Steno in the City: Jewel Sponsorships
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our jewel sponsors for your invaluable generosity and support. Your contributions continue to be instrumental in ensuring the success of our “SITC” events. Steno in the City does not have annual membership dues like associations. Because of your backing, we have been able to achieve new heights and create memorable experiences for our attendees. Your commitment to our cause is deeply appreciated, and we are incredibly thankful for your partnership. We are pleased to report that, due to your support, we have garnered $7,975 in sponsorships. Thank you for being an integral part of our community and for shining so brightly in your role as jewel sponsors. We look forward to continuing this journey together and achieving even greater milestones in the future! Thank you for being an integral part of our community and for shining so brightly in your role as jewel sponsors. We look forward to continuing this journey together and achieving even greater milestones in the future!
Steno in the City wants to now give gratitude and thanks to our 2024 Fearless Stenographers Conference sponsors!
Diamond Sponsor: To the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Court Reporters, Steno in the City’s 2024 Diamond Sponsor, thank you for your generous contribution! Your dedication as court reporters embodies excellence and is a true representation of Steno United! We thank you. Platinum Sponsor: LACCRA, Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association, thank you for being Steno in the City’s 2024 Platinum sponsor! Steno in LA County is alive and thriving, and we are so proud of our LACCRA reporters for representing us well. You are appreciated! Gold Sponsors: Superior Court of California County of San Diego, Superior Court of California Orange County, and Superior Court of California County of Imperial, Steno in the City’s 2024 Gold Sponsors, we thank you for showing California love! Together we stand strong in our commitment to STENO! #STENOUNITED Gold Sponsors showed up in a STENO strong way this year, and we couldn’t be more excited to have the court reporting firms represent their support of the STENO UNITED culture. Urlaub Bowen & Associates, Inc. and Lexitas, we see you and we thank you! Silver Sponsors: Planet Depos and Veritext, thank you for being a Silver Sponsor of the 2024 Fearless Stenographers Conference. We accept your support on behalf of the many hard working stenographers who work with your firms representing professionalism and integrity in being guardians of the record. STENO is the Gold Standard! Bronze Sponsors: To our Bronze Sponsors, we send you each a grand appreciation because you have consistently supported Steno in the City year after year. As we continue to grow and do the work of promoting our profession, we are honored that you still stand beside us and believe in our mission to advance and expand the court reporting profession. And for that, we thank you!
Scholarships
Scholarships We would like to thank Paying It Forward for awarding selected students with scholarships. As part of the entry process, students were invited to submit an essay. We were pleased to announce that scholarships were awarded to the following individuals: $500 New Professional Scholarship: Mikayela Robbins $500 Student Scholarship: Bianca Karr, Oklahoma State University Bryony Gentry, Oklahoma State University $250 Student Scholarship: Lauren Jones, Tulsa Community College Megan Jones, Oklahoma State University Melissa Vargas, South Coast College Nicole Swanson, Plaza College Congratulations to our scholarship winners! Steno in the City Scholarships We are pleased to report that this year, “Steno in the City” awarded $250.00 each to Paul Neary and Annie Mueller to assist with their conference costs. Leading up to the conference, stenographers from across the nation convened to sponsor a student, resulting in our ability to send a total of 79 students to the conference. This is yet another fine example of UNITY and GIVING BACK to the profession! We truly appreciate and thank you! Supporting Steno in the City’s Founder – Shaunise Day On a more personal note, over the past two years, Shaunise Day has suffered an undue share of heartache and life challenges. However, in the midst of adversity, Shaunise continues to get back up, dust herself off, and knock out every obstacle in her way. Last year, as many of you know, Shaunise’s little brother Stevie Day was a pedestrian who was hit by a car and unfortunately passed away on December 23rd, 2022. There are two things that Shaunise loves with all her heart, and that is Stevie and steno. Stevie’s untimely demise had occurred in the middle of Shaunise’s planning for the 2023 Fearless Stenographers Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Unfortunately, adversity struck again. In January 2024, while preparing for the Fearless Stenographers Conference in Long Beach, California, Shaunise was diagnosed with breast cancer. However, she would soon realize that the steno community would rally behind her and show up for her in unimaginable ways. The community created a sponsorship in the name of Shaunise’s beloved brother Stevie and donated a total of $3,500 to the fund. Before Shaunise was scheduled for her mastectomy, she was immersed in properly planning and preparing for her recovery journey. It was then that she received a surprise phone call from Allie Hall, who shared the good news that the profession had raised over $5,000 for Shaunise’s care. The founder of Steno in the City continues to share her appreciation for the profession and what this generous gift means to her, advising us all to “be good to others and treat them with kindness because you never know when you yourself will need help. You just never know.” We are thrilled to announce that Shaunise is nearing the end of her recovery and is doing great. She owes a debt of gratitude to the steno community who stuck by her every step of the way during difficult times. Champion Steno – Be Your Own Champion! We would also like to thank Chase and Alyssa Fraizer for stepping up to the plate to assist Shaunise throughout her health challenges. You are deeply appreciated for always lending a hand behind the scenes for Steno in the City! One Team, One Goal, STENO!
