Connect Series: Meet Marina Hopkins!
We are very happy to introduce you to Marina Hopkins, a new member of the Reportex team!
Marina is a familiar and respected face in the legal community of the Interior of BC. She moved to Kamloops nine years ago and opened Kamloops Reporting Services after over ten years of reporting in the Lower Mainland. She has reported in many trials in the Supreme Court of British Columbia throughout her career as a certified realtime reporter. Marina is also an experienced CART provider for the hard of hearing and has provided this service in both Vancouver and Kamloops. Marina has always been deeply committed to providing a full-service experience for her clients and her community and has a strong connection with the lawyers and firms in the area.
Marina, community and industry are two of our core values here at Reportex and are central to what we do and how we do it. Can you tell us what these values mean to you and how they and this partnership will help you develop your services for your clients in Kamloops and the surrounding area?
Knowing I had been born and raised in the Lower Mainland, people wondered how I could make such a total lifestyle and career change. Court reporting in Kamloops and all the surrounding cities from Merritt to Fort St. John has allowed me to focus on excellent professional relationships and to help provide a sense of security for the industry in the Interior. This partnership with Reportex will allow my team to access more knowledge and resources to ensure that we are at the forefront of the industry with all the available tools needed to help my clients meet their own goals going into the future.
Is there a trial or experience that you feel made an impact on you and how you view the role of a court reporter?
Oh, yes! This is sure an easy question for me. I will never forget reporting at the Roundhouse in Kamloops for the Stk’emlupsemc te Secwepemc panel hearing in May 2016 for the Ajax Mine environmental review. I reported outdoors for an entire week, and if you can believe it, we had torrential rain one afternoon and the entire following day. This is where I learned what kind of perseverance it takes to be a good court reporter and to carry on reporting no matter what! I was terrified my equipment would be ruined, but the organizers put a tent overtop of me (one with a leak, mind you), and away my fingers went! The testimony and presentations from all the different First Nations elders and chiefs were absolutely enlightening for me. Luckily for me, I had a team behind me at the office helping me with the transcripts and getting the job done!
To help maintain our mental and physical health, especially during COVID, we have been talking about wellness on our blog. Do you have a favourite way to recharge or any tips for staying well and healthy?
Find your passion outside of work and make it a priority. For me this is horses! Everyone in Kamloops knows that Marina loves horses — and what a great location for getting deeply involved in the equestrian world. From Morgans to Quarter Horses to Icelandics, I make sure I spend time with my horses, and this gives me a total break from the hectic world of litigation!
Lastly, while we can’t wait to work with you on building on our (R)evolution, what excites you the most about the possibilities of this new partnership?
Working with a team with a positive vision for the future and drawing on everyone’s individual areas of expertise really excites me. I have always loved the profession of court reporting, and it is time now to share resources and work together for our industry in a spirit of support and equality. The five core values of Reportex say it all, and I am looking forward to joining forces and being stronger together.
We are thrilled to have Marina and her team join Reportex. Welcome aboard!
