Resume of Diane Hromek, Certified Shorthand Reporter

I have been so blessed and privileged to report many highly-visible cases all over the world. Two of the most visible cases include the Sioux City United Airlines Air crash case and the Flight 191 American Airlines DC-10 O’Hare air crash.

For the Flight 191 case, I was hired by all sides to do the court reporting of this case. I worked at the Waldorf Hotel inNew York, at Harvard University, reporting a co-worker’s testimony to one of the decedents, reported at the Playboy Club in Chicago and took depositions at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria of multiple deponents in this case.

I was hired to work in London, England for a TWA arbitration.

I was hired to work in Tokyo, Japan, two times, by two different attorneys, to report Toyota car crashes.

I was the chosen reporter hired for over 20 years by the NFL. I worked at the Bears’ camp many times.

I reported numerous other complex cases of medical, chemical, petrochemical, toxicological, anti-trust, pollution, securities, bonds, construction, human relations, employment, environmental, real estate, product liability, personal injury and patent areas.

Cases of Interest I Reported:

Referred by the National Transportation Safety Board investigators and Federal Aviation Administration staff over 40 years and attorneys in the aviation law business and hence reported depositions related to the:

• Thurmon Munson Citation Case
• Air Illinois Air Crash
• January 2004, Goodyear v S-Tec (Blimp case)

Additional Areas of Reporting:

• COMPUTER CASES**New Area
• ATV Crash, January 2004, Eberts vKawasaki
• ATV Crash, December 2010
• Construction: Roof/landscaping case
• Real Estate: PUD’s, Zoning, Contracts
• Environmental: PCB’s, USEPA, ILEPA, Air and Water pollution. Including the first time catalytic converters were introduced
• Maritime: Incursion, Dec, 2003,US Coast Guard v. Overstreet Joliet Bridge, a barge incursion case.
• Medical Malpractice cases: Hundreds of them, including the testimony of the one of the first doctors to do a heart transplant
• Disabled wheelchair access on CTA, Chicago Transit Authority buses.
• Punch press cases
• Toxic Tort Cases
• Employment Discrimination Cases
• Patent Cases (Confidential in nature.)
• Metallurgy
• Corporate contract cases

I have held a high security rating with the US government and done multiple jobs, investigations for Argonne Laboratory. I have been hired to work at Brookhaven Laboratory in New York.

I have been hired by Fermilab.

I have reported confidential securities and bond work for the US Department of Justice, including providing daily copy transcripts of long duration.

I have worked on the Bruce Springsteen bus/car accident. Took the depositions of all the parents of the children who were killed in this accident as well as the bus driver.

I reported the depositions in the Galowich v. Beech Aircraft case. I was hired to report expert depositions at the Beech Aircraft plant inWichita,Kansas, multiple times . Attorney Bill McKenna fromChicagowas killed in that case. I had worked with him the immediate prior two weeks at a trial at theRichardJ.DaleyCenterinChicagobefore his death.

I, alone, and with clients, have flown my planes to various locations for depositions including Mayo Clinic,Iowa CityHospital,St. Louis, andWashingtonDC. I flew my plane to Mayo Clinic,Rochester,MN, with our videographer and our client to take a doctor’s deposition.

Aircraft I have worked for and paid for alone are:

• 1977 Cessna 172.
• 1979 Beech Sundowner
• 1975 Cessna 340
• 1965 Beech Baron
• 1965 Piper Comanche 260 (Currently)

Aviation Licenses:

• Private Pilot
• Instrument Rating
• Commercial Rating
• Multi-Engine Rating

*Married my flight instructor in 1992.

Past member of Lawyer-Pilots Bar Assn

Court Reporting Experiences Continued:

• Medical Board Meetings
• Indian Affairs Meetings
• Personal Injury cases – too many to add here
• Reported Bill Gates speaking at the Comdex Show at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
• (All that continuous reporting since 1968 without interruption can bring.)

Since 1975:

I have hired and trained over 200 people. Many of these reporters have subsequently opened their own businesses. I am proud of their achievements to this day because I know we did a good job together!

Two of my reporters have since opened businesses offering closed captioning for the hearing impaired and provide real time for television and at sports stadiums, etc.

It is good to note that all contracts, many of which are listed below, were honorably and successfully completed.

I always became eager to try the latest and newest computers and programs and was a pioneer in leading the way with technology, many times failing but kept on going. Now, using the wonderful StenoCat technology that allows us to do amazing things.

Past Clients Include:

State of Illinois:

• Department of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse
• Department of Children & Family Service
• Civil Service Commission
• Commerce Commission
• State Board of Elections
• Department of Employment Security
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Department of Human Rights
• Human Rights Commission
• Department of Insurance
• Liquor Control Commission
• Medical Center Commission (now known as Illinois Medical District.)
• Pollution Control Board
• Department of Public Aid
• Racing Board
• Department of Revenue
• Department of Transportation

Guest Speaker:

