ICRA ANNUAL CONVENTION
June 25 – 27, 2024
Hilton Garden Inn
205 South 64th Street
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Total CEUs: 1.8 (Pending NCRA Approval)
Room Block:
Hilton Garden Inn
205 South 64th Street
West Des Moines, IA 50266
(515)223-0571
$111/per night (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday)
To reserve a room, call the hotel and request the Iowa Court Reporters room block prior to 6/4/24.
Worth Business Equipment will be attending to service machines. Please call (773) 777-1474 to schedule.
**NOTE: If you would like to register for the software training being held Thursday afternoon, please do so BEFORE June 10, as space is limited and late registrations will not be permitted.
********************************************************************
TUESDAY, JUNE 25
12:00-1:00 p.m. Registration
1:00-2:30 p.m. Adam Robinson, NCC, LMHC, LCPC (.15 CEUs)
Adam will talk with us about the various types of trauma and the impact it has on others and ourselves, work/life balance, personal reflection, and the five types of energy. Learn self-care strategies to help deal with the trauma that we hear and see in our jobs as court reporters.
2:30-2:45 p.m. Vendor Break
2:45-3:45 p.m. Andrea Kreutz (.1 CEU)
Learn about the process of obtaining your Certified Legal Video Specialist designation and see a demo of the common equipment and procedures for depositions.
3:45-4:00 p.m. Vendor break
4:00-5:00 p.m. Ann McDonald - tax tips (.1 CEU)
Learn basic tax rules for completing your 1040, especially the schedule C, which is the business portion for an individual return. Learn common expenses for court reporters to help minimize tax liability from your business.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
7:30-8:00 a.m. Registration
8:00-9:45 a.m. The Honorable Celene Gogerty (.175 CEUs)
Learn about types of digital evidence, admissibility, and the issues raised by geofencing. Topics discussed will include cellular site location tracking, digital privacy, and how forensic geofencing works as well as the legal ramifications of this cutting-edge technology.
9:45-10:00 a.m. Vendor break
10:00-11:45 a.m. Meggan Guns, Assistant Polk County Attorney and David Lowe, Detective (.175 CEUs)
Hear about the efforts in central Iowa and across the state to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to charge online predators before they create child victims. Get information on the applicable Iowa code sections, investigative strategies and tools, safety concerns in sting operations, prosecution concerns and guidance, trial strategies and best presentation of evidence, and efforts to enhance penalties.
11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. DSA Award, DSA Committee
12:15 -2:00 p.m Lunch/Business Meeting/Awards/Installation of Officers
Join us as we conduct our annual business meeting, hear from NCRA Representative Stacey Potenza regarding current NCRA issues, and inatall our new officers.
Cathy Penniston, RPR, CRI, and Patricia L. Dean Ziegler, Ed.D.
See photos and hear about the DMACC court reporter program success since it began ten years ago.
2:00-3:00 p.m. Stacey Potenza, NCRA Rep (.1 CEU)
Stacey will speak to us about motivation.
3:00-3:15 p.m. Vendor break
3:15-4:15 p.m. Justin Grodnitzky and Jonna Berry, Criminalists, Iowa DCI Laboratory (.1 CEU)
Justin and Jonna will focus on their experience in the state crime lab, particularly regarding the Widmark calculation and its application in cases to determine a blood alcohol level when there is not blood test available.
4:15-4:30 p.m. Vendor break
4:30-6:00 p.m. Tim Coonan and Sydney Gangestad, Lobbyists (.15 CEU)
Hear all about 2024 legislative session, what went well, what didn’t, and what changes, if any, we can expect to take effect July 1, 2024.
Tre Critelli, Iowa Shorthand Reporters Commission (.05)
Tré will be discussing how the recent changes in the rules governing Iowa’s shorthand reporters (and proposed legislative changes) will impact reporters, the admission process, and the practice of court reporting in Iowa.
6:00-7:00 p.m. HAPPY HOUR!!!!