Awards Luncheon SITC 2024
Awards Luncheon The Prestigious Award As always, this year’s Awards Luncheon provided many memorable moments as we took the opportunity to publicly acknowledge and express our appreciation to those in our profession who exemplify excellence. This year, we recognized a trail-blazing stenographer and firm owner who forged a path for future court reporters with her industry knowledge, diligence, and expertise. No one is more worthy of our respect than Donna Urlaub, a court reporter who has served our profession with utmost dedication for 55 years. Thus we honored Donna by bestowing upon her the Prestigious Award in appreciation for her significant achievements, fierce work ethic, and commitment to our profession for five-plus decades. Congratulations, Donna. Well done! Lifetime Achievement Award We also honored Mark Kislinbury, the innovator of Magnum Steno, with the “Steno in the City” 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. Mark’s impact on the court reporting profession is characterized by brilliant innovation, utmost achievement, and longevity. As the brain and powerhouse behind Magnum Steno and his namesake Mark Kislingbury School of Court Reporting, Mark has inspired thousands of students and professionals to study and adopt his mind-blowing stenographic theory and shorten their writing, thus enabling them to become more efficient writers. He has had an indelible and profound impact on our profession. Though Mark continues to be a stellar stenographer, business owner, and pillar of our profession, his generosity extends far beyond his gifts to the world of stenography. Congratulations on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, Mark. We honor and appreciate your amazing accomplishments and contributions to our profession! Philanthropy Award Recipient The 2024 Philanthropy Award Recipient was none other than Kensie Benoit. From the very start of her career in 2014, Kensie has served the court reporting and captioning profession exceedingly well on many levels. Her impressive resume highlights her fierce dedication to giving back to the profession, including serving on multiple boards and committees at both the state and national levels. Beyond her committee and board work, Kensie found time to teach steno, creating dictations that are still remembered and utilized today. She has also been involved in nearly every Steno in the City (SITC) event, contributing both at the forefront and quietly behind the scenes. Kensie’s commitment to the profession is evidenced by her wide-ranging contributions, to include recording a video at the first SITC networking event in Washington, D.C., which showcased her court work experiences, as well as appearing on the popular podcast “Confessions of a Stenographer” with her steno bestie Candice Andino. Selflessly promoting the profession, Kensie teaches and hosts the A to Z program and also spearheaded the Modern Steno Movement, a brilliant initiative to elevate the visibility and understanding of the profession. In case you’re wondering how the litany of program participants obtain their equipment, Kensie also provides loaner machines to prospective students. Thus she wears many hats in terms of serving our profession. Kensie’s service extends well beyond the scope of the steno profession. For example, when Founder Shaunise Day had to step back due to surgery, Kensie, alongside the team, ensured that the Long Beach conference was a resounding success. Thus Kensie’s heartfelt dedication and tireless efforts qualify her as a deserving recipient of the 2024 Philanthropy Award. Please join me in celebrating Kensie for her remarkable contributions and unwavering support to the profession and Steno in the City! People’s Choice Award Next up, the 2024 People’s Choice Award was granted to Desiree Cooks, CSR of California. Desiree has actively promoted the court reporting profession over the years in countless ways via her various social media platforms, where she offers in her own inimitable way a rare glimpse into a day in the life of a professional court reporter. Congratulations, Desiree! Please note that we identified a host of court reporters and captioners for nominees for the award. We wish to thank all contestants who submitted their videos as part of the entry process. Please continue making an impact and promoting our profession. Impact Award We decided this year to honor another reporter who uses her online platform in a meaningful way. Those of you who follow Anna Mar-Lazo, TX CSR, RPR, understand that she takes time out of her busy reporting life to share behind-the-scenes details of her on-the-job experiences. Anna’s platform is always interesting and informative, and she continues to make an impact within our community. Whether brand-new students, new professionals or veteran reporters, we all know that our profession provides ample ongoing opportunities to learn from and help one another to become better reporters. Congratulations, Anna, on receiving this year’s Impact Award!
