Angela Andeway, LMHC, CADC
Angela received her Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University in 2013. Angela holds extensive experience working with adolescents and adults with mental health and substance abuse issues. She provides OWI evaluations and outpatient substance abuse treatment.
*******************************
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Special Agent Terry Cowman with Karen Hamilton and Cheryl Nolan
Iowa Sex Offender Registry
Experienced Special Agent with a history of working in the law enforcement industry. Terry is skilled in grant management, biometric analysis, counterterrorism, criminal investigations, firearms handling and internal investigations. Terry has a Master of Science degree focused in Business Leadership from William Penn University. Also a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration from the University of South Dakota.
Experience:
Special Agent in Charge, Iowa Department of Public Safety July 2007 - Present
Executive Officer, Iowa Department of Public Safety July 2014-June 2015
Special Agent, GSA August 2003-December 2004
Special Agent, Iowa Department of Public Safety 1994-2003
*******************************
3:00-4:30 p.m.
Professor Emily Hughes, University of Iowa College of Law
Striving For Justice by Learning From Mistakes
Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs and Professor and Bouma Fellow in Law
Professor Hughes joined the faculty at the University of Iowa College of Law in 2011. Before coming to the College, she was a professor at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where she taught criminal law, criminal procedure (investigations and adjudication), and a seminar discussing mitigation and the death penalty.
At Washington University she also co-directed the Criminal Justice Clinic, where she supervised law students representing indigent clients facing felony charges in Saint Louis County. Prior to joining the faculty at Washington University, Professor Hughes was Associate Director of the Center for Justice in Capital Cases at DePaul University College of Law, where she worked in the legal clinic representing indigent clients on capital cases. Professor Hughes’s other experience includes working as a public defender for the Office of the Iowa State Public Defender in Iowa City, where she represented juveniles and adults on misdemeanor and felony charges. She also worked as a Sacks Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Criminal Justice Institute, working with clinical law students in Roxbury and Dorchester representing juvenile and adult clients on misdemeanor and felony charges.
Professor Hughes clerked for the Honorable Michael J. Melloy, then Chief Judge of the Northern District of Iowa (now with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals).
