Plain Language: Improving Communications from the Federal Government to the Public


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Plain Writing Act of 2010> Plain Language in Federal Agencies

Plain Writing Act of 2010: Plain Language in Federal Agencies

The ActAdobe Acrobat Reader icon was signed in October 2010, but some federal agencies have been promoting the use of plain language for years. (If you don't see your agency's program listed here, contact us so we can include it.)

Who is my agency's designated senior official and where is my agency's plain language webpage?

DepartmentAgencyWebpageSenior OfficialContact
Consumer Finance Protection Bureau http://www.consumerfinance.gov/plain-writing/ Gail Hillebrand, Associate Director, Division of Consumer Education and Engagement CFPB_Plain_Writing_Act@cfpb.gov
Corporation for National and Community Service www.nationalservice.gov/about/open/index.asp Amy Borgstrom, Senior Agency Official for Plain Language Aaron Olszewski, Plain Writing Coordinator aolszewski.guest@cns.gov
Department of Agriculture www.usda.gov/plain-writing Jerry Mande, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Marge Harter, Marjorie.Harter@osec.usda.gov
Department of Commerce - http://www.commerce.gov/plain-language Jennifer Friedman, Director, Public Affairs PlainLanguage@doc.gov
U.S. Census Bureau www.census.gov/aboutus/plain_writing.html Tasha Boone, Assistant to the Communications Director Neil Tillman w.neil.tillman@census.gov
Department of Defense www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/plainlanguage.html Michael L. Rhodes, Director of Administration and Management DoDPlainLanguage@whs.mil
Department of Education www.ed.gov/plain-language Cynthia Dorfman, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Communication Services cynthia.dorfman@ed.gov
Department of Energy Ingrid A. Kolb, Director, Office of Management Michael Coogan, Michael.Coogan@hq.doe.gov
Department of Health and Human Services - www.hhs.gov/open/recordsandreports/plainwritingact/index.html Oliver Potts, Deputy Executive Secretary and Plain Writing Coordinator hhsplainwriting@hhs.gov
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services http://www.medicare.gov/plainlanguage.aspx Mary Wallace, Deputy Director, Office of Communications mary.wallace@cms.hhs.gov
Department of Homeland Security www.dhs.gov/xutil/dhs-plain-language-summary.shtm Phil McNamara, Executive Secretary
Department of Housing and Urban Development portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/plainlanguage , webmanager@hud.gov
Department of Interior www.interior.gov/open/Plain-Writing.cfm Meghan Conklin, Associate Deputy Secretary John Strylowski, john_strylowski@ios.doi.gov
Department of Justice www.justice.gov/open/plainlanguage.html Michael H. Allen, Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Department of Labor www.dol.gov/dol/PlainWriting/ William E. Spriggs, Assistant Secretary for Policy plainlanguage@dol.gov
Department of State www.state.gov/m/a/dir/rulemaking/ William Moser, Assistant Secretary of State
Department of Transportation www.dot.gov/plainlanguage Carol C. Darr, Director, Executive Secretariat
Department of Treasury - www.treasury.gov/open/Pages/plainwriting.aspx Rebecca Ewing, Deputy Executive Secretary plainwriting@treasury.gov
Internal Revenue Service Jodi Patterson, Director, Office of Taxpayer Correspondence
Department of Veterans Affairs Ken Greenberg, Executive Secretary
Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/plainlanguage/ Eric Wachter, Director of the Office of the Executive Secretariat in the Office of the Administrator
Farm Credit Administration www.fca.gov/home/plainwriting.html Mike Stokke, Director of Congressional and Public Affairs Emily Yaghmour, yaghmoure@fca.gov
Federal Communications Commission www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/plain-writing-fcc Howard Parnell, Chief, Web and Print Publishing Division
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation www.fdic.gov/plainlanguage/ , PlainWriting@fdic.gov
Federal Election Commission www.fec.gov/info/plainwriting.shtml Gregg Scott, Assistant Staff Director, Information Division plainlanguage@fec.gov
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission www.ferc.gov/open/plain-language.asp Mary O'Driscoll, Press Secretary and Director of Media Relations customer@ferc.gov
Federal Housing Finance Agency www.fhfa.gov/Default.aspx?Page=343 Sandy Comenetz, Executive Advisor to the Acting Director plainlanguage@fhfa.gov
Federal Maritime Commission www.fmc.gov/about/plain_language_guidelines.aspx Karen V. Gregory, Secretary secretary@fmc.gov
Federal Trade Commission Christian S. White, Deputy General Counsel
General Services Administration www.gsa.gov/plainlanguage Susan Brita, Deputy Administrator Katherine Spivey, katherine.spivey@gsa.gov
Institute of Museum and Library Services www.imls.gov/about/plain_langauge.aspx Mammie Bittner, Director, Communications and Government Affairs Kevin O'Connell koconnell@imls.gov
National Aeronautics and Space Administration www.nasa.gov/open/plainlanguage.html Dave Radzanowski, Chief of Staff
National Archives and Records Administration www.archives.gov/open/plain-writing/ Donna Garland, Senior Official for Plain Writing plainwriting@nara.gov
National Capitol Planning Commission www.ncpc.gov/Open/home.html Barry Socks, Chief Operating Officer plainwriting@ncpc.gov
National Credit Union Administration http://www.ncua.gov/Legal/plainlanguage/Pages/default.aspx John Kutchey, Deputy Executive Director PlainWriting@ncua.gov
National Endowment for the Arts www.nea.gov/open/Plain-language.html Don Ball, Assistant Director, Office of Public Affairs plainlanguage@arts.gov
Nuclear Regulatory Commission www.nrc.gov/public-involve/open/plain-writing/fed-mandates.html Darren B. Ash, Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Management
Office of Management and Budget Lauren Wright, Assistant Director for Management and Operations
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation onhir.gov/Plain_Writing/index.htm Christopher J. Bavasi, Executive Director Scott Kuhr skuhr@onhir.gov
Office of Personnel Management www.opm.gov/plainlanguage/ Richard B. Lowe, Director of the Executive Secretariat and Ombudsman
Rosemary Williams, Director of Communications and Public Liaison
Matthew E. Perry, Chief Information Office
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation http://www.pbgc.gov/about/pbgc-in-plain-english.html J. Jioni Palmer, Senior Advisor and Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Securities and Exchange Commission www.sec.gov/plainwriting.shtml Lori J. Schock, Director, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy
Small Business Administration Kim Bradley, Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat
Social Security Administration www.ssa.gov/plain-language/ Robin Kaplan, Executive Secretary OPI.Net.Post@ssa.gov
United States Agency for International Development www.usaid.gov/open/ Sean Carroll, Chief Operating Officer Lisa Glufling lglufling@usaid.gov; and Christine Brown chbrown@usaid.gov

What is my agency doing to promote plain language?

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers a Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective. Its focus is health-related materials, but it can be used for many other topics.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has a thriving plain-language program and provides training for its staff throughout the country. As part of that program, it developed a series of short, funny videos highlighting different plain-language techniques.

These agencies have well-established plain-language programs:

  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • Federal Aviation AdministrationAdobe Acrobat Reader icon
  • Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Health Resources and Services Administration
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Office of the Federal Register
  • Securities and Exchange Commission

The Department of the Army, the National Institutes of Health, and the CDC have all developed training available for anyone to use.

 
Other Pages:
Plain Writing Act of 2010

Federal Agency Requirements

Plain Language in Federal Agencies

Related Topics

Using Plain Language in the Federal Government

Using Plain Language around the US

Using Plain Language in other Countries

 
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