THURSDAY, JUNE 27
8:00-9:00 a.m. Rachel Braafhart (.1 CEU)
Hear about the Yoga Philosophy for the mind-body connections and its relationship to mental health abuse and substance abuse. Learn breathing and meditation techniques for managing stress and secondhand trauma, as well as stretching specifics to address the physical strains of long work hours in a seated position and carpal tunnel prevention and relief.
9:00-9:15 a.m. Vendor Break
9:15-10:15 a.m. Beth Tremaine, Author (.1 CEU)
Hear from Beth about her experience, including her son’s murder, how the key players involved with the case helped them through it all, and her view of them from the other side of the legal system.
10:15-10:30 a.m. Vendor Break
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Scott Wadding, Attorney at Law (.15 CEU)
Scott will speak about his involvement in the Estate of Ruthie Bisignano v Exile Brewing Company and the legal guidance that was established for NIL rights and claims.
12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch on your own
1:00-5:00 p.m. Software training (.4 CEUs)
Breakout sessions for EclipseCat and CaseCATlyst training.
*******************************************************************************
BIOGRAPHIES
TUESDAY, JUNE 25
Adam Robinson, NCC, LMHC, LCPC
Adam is a Nationally Certified Counselor as well as a professionally licensed counselor in the states of Iowa and Illinois. For sixteen years Adam served as a therapist and administrator for two separate rape crisis centers, Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center (IL) and the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (IA), respectively. Currently, Adam owns and operates a therapy and coaching practice where he continues to support victims/survivors of trauma as they work to heal and reclaim power and purpose in their lives.
One area of service that is particularly meaningful for Adam is the opportunity to serve as an expert witness in sexual assault and domestic abuse cases. In this capacity Adam is able to share critical information regarding the neurobiology of trauma as well as typical behavioral, emotional, and cognitive impacts of trauma so that judges and members of juries can better understand the facts of their respective cases rather than relying on common myths and misconceptions.
Adam will talk with us about the various types of trauma, including vicarious trauma, the neurobiology of trauma, and the impact it has on others and ourselves. He will talk about the work/life balance, personal reflection, and the five types of energy. He will teach us self-care strategies to help us deal with the trauma that we hear and see in our jobs as court reporters.
Andrea Kruetz – Huney-Vaughn Court Reporters
CLVS designation and video deposition procedures
Andrea is a second-generation firm owner and Certified Legal Video Specialist at Huney-Vaughn Court Reporters in Des Moines, Iowa. She spent over 14 years as a computer programmer after graduating from AIB College of Business. At the nations level, Andrea also serves as a trustee on the National Court Reporter Foundation, Technology Committee, CLVS Council, and NCRAStrong. Andrea is passionate about organ donation and GiGi’s Playhouse, a nonprofit whose mission is to change the way the world views Down syndrome and to send a global message of acceptance for all.
Andrea will be speaking about the process of obtaining your Certified Legal Video Specialist designation. She will also be demonstrating common equipment and procedures for depositions. There will be discussion and examples of the different types of videos that can be recorded, including picture-in-picture, remote techniques, and syncing video files with the court reporter’s transcript.
Ann McDonald, Tax Preparation
Ann graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with an undergraduate degree in finance. She and her husband, Matt, moved to Kansas City after their graduation, where she started a job at Sprint and gained experience in corporate revenue assurance and payroll. After having their son, Gabe, in 2003, they choose to move back to Iowa, and she continued to work remotely for Sprint in their IT department working on systems security. In 2005, Ann gave birth to their daughter, Sam, and, while being a mother of two young children, decided to get her masters degree in business administration from the University of Iowa. After leaving Sprint, she became a banker in Prairie City where she now lives. While she loved being able to help customers work on budgeting and getting to know everyone in town, this still wasn't 100% fulfilling for her. She finally found her calling in teaching and started a new career at DMACC in 2011. In 2018, she somehow found herself a bit bored and linked up with a former friend, Sherry Griggs, with Dimensions Accounting and became a bookkeeper and tax preparer for her. When starting at Dimensions, she was able to attend trainings and explore more tax knowledge than most probably want to know, and she again found another calling. She continued to teach for DMACC part-time until 2023, when she became a full-time lecturer at Central College. She currently teaches VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), management and marketing classes, and Capstone.
