Judges

Sue brings over 25 years of experience designing clear and creative communications. Collaborating with Kleimann Communication Group, she led the design development of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures for CFPB, and has brought her expertise to additional projects for the Department of Health and Human Services, Fannie Mae, Consumers Union, and Suburban Hospital. Her degree in Communication Design is from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Frank Boland retired in 2013 after more than 35 years as an attorney at the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, DC. In that position, he was the principal author of numerous tax regulations and other IRS rulings and notices. He also reviewed many tax forms and publications for clarity and technical accuracy. During his last 10 years at the IRS, he was a branch chief and initial reviewer for many regulations and other public guidance. He also developed and conducted training classes to other IRS attorneys on plain language writing and the intricacies of writing regulations. Frank had previously served in the US Army and later as a research assistant for a member of Congress. Frank holds a BA degree from Texas Christian University and a JD degree from Southern Methodist University; he is a member of the Texas Bar.

Jan Burmeister’s career has focused on effective communication. From the White House handling the President’s personal correspondence to, most recently, her role as the Associate Executive Secretary for Internal Communications of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Jan has devoted herself to clarity and precision in language. At DHS, in particular, she was directly responsible for the creation of a DHS Handbook & Style Guide. She also served as the DHS Lexicon Project Officer, charged with the creation, maintenance, dissemination and enforcement of a DHS Lexicon by which DHS written and oral communications are disciplined, consistent, and understandable by all stakeholders from the Executive and Congressional branches of Government, State and local authorities, and elements of the Private Sector.

Kathryn is chief of the Plain Language and Content Division in the Office of Communications at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security. She also co-chairs the Plain Language Action and Information Network, a volunteer group of U.S federal employees who promote the use of plain language throughout the government and manage plainlanguage.gov. PLAIN is the official interagency working group for the Plain Writing Act of 2010, the nation’s first federal law of its kind. Kathryn has taught many U.S. government agencies about the importance of communicating in plain language. FierceGovernment named her one of its “Fierce 15” of 2012 for innovation in government. She was a guest speaker at several conferences including Plain Language Association International 2015 in Dublin, Ireland, Clarity 2012 in Washington, D.C., and the Plain Language Association International 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden. Kathryn has also judged New Zealand’s WriteMark Plain English Awards. This is her fourth year judging the ClearMark Awards.

Michelle Cole is an award-winning journalist and skilled researcher, writer and communications strategist. Based in Gallatin Public Affair’s Portland office, Michelle serves clients across the Northwest, providing high quality content for government relations, crisis communications and digital communications. Michelle also conducts media training and provides support for ballot measure and issue advocacy campaigns. Before joining Gallatin, Michelle served as the Capitol bureau chief for The Oregonian, where she reported on the Oregon Legislature, state government and politics. In addition, she has extensive experience in covering health and social services, budget and taxes, the environment and natural resource policy. While at The Oregonian, Michelle’s reporting led to public policy changes in Oregon’s child welfare system. She earned Oregon’s top award for investigative reporting – the Bruce Baer Award. Michelle has a Master’s of Journalism degree from U.C. Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree in British/American Literature from Scripps College.

Dr. Guido Lara earned a Doctorate in Information Science from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) in the program, “Theory of Communication and Methods of Social Research.” Dr. Lara studied in the Department of Sociology IV, an academic body that shares lines of research and faculty from two schools: The School of Political Science and Sociology and The School of Information Science (dedicated to the study of communication, marketing and journalism, not to be confused with IT – Information Technology Studies.) To earn his doctorate, he had to present and defend a doctoral thesis, which had to be an original work on a subject matter related to the lines of research included in the Official Postgraduate Program. Dr. Lara’s thesis, “Dissertations of young Mexicans on Salinas’s Modernization: A Concrete Application of the Discussion Group,” was granted the summa cum laude distinction by unanimous decision. In his thesis, he developed the foundations of the methodology and technique of Discussion Groups (now knows as Open Groups, in contrast to the well-known Focus Groups, another qualitative methodology widely used in market research and public opinion studies). As indicated on the website of the Department of Sociology IV of the Complutense University of Madrid, this “has been being developed over the last few years in a doctoral program called “Methodology of Research in Sociology, Communication and Culture,” which has focused on the teaching of this methodology. This postgraduate program in Methodology of Research in Social Sciences, which includes a Master’s degree, offers graduates in Sociology, Political Science, Law and Administration Science, Social Work, Social Anthropology, Social Psychology, Economics, Human Geography, Pedagogy, Information Science and other similar disciplines, knowledge, methodologies and techniques that will enable them to further their education in basic and/or applied research.” “Its area of concentration begins with epistemological reflection, addressing the fundamental problems that most directly affect social research, and delves into methodological reflection, emphasizing the problems related to the application of different research techniques.” Source: http://pendientedemigracion.ucm.es/info/socivmyt/paginas/doctorado/teoriaymetodologia/docmetodos.htm Departamento de Sociología IV – Facultad de Ciencias de la Información – Avenida Complutense, s/n. 28040 Madrid, Spain – Tel.: (34) 91.394.21.42/43/44. Fax: (34) 91.394.21.45

