[ Convention Committee ]

Melissa graduated in 1988 from Central Pennsylvania College’s Court Reporting Program with an Associate’s Degree in Specialized Business.

Melissa is currently employed with Berks County Courthouse as an Official Court Reporter. She is an RPR and holds a Notary in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She is married to her husband of 25 years, and they have one teenage daughter. They very much enjoy traveling.

Melissa has held a myriad of different positions. Upon graduation, she began freelancing with the late Henry Karasch of Karasch and Associates, who was a great mentor to her. It was then that she started doing multiple zoning hearings a month and created a niche for herself in this area and currently serves as the Chairman of her local Zoning Hearing Board.

Melissa started and managed Anderson Court Reporting Agency. She has been an Official Court Reporter for the Lancaster County Courthouse, Lancaster, PA and the Circuit Court of Baltimore County, Towson, Maryland.

Melissa obtained certification as a Magisterial District Judge in Pennsylvania. She is a Master Food Preserver for the Penn State Extension Offices and teaches home food preservation classes and food safety.

Melissa believes that the many moves she has made in her career has allowed her to not only broaden her resume but herself as a reporter. She has done four death penalty cases and has traveled to London for depositions. She volunteers in her community and serves on various committees. She enjoys talking about and promoting her career as a court reporter and the relationships and friendships that it has allowed her to develop over the years.

Megan Burlew is currently the District 2 Director, Chair of the Membership Committee, and a member of the Convention Committee. She works at Snyder County Courthouse in Middleburg, Pennsylvania.

When Megan was younger, she was interested in the legal world and grew up wanting to become a lawyer. While in Business Law class in high school, Colleen Wentz came in to talk to us about Court Reporting and the different aspects of the profession. After shadowing Colleen for her senior project, Megan became fascinated in this unique profession. After graduating from Harrisburg Area Community College in December 2012 with an associate degree in Court and Realtime Reporting, Megan started freelancing for a local firm in March of 2013. In July of 2013, at the ripe age of 20, Megan started at Lebanon County Courthouse. Shortly thereafter Megan moved onto her home county; Snyder County Courthouse in May of 2016 and will more than likely remain there until retirement.

Megan truly loves the court reporting profession. Attending the Annual Convention is where she loves to make connections with her fellow colleagues. She also loves being involved with PCRA through the Annual Convention Committee, District Meetings, and now Board of Directors. Megan is excited to work with members to make PCRA strong and to give the members the best association that the board members can give them.

In October 2020, Megan married her wonderful husband, Dan, and on March 16, 2021, they welcomed a beautiful girl, Harper, into the world.

Melissa graduated in 1992 from Youngstown State University with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Business and has worked solely as an official court reporter.

She began her career in Lawrence County (New Castle, PA) in 1992 filling in for a court reporter on a 6-month maternity leave. She then worked in Venango County (Franklin, PA) from 1993 to 2002, where she was the lead reporter from approximately 1997 until she left to go to Mercer County (Mercer, PA) in July 2002. She was appointed the lead reporter in Mercer County in 2010.

Melissa has held many positions in PCRA. She served as District Director of District 1 from 2007 to 2014; as Secretary-Treasurer from 2014-1016; President-Elect from 2016-2018; and as President from 2018-2020.

Melissa is the PCRA liaison with the Pennsylvania Association of Court Management and has served on many committees during her PCRA tenure.

Susan began her career as an Official Court Reporter in Cambria County, PA on July 9, 1979 and worked there for 17 years. She has a BS in Human Resource Management and a MS in Organizational Leadership. In 1994, Susan began freelancing as an independent contractor. Since then, she has owned a small agency for several years and worked as an employee for Network Deposition Services in Pittsburgh. Susan is now semi-retired and working several days a week as an independent freelance reporter.

She has served as a PCRA District Director for District 5 on two separate occasions and held all offices on the executive board of PCRA, including President. Susan has served on various committees for PCRA, most recently the Notary committee, helping PCRA work to allow reporters in PA who are notaries to swear in witnesses remotely. Susan served several years on the Proofreading Advisory Committee for NCRA and has also attended both Boot Camp and Leadership training through NCRA.

Linda Larson is the current president of the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association (PCRA). Originally from Madison, WI, Linda is the owner and manager and a working court reporter for Premier Reporting, LLC in Carlisle and Harrisburg, PA.

Linda is a Certified Shorthand Reporter in the State of Wisconsin, a Registered Professional Reporter, a Certified LiveNote Reporter, a Certified Realtime Instructor, and a Notary Public in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

A member of several professional associations, Linda is a past president of the Maryland Court Reporters Association and an NCRA committee member and has presented on ethics at NCRA conventions. She was also selected by NCRA to participate in People to People delegations of court reporters to Brazil, China, and Russia.

John is an official Court Reporter of Bucks County. By day, he writes real time for the judges of Bucks County. By night, he sleeps and fights crime in his dreams to keep his fellow reporters safe.

“Work hard. Stay humble.”

Cicely is a creative, dynamic, and forward-thinking association management professional who likes to break the mold. Her expertise ranges from association communications and governance to membership and event planning. Prior to joining the Wanner team as an Account Executive in 2018, Cicely worked in business development and as an association executive at the state medical society. She brings a structured yet organic and personable approach to the clients she manages.

Cicely earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Penn State Harrisburg and completed graduate-level coursework in American Studies and Humanities. Outside of the office, she is an avid reader, enjoys floral design and touring estate gardens, and loves watching documentaries with her husband and two cats.

Tammy joined PCRA in February 2021 with over 37 years of experience in administrative/executive support, office management, and member services for several state associations. She came to PCRA from the PA Workforce Development Association where she was the lead resource for high-quality events and member services in her role as the Member Services & Events Coordinator.

As the Membership & Registration Coordinator for the PA Court Reporters Association Tammy prides herself on her organizational skills, ability to multi-task, think outside the box, and attention to detail, which combined with her years of experience, ensure successful communication with PCRA’s membership.

Tammy enjoys spending time with friends and family, particularly her granddaughter, as well as baking, gardening, reading, crocheting, and sewing. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, she has made and donated over 800 masks!

Margaret Murphy, Convention Coordinator, comes to the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association with over fifteen years of event planning experience. Margaret joined PCRA last year, just before the 2020 PCRA Convention was postponed and then rescheduled to a virtual convention. Margaret loves working on the smaller details that goes into each event to make it unique and different from year to year.

Originally from Michigan, Margaret, has lived in the Harrisburg area for just over seventeen years. Don’t let that fool you though, she is an avid Penn State fan and enjoys attending PSU Football Games and Gymnastics Meets.

Besides sports Margaret enjoys, hiking, cookouts, traveling, and anything that allows her time to spend with her family and friends.