• I was a guest speaker at multiple court reporting schools both recruiting and telling about court reporting experiences. On most of these occasions I flew my own airplane and traveled alone.
• Here is a list of the schools and contact personnel:
• September 1983 and May 14, 1986, Gateway Technical Institute, Kenosha, WI; Veronica Gilsdorf
• September 23, 1983,Concordia College, Mequon ,WI; Tom Hartnell
• November 30, 1983,Midstate College, Peoria, IL; Nancy C. Dudley (Davis), and Jerry Bunt
• April 1985 and March 31, 1987, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL; Pauletta Morse
• May 20, 1985, Sparks College, Shelbyville, IL; Mr. & Mrs. Sparks
• April 9, 1986, Rasmussen College System, St. Cloud, MN; Judy Manetas
• August 10, 1986 and February 16, 1988 and November 9, 1988, American Institute of Commerce, Bettendorf, IA; Stephanie Thompson
• August 28, 1986, Academy of Court Reporting, Cleveland, OH; Dennis Hagestrom
• September 9, 1986, Minnesota School of Business; Shane Nelson
• September 23, 1986, Clark Technical College, Springfield ,OH; Kay Frazier
• October 15, 1986, Cuyahoga Community College, Parma, OH; Angela Hergenroeder
• December 5, 1986, NorthernTechnicalSchoolof Business, Minneapolis, MN; Margaret A. Cline
• March 6, 1987, Capitol City Trade & Technical School, Austin, TX; Pamela Cochran
• May 13, 1987, Von Steuben High School, Marianne Jagmin
• August 26, 1988, The Stenotype Institute, Springfield,OH; F.L. Pete Seymour
• December 27, 1988, and August 1989,Chicago College of Commerce, Chicago, IL; Marianne Jagmin and Norma Reynolds
• February 27, 1989, Court Reporting Institute of Dallas, TX; Carolyn Willard and Royal D. Smith
• April 23, 1990, University College, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH; Sunny Rhoads
• (Numerous visits to the local colleges in the Chicagoland Area: Chicago College of Commerce, Mac Cormac Junior College and Triton College.

Guest Speaker Other Than Schools:

• In 1994, I was guest speaker at the law offices of Jenner & Block in Chicago, Illinois. The subject matter was the use of networking laptop computers with the court reporter, using realtime, and browsing capabilities.
• In 1998 I was interviewed by Joyce Tumea of the Downers Grove Cable Company for a TV talk show. I was the guest of honor and the subject was court reporting.
• In 1998, I was a guest speaker for the Lyons Club inDowners Grove, regarding my experiences as a court reporter.
• In 1998, I was a guest speaker for the Fairview Baptist Retirement Home regarding my flying experiences and my life story, and specifically regarding flying and how I met my husband.

Publications:

In 1995, I was published by the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association Journal.

This article is about how I became interested in becoming a pilot, my court reporting aviation career, and a tribute to the aviation attorneys I have worked with.

Continuing Education:

I have continually kept up with Continuing Education associated with being a member in good standing by the National Court Reporters Association and the Illinois Court Reporters Association since 1968.

Organizations:

National Court Reporting Association since 1968 with designations of Registered Professional Reporter and Certified Managing Shorthand Reporter.

• Member StenoCat Users’ Group

Member:  Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

Accomplishments:

Play piano for the Bible Baptist Church on the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation

Past member of the Chicago Area Chapter of the 99′s, a Womens’ Pilot Association 1975-2002.

Studied to become a concert pianist from the age of five to eighteen under Rose Rosa. Performed the Grieg Concerto and the Warsaw Concerto as soloist with the Riverside-Brookfield High School in Riverside, Illinois 1965-1967.

I graduated Bryant & Stratton College. Studies began between junior and senior year of high school. I completed the course in 42 weeks and was the only student of 50 to graduate on time.

I passed the Illinois Certified Shorthand Reporter license exam given by the state of Illinois, the first time.

I was a honorary graduate of Chicago College of Commerce. Awarded by Lucille Horstmeier.

I began my court reporting career at age 18.

I am a pilot and have specialized in air crash cases over a number of years. As a pilot, I hold Private, Instrument, Multi-Engine and Commercial ratings and have flown over 1650 hours.

I have held an Illinois Real Estate Salesman’s license from 1973 through 2005

Attend Lake Tomahawk Bible Church in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin, the Baptist Bible Church on the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, and Cape Christian Fellowship in Cape Coral, Florida.

I have given piano concerts and played piano and organ at Lake Tomahawk Bible Churchand Fairview Baptist Home in Downers Grove,Illinois

I married my flight instructor and friend, Calvin Sawyer, November 1992.

I take great pride in being a good wife and homemaker.

I take time regularly to be with my family, father and sister and her family, my step children and step grandchildren.

I take great pride in being the best court reporter I can be as well as running my business the best I can.

I enjoy swimming, walking, biking, flying, boating and cooking.

I especially enjoy our “kids,” our three spaniels, two of whom we rescued in 2009.

1997-2002, performed with a musical group called, “The New Fireside Hour,” at retirement homes in theDowners Grovearea. Our specialty was old-time love songs.

I have been a leader in incorporating computerized transcripts since they were first available to court reporters in 1975 and am now on my fourth system, Gigatron’s StenoCat software. I feel that the current system I now use is the best yet.

I have written realtime for hearing-impaired witnesses several times. One time, it was for an attorney who was deaf who was leading a round-table discussion with over 50 other people. It was exciting to see him participate in leading the discussion. He had no problem reading from my computer as others were talking. He could reply with no problem.