Ann’s love of tax comes from her love of numbers and reading rules and regulations to dissect and understand them. Ann will be addressing some basic tax rules for completing your 1040, but spend most of her time looking at the schedule C, which is the business portion for an individual return. She will provide ideas of common expenses for court reporters to help minimize tax liability from your business and share ways to save for retirement.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
The Honorable Celene Gogerty - geocaching
Celene Gogerty was appointed as a district court judge in Polk County in 2018. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Drake University in 1992 and her law degree with distinction from the University of Iowa in 1995. She was an Assistant Linn County Attorney from 1995 until 2000. From 2000 until 2018, she served as an Assistant Polk County Attorney.
Presentation: “Geofencing and digital evidence” – This presentation will cover types of digital evidence, admissibility, and the issues raised by geofencing. Topics discussed will include cellular site location tracking, digital privacy, and how forensic geofencing works, as well as the legal ramifications of this cutting-edge technology.
Meggan Guns, Assistant Polk County Attorney and David Lowe, Detective Catching Online Predators: Plenty of Fish in the Sea
Meggan Guns is an Assistant Polk County Attorney. She is originally from Dubuque, Iowa, and attended Dubuque Senior High School and Loras College, before moving to West Des Moines to attend Drake University Law School. She graduated in 2009 with her J.D. and MBA. After a year in private practice doing mostly family law and small claims, Meggan started work at the Dallas County Attorney’s Office in 2010, and worked there for 6 years. In 2017, she moved to the Polk County Attorney’s Office and worked in the Drug and Gang Bureau for almost 3 years before moving to the Major Offense Bureau in late 2019. Meggan now primarily handles Sex Abuse, crimes against children, and homicides. Meggan and her husband reside in West Des Moines with their two daughters, the oldest of whose phone is monitored VERY closely, along with their dog.
David Lowe is a detective with the Altoona Police Department. David was born and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa. After high school, David attended Western Illinois University graduating Cum Laude with a B.A. in Spanish and a minor in Law Enforcement & Justice Administration in 2011. David began his law enforcement career with the Ottumwa Police Department in 2012, eventually becoming a detective and working major case investigations. In 2017, he joined the Altoona Police Department-- transferring to the Criminal Investigations Division in 2020. David primarily works major case investigations on a variety of crimes, but seeking out child predators proactively has become his niche and passion. Through this focus, David was given the opportunity to work for the FBI as a Task Force Officer for both state and federal child exploitation cases. When David isn’t working, he is enjoying the little things at home (with a big cup of coffee) with his wife and two young sons in Altoona.
Meggan and David will offer a presentation regarding the efforts in central Iowa and across the state to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to charge online predators before they create child victims. The will give us information on the applicable Iowa code sections, investigative strategies and tools, safety concerns in sting operations, prosecution concerns and guidance, trial strategies and best presentation of evidence, and efforts to enhance penalties. A look through the evolution of case building by a prosecutor and detective, and their joint efforts to make the community safer from online predators.
DSA Award – presented by the DSA Committee
Lunch, Annual Business Meeting, Awards, Installation of Officers, DMACC Update
At our annual business meeting we will discuss old and new ICRA business, approve the minutes of our last business meeting, receive the treasurer’s report, approve the slate of nominees for the 2024-2025 ICRA Board, announce scholarship awards, and have a brief DMACC update.
Stacey Potenza, NCRA Director – motivation
Stacey Potenza is a CART provider, captioner, and agency owner from McKinney, Texas, with more than 15 years of experience providing realtime captioning. She holds the nationally recognized professional certification of Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC). At the national level, she has served as a member and co-chair of NCRA’s Captioning Committee. She has also served on the Association’s Education Content Committee and the Political Action Committee Governing Board. Stacey is a past secretary of the Kansas Court Reporters Association. In addition to providing CART and captioning services, she also specialized in accessibility and communication services management.
