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The Samuel M. Blumberg, Jr Award

USCRA Award of Excellence

The Award of Excellence is the highest tribute which the United States Court Reporters Association can bestow upon a peer. It is intended to recognize one person for extraordinary dedication, effort, and achievement on behalf of the members of this association and for the enrichment of all reporters in the federal court system.

In 1993, the USCRA Award of Excellence was renamed The Samuel M. Blumberg, Jr. Award of Excellence, in honor of “Mr. USCRA,” Samuel Blumberg.

  • 1988 - Jim Harper
  • 1989 - Barbara L. Buesing
  • 1990 - Stanley B. Rizman
  • 1992 - Roberta Rogers
  • 1993 Awarded at Washington, D.C. - Maellen Pittman of Chicago, IL
  • 1994 Awarded at Lake Tahoe, CA - Joe Snyder of Chicago, IL
  • 1995 Awarded at Key West, FL - Barbara Buesing of Kansas City, MO
  • 1996 Awarded at Boston, MA - Carol Jacobs of Tampa, FL
  • 1997 Awarded at New Orleans, LA - Don Womack of Boston, MA
  • 1998 Awarded at San Francisco, CA - Jennifer Vail-Kirkbride of Wheeling, WV
  • 1999 Awarded at Charleston, SC - Jerry Kelley of Beaumont, TX
  • 2000 Awarded at Scottsdale, AZ - Marie Moran Runyon of Shreveport, LA
  • 2001 Awarded at Chicago, IL - Angela O'Donnell of White Plains, NY
  • 2002 Awarded at Washington, DC - Sheri Ward of Detroit, MI
  • 2004 Awarded at Detroit, MI - Jackleen DeFini of Chicago, IL
  • 2005 Awarded at San Diego, CA - Kathleen (Katie) Wirt of Kansas City, MO
  • 2006 Awarded at Providence, RI - Brenda Fauber of Omaha, NE
  • 2008 Awarded at Denver, CO - JoAnn Bacheller of Billings, Montana
  • 2009 Awarded at Key West, FL - Charyse Crawford of Dallas, TX
  • 2011 Awarded at Maui, HI - Terri Martin of Des Moines, IA
  • 2012 Awarded at Charleston, SC - Jan Davis of Cheyenne, Wyoming
  • 2015 Awarded at Park City, UT - Shirley Hall of West Waynesburg, PA
  • 2016 Awarded at New Orleans, LA - Ronald Tolkin of Babylon, NY
  • 2017 Awarded at Scottsdale, AZ - Diane Skillman of Pleasant Hill, CA
  • 2018 Awarded at Tysons Corner, VA - Barbara Barnard of Kansas City, MO
  • 2019 Awarded at Oklahoma City, OK - Joseph Armstrong of Greensboro, NC
  • 2020 Awarded during Virtual Convention - Cindy Nirenberg of Los Angeles, CA
  • 2021 Awarded at Kiawah Island, SC - Lisa Wiesman of Fairfield, OH
  • 2022 Awarded at Denver, CO - Kelli Mulcahy of Des Moines, IA
  • 2023 Awarded at Louisville, KY - Megan Hague of Tallahassee, FL
  • 2024 Awarded at Frisco, TX - Candy Potter of Mesa, AZ
  • 2025 Awarded at Pittsburgh, PA - Anne Bowline of Boise, ID
The United States Court Reporters Association is the premier professional organization for federal official court reporters, dedicated to advancing the profession since its founding.
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WANTED: FINGERS THAT ARE FAST AND ACCURATE!!

THE HONORABLE JOHN R. TUNHEIM ANNUAL REALTIME SPEED CONTEST

It’s time to cross one of the items off your bucket list!  It’s time to set aside your fears and trepidations and make the decision that this is the year you are going for it!  Or, it may be time to focus on some writing time before you are sitting for the FCRR examination – especially since there is prize money involved!  Whatever your reasons, we would love for you to help us kick off the USCRA Annual Convention by participating in USCRA’s annual realtime speed contest.

The USCRA Board of Directors has approved a prize of $300 for the highest scoring test that qualifies with the requisite score. The first place qualifier will also take home the contest’s traveling trophy to display in your home or office for one year.

The Realtime Speed Contest is five minutes of recorded two-voice Q&A material at 230 words per minute. A score of 96% accuracy is required to qualify. Candidates who qualify may be eligible to receive .25 PDCs from NCRA (allowed once per three-year CEU cycle). The top three contestants are recognized on Saturday.

Entry fee is $75. USCRA membership and convention registration are required to compete. A minimum of seven registrants are required for the contest to be held. For more information, e-mail Anne Bowline, Reporter Testing Committee Chair, at fcrr.uscra@gmail.com.