This course will be held in-person at SOG from 9am - 3pm.

Plain language makes it easier for the public to read, understand, and use government communications. It’s words, design, images, and compassion working together to create accessible communication so everyone can understand and use the information you share. Plain Language is for all your content -- written materials, online, flyers, memos, reports and more.

Taught by a local government official with over 20 years of public service experience, Mary Jane Nirdlinger is dedicated to making public sector information clear and useful because clarity builds trust, which is more important than ever.

“Mary Jane Nirdlinger’s Plain Language workshop is an extremely valuable resource for government employees who write anything, from Council agenda memos to letters and other communications to residents. After I took the course, I was convinced that my peer directors could benefit from her course. I was right! She agreed to teach a course for City leaders. After taking the course, almost all of them agreed that it helped them understand the value of writing plainly and clearly, and how to do that... I enthusiastically recommend that government employees take this course to learn how vital it is to write clearly and in a way that most people can understand.”

- Beverly T. (Communications Department, City of Durham)

Meet Your Instructor

Mary Jane Nirdlinger has over 20 years of public service experience and currently serves as the Deputy Town Manager in Chapel Hill. Her work experience includes local, county, state, federal, and private sector roles. She is passionate about making public sector information clear and useful because clarity builds trust, which is more important than ever. Mary Jane received a B.A. in International Relations from American University, a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan, and an MFA in creative writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She conducts training and workshops on plain language skills and speaks on the topic at local and national conferences.