As our NCRA rep at convention, Stacey will speak to us on the topic of motivation and her experiences being involved in court reporting associations at both the state level and national level.
Justin Grodnitzky, Ph.D. F-ABFT, Criminalist – Toxicology Section
Jonna Berry Ph. D., Criminalist – Breath Alcohol/Toxicology Section
Justin Grodnitzky possesses a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from the Southwest State University in Marshall, MN. After college, he went on to get an M.S. and Ph.D. in Toxicology and Physiology from Iowa State University. After his PhD, Justin did his Postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in Bethesda, MD. Justin began working with the Iowa DCI Criminalists Laboratory in June 2007 as a Criminalist in the Toxicology section. Justin is currently the Technical Leader of the Toxicology Section. As a member of that section, Justin is responsible for blood and urine alcohol and drug analysis. Justin ensures the section is in compliance with ANAB accreditation standards. He holds board certification as a Fellow of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (F- ABFT). In addition, he is a member of the Training Committee for International Association for Chemical Testing (IACT) and member of the Membership Committee for the Society of Forensic Toxicologist.
Jonna Berry earned a Bachelor’s in Chemistry at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN where she also swam competitively and played rugby. In 2010 she attended Iowa State University in Ames, IA where she received a Ph. D. in Analytical Chemistry. In 2015, Jonna was hired at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Criminalistics Laboratory. She is currently a Criminalist in the Breath Alcohol and Toxicology sections. In the Toxicology section, Jonna is responsible for validating new instrumentation and methods to analyze for drugs in blood and urine. She also recertifies the DataMaster DMTs, the evidential breath alcohol testing instruments used in Iowa. Jonna is a member of the Training Committee for International Association for Chemical Testing (IACT).
Justin and Jonna will focus on their experience in the state crime lab, particularly regarding the Widmark calculation and its application in cases. At the end of the talk, attendees will have comprehensive understanding of how this method is utilized when a blood test isn't available.
Tim Coonan and Sydney Gangestad, Lobbyists – lobby review and legislative update
Tim Coonan is the Dentons Davis Brown Chair of the Government Relations Department, with over 25 years of public policy experience at state and federal levels representing a wide variety of interest groups and industries. Tim also spent three years in Washington, D.C. working for a multi-client lobbying firm.
Sydney Gangestad has over eight years of public policy experience. She previously 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, she offers clients the legal services they need to accomplish their goals at the legislative and executive branches.
Tré Critelli, Excutive Director of the Iowa Surpeme Court Office of Professional Regulation – Proposed changes to the Iowa Board of Examiners of Shorthand Reporters committee the previous legislative session
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.
Tim and Sydney will break down the 2024 legislative session and give us an overview of what it all means, what went well, what didn’t, and what we can expect to take effect July 1, 2024. They will also address any issues they see up and coming for the next legislative session. Tré will be discussing how the recent changes in the rules governing Iowa’s shorthand reporters (and proposed legislative changes) will impact reporters, the admission process, and the practice of court reporting in Iowa.
______________________________________________________________________________________
THURSDAY, JUNE 27
Rachel Braafhart – Yoga Techniques for Mental Health and Stress Relief
Rachel Braafhart completed her 225 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in May of 2018. Within six months, she opened a yoga studio, sold, expanded, and co-hosted a yoga instructor training to certify more local trainers. Since then, she has taught over 1000 classes to participants of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. She specializes in functional movement to address the daily expectations of our bodies and somatic techniques to address mental health.
Rachel will talk about the Yoga Philosophy for the mind-body connections and its relationship to mental health abuse and substance abuse. She will teach us breathing and meditation techniques for managing stress and secondhand trauma, which we can use both while on a job and at home. She will teach us stretching specifics to address the physical strains of long work hours in a seated position and carpal tunnel prevention and relief.
Beth Tremaine, Author - The Crazy I Choose, My story of traumatic loss, grief, and healing.