Fearless Stenographers Conference – Day 3
The final day’s sessions on Saturday, April 13, 2024, elicited numerous pertinent, candid conversations, reflecting the transparency our profession deserves. The first module, titled “Court Reporters in Attorneys’ Eyes Only,” sparked a compelling, thought-provoking dialogue between reporters and our esteemed panel of attorneys regarding the intricate process of deciding when and when not to notate transcript parentheticals in specific situations in order to achieve accuracy of the record. The exchange led to a unique teachable moment, ultimately resulting in a triumph for both our profession and the attorneys with whom we collaborate. Moreover, Jessie Waack-Gorry, RDR, CRR, CSR, once again deftly facilitated a highly engaged audience as she shared invaluable insights into user-friendly gadgets that assist today’s reporters in their work. Her unveiling of these helpful hacks, designed to increase workload efficiency and maximize productivity through the effective utilization of cutting-edge tools and resources, was met with avid enthusiasm. Throughout these sessions, our facilitators shared a wealth of information with conference attendees who expressed gratitude and excitement at incorporating this useful knowledge into their work lives. For this, we express our sincere gratitude. Thank you for volunteering your time and expertise to our profession. We appreciate you!
The Exhibitor Hall – SITC 2024
The Exhibitor Hall This year’s conference featured a total of 13 vendors, including the SITC booth. If you were a Gold Tier sponsor or higher, your booth was included in your sponsorship package. In order to support our small businesses and organizations within the court reporting profession, five vendors were each awarded a complimentary booth. Those who were considered for the gift were required to have been small businesses and supporters of “Steno in the City” from its inception. Throughout the day, attendees engaged with our vendors, exploring their product lines and offerings as well as potential employment opportunities. The highly interactive setting allowed our vendors to meet with reporters and students directly, and we were delighted to have witnessed the many meaningful connections that were forged. During the vendor hall event, attendees would hear their colleagues strategizing with one another while also learning of the plethora of job opportunities that are available in our SoCal courts. They also feasted their eyes on a slew of swag displayed by the Protect Your Record Project that they then took back to their home states in order to advocate for and promote our profession at each and every proceeding. Stenograph representatives were also present, eliciting reporters’ interest in their brand new NEXTGEN writer. Thus opportunities abounded in the exhibitor hall for purchasing products, learning of exciting new employment options, and networking with colleagues.
SITC 2024 Legal Networking Event
Steno in the City’s Legal Networking Event This year’s Legal Networking Event took place aboard the elegant Entertainer yacht, providing a luxurious atmosphere and a celebratory tone for the evening. Against the backdrop of the eye-catching Long Beach Shoreline Marina, professionals and students alike let loose and had a fabulous time. Attendees were warmly greeted upon boarding the ship by the captain and crew who offered glasses of champagne to set the mood. Guests were then welcomed to the ship’s main deck by melodious saxophone tunes while a live DJ spinning popular hits lured people onto the dance floor on the upper deck. The steno community enjoyed three levels of entertainment and fun aboard the luxury yacht while a photographer and videographer captured an array of memorable moments. The lively, upbeat event provided a fantastic evening for all, including steno spouses, the number of which continues to grow each year. Witnessing our steno professionals convening to network with and embrace students in conversations and good times aboard the private yacht was truly a remarkable and unforgettable experience. “Steno in the City” will continue to open our doors for the legal community to participate in our networking events. Aboard the yacht were Assistant Attorney General Allison Alier from the State of Colorado and Cory Chinn-Lang, Warner Bros. Entertainment attorney. A special thank you to Judy Bundy-Bellinger for inviting her connections to be part of our event. United we stand!