2026 ACRA Conference
Join us for the 2026 ACRA Conference, March 13-14, 2026, at the Aloft West Little Rock. Hear from experts about branding your business, prioritizing health and wellness, working with your videographer, increasing your earning potential, and so much more!
Location
The 2026 Spring ACRA Conference will be held at the Aloft West Little Rock, March 13-14, 2026. Book early to secure a special group rate of just $139 per night, March 13-15, 2026.
Things to Do
Little Rock has many things to enjoy when the conference is over. Have some fun with your friends or family.
Agenda
Friday, March 13, 2026
Noon-1:30 p.m.
Let's Get This Party Started
Intersteno - The Coolest Convention You've Never Been To!
TORI PITTMAN
1:30-2:45 p.m.
Everything Touches Everything
How to maximize your effectiveness with decision makers to achieve your goals.
RICK GREEN
2:45-3:15 p.m.
Body and Mind
Intro to acupuncture and acupressure for calming our nervous system.
MARGARET GOODLOE
3:15-3:45 p.m.
Mind and Body
Simple strategies for health in a busy world.
STARK LIGON
3:45-4:45 p.m.
From Scene to Stand
The medical examiner in court.
TED BROWN
5:00 p.m.
*Happy Hour
Aloft Hotel Lobby
SPONSORED BY LASSITER & CASSINELLI
*Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be provided.
Come back after dinner for entertainment from Corey Fontenot, who will be playing a mix of pop, classic rock, country, and American-style music covering top 40 hits across multiple decades.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
8:00-9:30 a.m.
8:30-9:30 a.m.
From Unknown to Unforgettable
Branding your business.
LAUREN GONZALEZ & SAMANTHA NEWMAN
9:30-10:30 a.m
Voicewriting 101
Dragon? CAT System? What's best for you?
SUSAN WILCOX
10:45-11:45 a.m.
Working Together
You and your videographer.
MIKE TSCHIEMER
Noon-1:00 p.m.
1:15-2:15 p.m.
Wellness & Work in Harmony
Balance and prioritize your health.
BRANDI N. TATE
2:15-3:15 p.m.
Realtime Writing
Increase your money potential.
JANNIE CONDLEY & SHANA LEDING
Speakers
Keynote Speaker - Tori Pittman
OBJECTIVE
I wish to provide you with exceptional court reporting service, whether in the courtroom, deposition suite, or hearing room, and transcription services outside of those arenas.
EXPERIENCE
MANAGING REPORTER & SCOPIST Pittman Stenography | Wake Forest & Elkin, NC| 2011- Present
As the owner of a small shop, I provide court reporting and transcription services to attorneys, private businesses, and individuals looking for accurate and timely transcripts.
OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER – NC AOC NC Business Court | Raleigh/Wake County, NC | 2008- 2011
I served as the official court reporter for the chief judge of the NC Business Court and also as an at-large court reporter for the State of North Carolina providing services in trials and hearings across the state.
COURT REPORTER & SCOPIST The Last Word, Inc. | Wake Forest, NC | 1999-2008
Managed a small court reporting firm and provided legal transcription for court reporters and attorneys.
Tori earned her Associate of Applied Science in court reporting and captioning from Lenoir Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in history from UNC-Chapel Hill. She holds the following national certifications: CVR-CM-M, RCP, RVR/FAPR, RDR, CRI (ret).
Rick Green
Rick has been a government relations lobbyist for the last 10 years, a former three-term legislator who became the first husband in the history of Arkansas to follow his wife as a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He was named freshman leader of the House Republican Caucus in his first term.
He served on many House committees, including Revenue and Tax, Public Health, Insurance, and Commerce, State Agencies and Judiciary.
As a member of the Joint Budget Committee, he served as House Chair of the Joint Budget Personnel Committee. During his last term of service, he was named by Talk Business Magazine as one of the Top Ten Legislators in Arkansas. Rick’s interest in public service began around the age of 12. He spent many election nights at the local county courthouse observing elections and watching for the outcomes in critical political races.
As soon as he was old enough, he volunteered to hand out campaign materials for local candidates and participated in many door-to-door campaigns. He was elected as Crawford County Circuit Clerk at the age of 23 and became the youngest serving county official in the State of Arkansas.
He is married to Mary Beth Green and they have five children and 9 grandchildren. They live in Rogers, Arkansas.
