2026 Midyear Seminar

IOWA COURT REPORTERS ASSOCIATION 

2026 Midyear Seminar

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Urbandale Senior Center-Community Room

7305 NW Aurora Avenue

Urbandale, IA 50322

.75 CEUS (pending NCRA approval)

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The Changing Landscape of Firearms and Marijuana Laws in Iowa

Levi Grove and Jeremiah Geffe – Assistant Polk County Attorneys

Polk County Attorney’s Office, Drug and Gang Bureau

8:30-10:30

Levi Grove joined the Polk County Attorney’s Office Drug and Gang Bureau in 2017.  Levi attended Iowa State University for his undergraduate degree before attending law school at Drake University.  He resides in Ankeny with his wife and three dogs.

Jeremiah Geffe joined the Polk County Attorney’s Office Drug and Gang Bureau in 2018.  Jeremiah graduated from Cornell College before attending law school at the University of Iowa.  He currently resides in Urbandale with his wife, who is a Polk County Official Court Reporter, and their four children.  When he isn’t attending events for all of them, Jeremiah enjoys returning to his alma mater to cheer on his favorite team, the Hawkeyes.

Over the past several years, between the Iowa legislature, the Iowa Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court, the state of firearms and marijuana regulations in Iowa has drastically changed.  Levi and Jeremiah will tell us about the changes and how it affects the court system.

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CART Re-imagined - Career Path 2

Cathy Penniston, M.A., CSR, RPR, CRI

NCRA President—2026-2027

10:45-12:15

Cathy Penniston is a court reporting teacher and independent broadcast captioner from Waukee, Iowa. Penniston worked as an official court reporter for the state of Iowa before transitioning into her broadcast captioning and teaching career. Cathy has also worked as a free­lance reporter and a CART captioner.

Penniston holds a Master of Arts Degree in Education, a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Administration, and an Associate’s Degree in Court Reporting. Penniston holds the national professional certifications of Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) and Certified Reporting Instructor (CRI).

At the national level, Penniston has served on numerous NCRA committees. She has served as a member of the NCRA Board of Directors since 2018, including serving as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President and President-Elect.

At the state level, Penniston has served as president of the Iowa Court Reporters Asso­ciation. She is a recipient of the Roy Voelker Memorial Award for Distinguished Service for the court reporting profession of the state of Iowa, the Indian Hills Com­munity College Vision Award for Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014, and the Educational Excellence Award by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International in May of 2024.

What happens when an accomplished court reporter decides it’s time for a new chapter? NCRA President Cathy Penniston shares her personal journey from full-time court reporting to building a rewarding second career in broadcast captioning.

In this candid and inspiring session, Cathy will discuss why she made the transition, the skills that carried over, the challenges she encountered, and what she learned along the way. Attendees will gain insight into CART captioning, the training and preparation involved, and the opportunities available to reporters ready to expand or completely reimagine their careers.

Whether you’re looking for greater flexibility, exploring life beyond the deposition room or courtroom, or simply curious about captioning, this session proves that your reporting skills can open more doors than you may realize. Your first career built the foundation. Now discover where Career Path 2 could take you!

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Lunch and Learn-Lobbyist Update

Sydney Gangstead, Logan Murray, Jacob Schrader

12:30-1:30

Sydney Gangestad has over a decade of public policy experience. In her various policy roles, she has developed a fundamental understanding of the legislative process and a non-partisan, bipartisan approach to lobbying to help advance clients’ legislative agendas. Before Dentons, she represented the interests of the Iowa Judiciary before the legislative and executive branches of the Iowa Judicial Branch. As an experienced lobbyist and grassroots strategist, Sydney offers clients the legal services they need to accomplish their goals. 

Logan Murray has nearly a decade of government relations experience building and maintaining bi-partisan relationships at all levels of government. Previously he served as a multi-client lobbyist and attorney at a regional law firm where he represented trade associations, non-profit organizations, municipal governments, law enforcement, a casino, and national corporations. After graduating from Drake University Law School, Logan joined the Iowa House Republican Caucus as a Legislative Analyst and Policy Advisor. There, he drafted and analyzed proposed legislation for state and local government and labor committees, and he served as the primary staffer for the Transportation Budget and the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund. Through his previous roles, Logan developed a reputation as a trusted resource for clients, policymakers, and legislators. 

