Brenda L. Fauber named NCRA 2014 DSA recipient

Court reporter from Omaha, Neb., becomes 54th to earn national award

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2014—The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, broadcast and CART captioners, and legal videographers, today bestowed its highest honor, the 2014 Distinguished Service Award, to veteran member and court reporter Brenda L. Fauber, an official court reporter from Omaha, Neb., at a special awards ceremony during its annual Convention & Expo held July 29 -Aug. 3 in San Francisco.

NCR’s DSA recognizes the distinguished work and service by an individual member for the benefit of the court reporting profession, including service to NCRA as a member, a committee member, a director, or an officer of the association. Other displays of distinguished work include contributing to the JCR, or service at the state or local court reporters association, or in the field of public relations or public affairs. Award winners are nominated by their peers and are recognized at NCRA’s Convention & Expo.

“Most of the people I know who give of their time to other people and organizations do so out of a desire to be helpful and/or bring about change. I have rarely come across someone who does it for personal aggrandizement or gain. So when I heard my name announced as the DSA recipient last August, words cannot describe the emotion that welled up in me, but mostly shock,” said 2013 DSA recipient Ellie Corbett Hannum, RPR, RMR, CMR from Unionville, Pa. Hannum presented the award to Fauber during a special ceremony held during the Premier Session of the NCRA Convention.

“I have always hoped my efforts have helped this profession that I so dearly love, but to be given this award by my peers for my commitment was an honor that I cannot put into words. I most certainly cherish it and hope to live up to what it represents,” she added.

Fauber, a court reporter for more than 34 years, holds NCRA’s nationally recognized professional certifications of Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR), Certified Program Examiner (CPE), and Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR). In addition, she holds the Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR) certification issued by the U.S. Court Reporters Association (USCRA) and is a certified Iowa Shorthand Reporter.

Fauber earned a legal and private secretary certificate in 1975 from Mankato Commercial College, Mankato, Minn., before serving for three years in the U.S. Army Reserves, from which she earned an honorable discharge as a specialist four. Fauber also earn an associate’s degree in specialized business and court reporting in 1979 from the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa and launched her career serving as an official court reporter from 1980 to 1989 for the Hon. William B. Rist at the Nebraska District Court in Beatrice, Neb.

From 1989 through 1992, Fauber worked as a freelance court report and was a partner with Northrop, Fauber & Associates in Lincoln, Neb. She worked as freelance reporter and independent contractor with Matheson-Taulborg Court Reporters in Omaha from 1992 to 1995 before she became the official court reporter for the Hon. William G. Cambridge at the U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska. Since 2000, Fauber has served as the official court reporter for the Hon. Laurie Smith Camp at the same court. From 1995 through 2000, she also provided CART (communication access realtime translation) services to a University of Nebraska student.

“Among her professional achievements, Brenda is highly recognized for her dedication to the profession and her tenacious safeguarding of the highest possible standards regarding testing, grading, and verification,” said Jim Cudahy, NCRA executive director and CEO.

“Her commitment to the court reporting profession is utterly evident by her continuous involvement and volunteering of time to serve NCRA, USCRA, and the Nebraska Association of Court Reporters and is a testament to what the coveted Distinguished Service Award represents.”

Active at the national level, Fauber serves as a CPE and a chief examiner for NCRA. She has also served as chair of its Job Analysis Task Force and its Item Writing Committee, as well as a member of its Test Advisory Committee. In 2012, she was awarded fellowship in NCRA’s Academy of Professional Reporters, which recognizes recipients for their outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience.

Fauber is also an active member of the USCRA and serves as a chief examiner for the organization’s realtime testing including grading and verification. She is a past president of USCRA and has served as chair of its Realtime Issues Committee and as a member of its CM/ECF Committee. In 2006, she was awarded the organization’s Samuel M. Blumberg, Jr. Award of Excellence.

At the state level, Fauber is a past president of the Nebraska Court Reporters Association (NeCRA) and editor of the organization’s publication, The Scribe. She has also served as chair of its Legislative Committee and currently chairs its Committee to Protect the Record.  In 1991, she was awarded the organization’s Dale Theis Distinguished Service Award.

Fauber, who grew up in Titonka, Iowa, a small farming community outside of Des Moines, has one son, Dustin.

For more information, visit NCRA.org. Career information about the court reporting profession—one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree—can be found at CareersInCourtReporting.com. For information about captioning, visit CaptioningMatters.com.

About NCRA

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 16,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership. Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to grow by 14 percent through the year 2020. For more information, visit NCRA.org.