Margaret Goodloe
Margaret is a licensed acupuncturist and trained herbalist. She found East Asian Medicine as a last resort to help with years of chronic ankle pain. After her first treatment, not only had her ankle pain improved, but so had her digestion and sleep – the kicker was they never put a needle in her ankle! After this experience, Margaret attended Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, one of the oldest and most reputable schools in the nation for East Asian Medicine.
In 2021, Margaret moved back to her hometown of Little Rock to share her skills and knowledge of this incredible medicine with the Natural State.
Margaret is trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sports medicine acupuncture/trigger point release, Japanese Meridian Acupuncture, and many non-needling techniques like cupping, gua sha, and Tuina (Chinese Massage/Physical Therapy). Additionally, Margaret specializes in reproductive issues and fertility/infertility. She works with patients on promoting regular menstrual cycles, addressing OB/GYN conditions, reducing PMS and cramps, reducing menopausal symptoms, and helping people with subfertility get pregnant and carry a healthy pregnancy to term. Margaret has personal experience with infertility. In 2024, she welcomed her son at 41 thanks to IVF and acupuncture. Every day, she is continually impressed by East Asian Medicine's ability to heal and restore balance to the body.
When Margaret is not studying to enhance her training, she loves being outside in nature surrounded by earth, rocks and trees. She also loves cooking, yoga, rock climbing and exploring the Natural State with her husband Stark and their son Rhett and rescue dog Bullet.
Stark Ligon
Dr. Stark is a Little Rock native who grew up hiking, biking and rock climbing around the Ozarks. After graduating from UALR with a B.S. in Biology, and a two-year stint in snowy Boulder, Colorado, he moved farther west to Portland, Oregon. There, Dr. Stark received his Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine from the University of Western States. After running a successful practice in Portland for a few years while his wife Margaret finished her Acupuncture degree, they decided to move back to Little Rock to practice together in their hometown.
“I discovered Chiropractic care while searching for help with several chronic sports injuries. At one point, I would injure myself more quickly than I could heal. Finally, a Chiropractor showed me how my body was all connected, and that sometimes when our bodies can’t heal themselves properly, we need a gentle nudge in the right direction to restore proper function. What I’ve learned since then is that sometimes that nudge is a chiropractic adjustment, sometimes it’s a change in our diet and exercise, or even changing our internal dialogue and finding better strategies for dealing with life’s stresses.”
When Dr. Stark’s not helping patients with aches and pains, providing functional medicine or lifestyle coaching, you can find him out exploring the rocks, trails and rivers around the Natural State, usually with his rescue dog, Bullet.
Ted Brown
Dr. Theodore (Ted) Brown began his role as Director for the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL) on October 23, 2023. He also serves the ASCL as Chief Medical Examiner, a role that he’s had since September 2021, where he spearheaded a partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to offer a forensic pathology fellowship program.
Dr. Brown completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, medical school at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana, anatomic and clinical pathology residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and forensic pathology fellowship at the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department in Miami, Florida.
After his training, Dr. Brown served as faculty at the University of Michigan, followed by Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, where he founded a forensic pathology fellowship program.
Dr. Brown has over 25 peer-reviewed publications and 45 scientific presentations. He serves on multiple national organizations in leadership roles, to include the National Association of Medical Examiners and the American Society for Clinical Pathologists, and local committees, to include the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee and Arkansas Infant and Child Death Review Team.
Lauren Gonzalez
Lauren is a dynamic force who has mastered the art of translating complex systems into human-centered success stories. Her journey from Project Manager for the President of the Affordable Care Act at BCBSTX to a top-producing Executive Broker with eXp Realty in Arkansas is a testament to her strategic mindset and passion for guiding people through major life transitions.
After relocating her family to Little Rock in 2018, Lauren launched a prolific real estate career, helping over 200 clients achieve their dreams—from first-time homeownership to strategic investment. She discovered that the key to scaling her business lay in smart, authentic digital marketing.
She has since become a recognized expert in empowering professionals to build influential personal brands, seamlessly blending authentic relationship-building with strategic social media to transform online presence into real business growth.
Lauren specializes in cutting through digital noise with practical, actionable systems. This community-centric philosophy extends beyond business; she is deeply woven into the fabric of Little Rock through coaching soccer, teaching fitness classes, chairing school events, and her philanthropic recognition as one of Little Rock's Finest for Cystic Fibrosis 2024.