Jacob Schrader graduated from Drake University Law School in 2024 and received his undergraduate degree in Economics and Political Science from Iowa State University. While in law school, Jacob was the campaign manager for a successful legislative campaign in one of the most competitive districts in Iowa. Additionally, Governor Reynolds has twice appointed Jacob to the Iowa Board of Massage Therapy, and he currently serves as vice chair. He has previous experience in multiple roles with the Iowa House of Representatives and clerked for the federal public defender in the Northern and South Districts of Iowa. Jacob completes legal research and provides legal analysis, working alongside Sydney and Logan to represent client interests before the legislature, executive branch, regulatory committees, and boards and commissions. 

Collectively, our government relations team will give us an update on legislative issues affecting court reporters. Sydney, Logan, and Jacob will also discuss the importance of grassroots advocacy and will provide information on ways court reporters can network to make a difference and protect the statewide sentiment that stenographic court reporters are the gold standard.  

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Office of Professional Regulation – Attorney Discipline

Allison Schmidt – Office of Professional Regulation, Deputy Director of Attorney Discipline

1:30-2:30

Allison Schmidt joined the Iowa Supreme Court’s Office of Professional Regulation in 2019 and currently serves as the Deputy Director of Attorney Discipline and the Administrator for the Commission on the Unauthorized Practice of Law. Previously, Allison worked as an assistant attorney general in the area of professional licensing and administrative law. Allison graduated from the University of Iowa (2008) and returned to Iowa for law school (2016). She also has a master’s degree from Cleveland Institute of Music (2010), where she studied classical piano.

Ever wondered what happens when someone files a complaint with the Office of Professional Regulation?  Deputy Director of Attorney Discipline Allison Schmidt will fill us in on what goes on at the Office of Professional Regulation and how the boards and commissions work.  Allison will also highlight a recent case where an attorney made false allegations against several judges and court reporters and the resulting actions by the Office of Professional Regulation.

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Office of Professional Regulation – When Does Knowing Someone Cross the Line of “Impartial Third-Party”

Tré Critelli – Executive Director, Office of Professional Regulation 

2:45-3:45

Tré Critelli is the executive director of the Iowa Supreme Court’s Office of Professional Regulation, which consists of eight boards and commissions that regulate, educate, and discipline Iowa’s lawyer and certified shorthand reporters. Tré serves as the administrator for the Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporters, which oversees the certification of Iowa’s shorthand reporters, the annual reporting, and the handing of disciplinary complaints. 

Prior to his appointment as executive director in December of 2016, Tré served as an assistant director with the Office of Professional Regulation, was the staff lawyer for the Iowa Judicial Branch’s Education Division, and served as an Assistant Ethics Counsel for the Iowa Supreme Court’s Attorney Disciplinary Board. Tré had previously served as a member of the Attorney Disciplinary Board and as the board chair. 

Tré received his undergraduate degree in 1988 from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Drake University in Des Moines in 1995. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2002, and is one of only a handful of practicing attorneys from the United States who are also qualified barristers in England and Wales. Tré is a trained National Institute of Trial Advocacy faculty member and has served as an adjunct professor for both Drake University’s College of Business and Public Administration and its College of Law.

The legal community is small.  As court reporters, we see the same attorneys all of the time, in court and in the community.  Tré will talk about when knowing the parties personally could potentially cross the line of being an impartial third-party.  Tré will also touch on what to do if you are in the middle of a proceeding and realize you know the parties or a witness.

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Saying Yes: How Showing Up, Getting Involved, and Sharing What We Love Can Shape the Future of Court Reporting

Jayne Williams

4:00-5:00

Jayne Williams is a speed student in DMACC’s court reporting program. She is a former District 5 court attendant and currently serves as the student ambassador/liaison and board intern for ICRA. She received her B.A. in Social Work from the University of Iowa, where she also served as a student ambassador. Before pursuing court reporting, Jayne worked in talent acquisition, attending career fairs, speaking with students, and helping others find careers they were passionate about.

Jayne lives in Pella with her husband, their six-year-old daughter, and their new puppy. When she’s not busy practicing her steno (ha!), she is probably working on updating the home she and her family purchased a year ago today!

Jayne will share how saying “yes” to opportunities—big and small—has helped her become more involved in the court reporting profession. Through her work with students, mentoring, volunteer service, board involvement, and simply sharing her love of court reporting with those around her, she will explore the many ways we can advocate for and strengthen our profession by simply showing up.

Jayne will also share her experience being interviewed by The Wall Street Journal and how an unexpected opportunity can open doors to advocacy and greater awareness of court reporting. Attendees will leave with practical, often-overlooked ways to get involved, tell our profession’s story, and make a difference—no matter where they are in their court reporting journey.