I want to say thank you to our members, committee participants, fellow board members and Amelia, as well as her Varallo Group support staff for being here today. Thank you sponsors and exhibitors. 

I want to welcome our NCRA representative, Carol Naughton and give a very special welcome to the Boy and his girlfriend who flew in for the weekend and the Girl and her bestie that are here.  But I certainly wouldn't be here without my Number 1 court reporter and all-around life supporter, Jammie.

When I started my career as a deputy official in the Fifth Circuit in HERK, I thought it was perfect for me. I could rise for the judge or swear in the witness then fade into the paneling and do my job  quietly and competently.  My bubble would be well-ordered and organized where I felt in control -- most of the time.

As you know, one of the images of this year's StenoCon is Bubbles. What is that all about? Is it symbolic of the kind of day I've had?  The kind I floated through on a gentle breeze? The kind that ends with a glass?  The kind that ends submerged in a tub?  Or maybe the kind of day that ends with both of those because we've all had plenty of those!

No. I'm talking about something different.  I'm talking about our own personal/professional bubbles, and specifically how we can make our own individual bubbles better.

For those of you who know me, my bubble is something I referred to well before the COVID pandemic gave us a new definition for the phrase. For me, it's always about growing as a person and surrounding myself with people who make me better.  It's why I'm here with you at StenoCon. It's why I joined a committee of FCRA. It's why I joined the Board. Of course, in taking those steps, I never imagined I would be standing on this platform in a ballroom in front of so many talented colleagues, friends and family as the president of FCRA.

FCRA was established to educate and advocate for verbatim guardians of the record in our state. It firmly remains a steno and voice membership association, but it cannot be an ostrich.  FCRA wouldn't be fulfilling its mission if it didn't advise its membership on the current state of the profession.

How can FCRA lead to create a stronger community for the custodians of the record?  First, FCRA can, as it was established, educate and advocate. And the message is:  Methods other than verbatim reporting are out there and they are improving. So to ensure the highest standards for preserving the official record, we must set the highest bar for all guardians of the record and lead by example.

So what does that mean for each of us? Set yourself apart. Work diligently on your craft every day.  Level up that certification. Provide that realtime. Mentor a student. Get involved in FCRA and encourage your friends to do the same so their voices can have a purpose.

Get out of the comfy chair you have at home and talk to anyone who will listen -- and even those who have heard it all before -- about the fabulous skills you have and the incredibly important role you play in the judicial system and for those in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Remind the public, Bench and Bar, which, for me, will soon include the Boy, what you are...the Gold Standard.

So the goal for each of us is, how can we make our own bubble better?

You've already begun that process by being here at StenoCon. Gathering us all together in one place amplifies the joy and effervescence of hundreds of individual bubbles! So let's build on that -- get to know a new face sitting next to you in the next session. Take a few moments to talk with one of the students attending here, the eager, aspiring future of our profession.

Introduce yourself to a board member. We are reporters just like you. We get it as only another reporter can!  We can all use some more friends -- well, don't ask the Girl because she'll tell you she has 46 best friends from her college swim team and that's quite enough!

But seriously, make your bubble better and enjoy the rest of the the weekend's program brought to you by our wonderful Convention Commitee and its co-chairs, Lori Seiden and Heather Suarez.

Last but not least, help me make my installment as FCRA President special by joining me tonight at the party where we will end the day in celebration with maybe some...bubbles?

Thank you all so much.