Samantha Newman
Samantha currently serves as a licensed Executive Broker for eXp Realty and has been a licensed real estate sales professional since 2015. Previously, Samantha served as Regional Growth Director for eXp Realty; supporting agent growth and attraction across 5 states. Samantha has been nominated Faulkner County's Best of the Best 2021, Faulkner County Best of the Best Runner Up 2022, Arkansas Best of 2021, 2022, 2023, and was most recently a nominated representative of Little Rock's Finest for Cystic Fibrosis 2025.
Samantha loves to leverage social media marketing strategies for her own business and also help agents build authentic brands that generate business and scale through influence.
She is known for blending real-world production experience with practical no-fluff marketing systems that agents can actually execute.
In her downtime, Samantha volunteers at Nova Star Animal Rescue and is a foster for several animal rescues across the state.
Samantha's perfect day would consist of lots of sunshine, a good walk at the park with her dogs and a good book.
Susan Wilcox
Susan has been certified in Arkansas and Missouri since 2003 and has a CVR and RVR from the NVRA and a bachelor's degree in education. She has been a freelancer for her whole career and has also worked for Total Access Captioning.
Susan now owns and operates Diamond State School of Court Reporting in addition to doing her freelance work.
In her spare time, she enjoys collecting and showing classic cars with her husband of 37 years and they also pastor the Community of Christ church in Berryville, Arkansas. Her 28-year-old daughter helps with the school. Susan is also a certified personal trainer with a passion for health and fitness.
Mike Tschiemer
Mr. Tschiemer (pronounced Shee'-mer) was a staff member in a prominent trial firm in Little Rock for 11 years before starting a litigation support business in 1995. He has been videotaping depositions statewide since 1984 and has encountered virtually every conceivable circumstance, both good and bad, in working with court reporters for 40 plus years.
Brandi N. Tate
Brandi is a dynamic powerhouse who envisions a world where everyone is fit in every aspect of their lives. As an athlete and personal trainer, she is passionate about sharing her expertise
Brandi began her personal fitness journey in 2013 after struggling with her identity following the birth of her son. Through movement, healing, and spiritual growth, she rediscovered herself—losing weight and regaining confidence. However, feeling unsatisfied with her muscle development, she entered the world of bodybuilding in 2014, beginning her journey to the National Physique Committee (NPC) stage. Along the way, she developed a stronger mindset, unwavering discipline, and the muscle definition that has become her signature.
Brandi has competed in cities from Little Rock to Dallas to Miami and beyond. Through dedication and hard work, she placed well in competitions, earning the necessary accolades to quickly advance and become a Nationally Qualified Bikini Competitor—an impressive achievement for her first season of competing.
This journey ultimately shifted her focus from herself to empowering others to achieve their own fitness goals. In 2015, Brandi transitioned from a career in fashion to embark on a new path as a personal trainer, guiding clients through incredible transformations. She customizes workout programs and provides meal-planning services tailored to their needs. For those who thrive in a group setting, she introduced boot camps in 2016. Committed to mastering her craft, Brandi earned her Personal Trainer and Nutrition Certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). She further refined her expertise as a gym manager and personal training manager at several 10 Fitness locations until 2021, when she took a leap of faith into full-time entrepreneurship.
When she’s not transforming lives, you can find her being mom to her handsome son Brayden Stephen, creating content, exploring fashion, gaining more fitness certifications, or, most importantly, giving back to her community.
Jannie Condley
Jannie is a certified court reporter in Arkansas and holds the CVR-CM and RVR-M credentials through the National Verbatim Reporters Association.
She currently serves as Treasurer and Credentialing Chair for NVRA, where she is actively involved in certification testing and credentialing oversight.
Shana Leding
Shana Leding has been a licensed, practicing court reporter since 2008. Since 2017, she has owned and operated Shana Leding Court Reporting Services Inc., working as both an official and freelance reporter. Her experience includes serving as an official court reporter in circuit court, and she is currently working as a federal court reporter.
Shana has served on the Arkansas Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners. She currently serves on the NVRA Credentialing Committee as a test proctor and administrator for the RVR and RVR-M exams. Additionally, she is a 2-Year Director on the NVRA Board of Directors.
Shana has been married to her husband, Patrick, for 37 years. They reside in Northwest Arkansas, where they raised their five children and now enjoy spending time with their ten grandchildren.
Frequently Asked Questions
2026 ACRA SPONSORS
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