Alex is a freelance Spanish interpreter and translator who applies his skills to a range of consumer-focused communication projects. He has translated key documents for major federal agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Housing Finance Authority, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. He has also served as a Spanish-language moderator of focus groups and one-on-one interviews. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Alex seeks to not only translate accurately for the target population but to ensure clarity and “plain language” in all consumer-oriented communication.

Pamela Nieto joined the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in September 2012 as the Director of Marketing and Communications. Since her tenure at the Chamber, Ms. Nieto has elevated the organization’s visibility through the development of a targeted marketing strategy. She coordinates and manages production of over 50 events a year including five major fundraising events which attracts more than 3,000 guests. Additionally, she manages all media outreach, branding, conceptualization of media advisories and press releases, and is responsible for maintaining and building relationships with the members of the Chamber and connecting them with other businesses. Before joining the Chamber, Ms Nieto worked as an Account Executive for TMNcorp where she managed and assisted with the communications, digital media, marketing and advertising for several accounts who targeted a multicultural audience, including Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez (SUAGM), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services (DSWS), Centers for Medicaid and Medicare. Furthermore, Ms. Nieto is a founder-member and communications consultant for Festicinekids Foundation, a non-governmental organization which teaches under privileged kids about cinematography in Colombia through an annual film festival and a film school. She is also a board member of the DC Hispanic PR Association and Milagros Initiative at the Children’s National Hospital. Ms. Nieto is a graduate of the Art Institute of Washington, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising. She was born and raised in Colombia and has lived in the United States since 2002.

Appointed director of corporate communications in October 2009, Mr. Rodriguez is responsible for employee related, internal communications; consumer, general public and safety related external communications; and media relations for Washington Gas. He serves as the primary spokesperson for Washington Gas. Prior to his promotion, Mr. Rodriguez served Washington Gas as manager of corporate communications. His primary responsibilities included external communications to consumers and stakeholders, media relations and communications support to various business units within the company. Mr. Rodriguez joined the company in November 2007. Mr. Rodriguez spent seven years in publishing at The Washington Post newspaper, the premier daily news publication in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. He managed the newspaper’s public relations department and also served as its primary spokesperson. and budget officer. Mr. Rodriguez administered the public relations department’s operating and community contributions budgets. Additionally, he managed the department’s day-to-day operations which included media, internal and external communications. He also acted as program manager for the newspaper’s participation in community events and fellowship programs. Mr. Rodriguez is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Margarita Sánchez is a dual US-Colombian national with a wealth of experience in Latin American and Caribbean matters.  Recognized as a leading professional in the United States and abroad, she is dedicated to provide strategic and legal advice to private sector and sovereign clients on international investment agreements, trade policy development, public-private partnerships, and global anticorruption. Margarita has served as counsel of numerous high-profile cases, including multi-million and multi-billion dollar disputes representing sovereign Latin American states and multinationals, in a wide range of disputes arising out of transactions in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, relating to a diversity of industries and economic sectors, including energy, construction, mining, taxation, and government concessions.  Currently, she is a partner at Disan LLP, a Washington DC law firm focusing on international law and Latin American legal matters. In 2016, Margarita was named among the “25 Most Influential Hispanic Lawyers in the United States” by Latino Leaders Magazine.  Past personal recognitions include being named a leading practitioner in the U.S. and abroad by several publications including Chambers Global and Colombia’s Revista Dinero; making Latinvex’s 2015 list of ‘The Top 50 Female International Lawyers for Latin America’; and being named a ‘Top Lawyer Under 40’ by the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) in 2013.  Under her leadership, the firm received the Chambers & Partners award for Outstanding Firm for Furthering Women’s Advancement only a little over a year after opening its doors. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in London, and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown.  Margarita holds a JD from Universidad del Norte (Colombia) and an LLM in Law and Government from American University.