Beth Tremaine is a retired Chief Investment Officer and Partner of Acumen Wealth Advisors. She is a Certified Toastmaster, and the mother-in-law of a court reporter. Beth is also the author of The Crazy I Choose, My story of traumatic loss, grief, and healing.
Prior to December 27, 2020, Beth Tremaine's experience with the legal system was limited to jury duty and having friends and family who are court reporters, victim witness coordinators, attorneys, and judges. Like with most careers, people never fully understand the roles until they spend time in the realm in which they operate. As you know, court reporters don't have a "Take your mother-in-law to work day". Beth had to learn how very difficult her daughter-in-law’s job can be in the absolute worst way possible.
Beth will share with us her experience, including her son’s murder, how the key players involved with the case helped them through it all, the trial, and her view of them from the other side of the legal system. She will also share her personal healing story and purpose and how we can apply those things to our daily life.
Scott Wadding, Attorney at Law
Estate of Ruthie Bisignano v Exile Brewing Company
Scott Wadding is a trial and appellate lawyer with Sease & Wadding in Des Moines, Iowa. Scott’s trial and appellate practice includes intellectual property litigation, constitutional litigation, business litigation, professional liability, and personal injury.
In 2020, Ruthie’s estate filed suit, alleging Exile’s use of Ruthie’s name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) on its beer violated Ruthie’s right of publicity under Iowa law. With little case law in Iowa regarding NIL rights, over the course of the next three years the parties litigated a litany of legal issues surrounding the right of publicity under Iowa law, including the existence of protection for NIL rights in Iowa, whether NIL rights survive death (i.e., whether a postmortem right of publicity exists), the statute of limitations applicable to NIL claims, and damages for NIL violations. The case established important legal guidance that will provide a solid and important foundation for the protection of NIL rights for Iowans and their loved ones. The case is of particular importance to current Iowa collegiate athletes and legends like Nile Kinnick and Jack Trice, in view of the relaxation of the NCAA’s rules regarding NIL rights.
CAT Training
Myles Megee, EclipseCAT Trainer
Myles Megee has been a practicing freelance court reporter since 1990. He is a Registered Professional Reporter, Certified Realtime Reporter, and is certified in the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa. Myles is a member of the National Court Reporters Association, the Kansas Court Reporters Association, and the Missouri Court Reporters Association. Myles has served on the board of the Kansas Court Reporters Association for four years, most recently as treasurer.
Myles and his wife, Candie, are the owners and operators of Cornerstone Court Reporting Company, LLC, and Court Reporters Exchange, LLC. Myles also serves as the Eclipse trainer for the Court Reporting Institute of Kansas City, leads training seminars for court reporters at state conventions, and occasionally provides private group training for court reporters. Myles previously served as the authorized dealer in Kansas and Missouri for Eclipse court reporting software by Advantage Software.
Myles seeks to convey to fellow reporters the benefits of improving efficiency and using technology in many areas of the court reporting profession.
Myles will be training court reporters how to improve their efficiency using the many features provided with the latest CAT software, realtime translation, macros with customized alternate keyboards, and applying simple ergonomics.
Pam Szczecinski, Case CATalyst trainer
With over 30 years as a Case Catalyst trainer, Pam Szczecinski offers assistance in hardware and software setup for all CAT computer and software needs. Pam is based in the US, however, her training includes work in England, Ireland, Australia, Canada, the Bahamas and many parts of Africa. Pam’s experience includes courtroom hardware and software setup for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal War Crimes Trials. She has also implemented setup of court reporting school programs in Cyprus, Nigeria, Botswana, the Virgin Islands, as well as the US.
As a former certified training agent for LEXIS/NEXIS, she has trained judges, attorneys, paralegals, law librarians and law schools on legal research. Her background with major corporate management teams, including Epson International and MICROS Point of Sale systems, has created a strong background in computer technology.
When she’s not training or traveling, Pam is involved in local animal shelter community services.
Pam will be training court reporters how to improve their efficiency using the many features provided with the latest CAT software, realtime translation, macros with customized alternate keyboards, and applying simple ergonomics.
