Leadership and Board Members
The board and advisory council at Project Steno are fierce advocates for the court reporting profession. Above all else, they wish to solve the profession’s most critical need: Getting more qualified students into court reporting schools and more court reporters into the workforce. Each member of the board has served in leadership roles at the National Court Reporters Association, and all are active as speakers and educators on the profession at the state, regional, and national level.
Jim DeCrescenzo
President
Jim built and ran two companies for more than three decades, James DeCrescenzo Reporting, LLC and Trial Technologies, Inc. both based in the Greater Philadelphia area. He also invented and holds a patent on a paperless exhibit solution. Jim has served as president of PCRA as well as several other professional organizations. He has served in countless volunteer capacities at the state and national level. He is a Registered Diplomate Reporter, a Certified Realtime Reporter, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters.
Glyn Poage
Treasurer
Glyn is a retired official court reporter from the 166th District Court in San Antonio, Texas. He operated two court reporting schools along with his wife Marilyn for many years. Glyn served as president of the Texas Court Reporters Association and as a member of the board and vice president of the board of the National Court Reporters Association. He is a Registered Diplomate Reporter, a Certified Realtime Reporter, a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters, and was the 2013 recipient of the TCRA Distinguished Service Award.
Bill Weber
Secretary
Bill has worked as an official court reporter and operates WEW Reporting, LLC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also a founder of RevolutionaryText, a company that provides remote real-time court reporters to court systems. Bill is a past president of the National Court Reporters Association and the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association. He is a Registered Diplomate Reporter, a Certified Realtime Reporter, and is both a Realtime Systems Administrator and a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters.
Nancy Varallo
Executive Director
Nancy is the owner of The Varallo Group in Worcester, Mass. Nancy has worked with students formally and informally over the years to lend her expertise and support in their development. Nancy is a past president of both MCRA and the National Court Reporters Association, and she is the recipient of NCRA’s Distinguished Service Award. She is a Registered Diplomate Reporter, a Certified Realtime Reporter, and a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters.
Chris Willette
Board Member
Chris is a Registered Diplomate Reporter, Certified Realtime Reporter, and Certified Realtime Captioner. Chris currently works as Vice President of Acquisition Strategy and Court Reporter Relations at Esquire Deposition Solutions, LLC. She has served as president for both the National Court Reporters Association and the Wisconsin Court Reporters Association and was awarded the WCRA Distinguished Service Award. Chris has played an active role in advocacy to external stakeholders and promotion of the stenographic profession.
Nativa Wood
Board Member
Tiva is currently a freelance reporter in Harrisburg, PA, having served for 37 years as an official reporter with the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas, the final 12 years as its chief reporter. Tiva served as president of NCRA and chair of the National Court Reporters Foundation. She is a Registered Diplomate Reporter, a Certified Manager of Reporting Services, and a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters.
Advisory Council
Renee Bush
Until her recent retirement, Renee worked for four decades as a stenographic court reporter. Before selling her firm, she was an owner of Aiken Welch Court Reporters in California. Renee started her court reporting career with Aiken & Welch in 1982. Before obtaining her CSR, Renee became certified as a Registered Professional Reporter. After becoming part of the ownership team of Aiken & Welch, Renee became a Certified Manager of Reporting Services, a Certified Realtime Reporter, and a Realtime Systems Administrator.
Rick Levy
Rick is proud to say he continues to work every day as a stenographic reporter. Before selling his firm, he was the owner and managing partner of First Choice Reporting & Video Services in Florida. He is an RPR and a Florida Professional Reporter. Rick has served as a director of the National Court Reporters Association board and as president of FCRA. He is a recipient of FCRA’s Emily Mann Distinguished Service Award and was awarded the Arlene P. Sommers Award for his contribution to students and new professionals in the reporting field.
Jennifer Doherty
Jennifer is a certified freelance reporter and the founder/owner of Legal Stenographers in central Massachusetts. For the past 30 years she has promoted the stenographic reporting profession, including service as a director for the Massachusetts Court Reporters Association. Jennifer’s role at Project Steno is promoting court reporting to high schools throughout her home state of Massachusetts, bringing the Basic Training intro-to-steno program to dozens of high school students.
Lacy Kern
Lacy is a Registered Professional Reporter. For 12 years, she has been employed as an official court reporter at the York County Court of Common Pleas in York County, Pennsylvania. Together with her coworkers, Lacy has hosted dozens of high school students in her courtroom to showcase the court reporting profession. A frequent instructor for Project Steno’s Basic Training program, Lacy has set a personal goal to visit 12 different high schools in her home state this year.
Katie Otuyelu
Katie is a Registered Professional Reporter and a Certified Realtime Reporter. Since 2011 she has been an official court reporter in York County, Pennsylvania, and was appointed Chief Court Reporter in 2021. Katie volunteers her time spreading the word about the court reporting profession. Her own words say it best: “Working with Project Steno has been extremely rewarding seeing firsthand the impact it has had for our shortage.”
Rhonda Jensen
Rhonda is a Registered Diplomate Reporter, Certified Realtime Reporter, Certified Manager of Reporting Services, and Certified Multimedia Expert. Prior to selling her firm, Rhonda owned and operated Jensen Litigation Solutions for 30 years. She continues to lead and manage the Chicago division. Rhonda has served on the Board of Trustees for MacCormac College School of Court Reporting in Chicago, since 2013, and has promoted court reporting through teaching and appearances at high school career fairs.