# Business Writing Certificate Program Canonical URL: ## Overview Strong writing drives mission success. Every policy memo, technical report, and public-facing letter shapes how decisions are made, how stakeholders respond, and how the public perceives your work. When writing is unclear, the mission slows down. When it is clear, concise, and credible, the mission moves forward. This certificate program is built for government professionals who want to consistently produce writing that meets the highest federal standards. Through four courses, you will build skills from the ground up—starting with the foundations of clear, structured writing, then moving into the day-to-day correspondence that keeps your agency running, the critical thinking that sharpens persuasive arguments, and the grammar and editing precision that separates good drafts from polished final products. This program combines the Federal Plain Language Guidelines, the Plain Writing Act of 2010, and proven writing frameworks with hands-on practice in the documents you actually create at work—emails, memos, letters, reports, and analytical writing. You will leave able to plan faster, draft with purpose, revise with confidence, and deliver writing that readers can act on the first time. ## What you'll learn - Apply a repeatable, four-step writing process (prewrite, draft, revise, refine) to produce clear, organized, and reader-focused documents in less time. - Write government emails, memos, and letters that meet audience needs, follow federal correspondence conventions, and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and Federal Plain Language Guidelines. - Use critical thinking to analyze problems, structure logical arguments, and craft persuasive writing that connects with decision-makers and even resistant readers. - Demonstrate command of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, verb forms, and pronoun agreement to produce error-free professional documents. - Apply a two-step editing approach—revising for content and refining at the sentence level—using the Seven Traits of Good Writing as a quality checklist. - Strengthen accessibility, readability, and tone across all forms of government writing so messages are understood clearly by diverse audiences on the first read. ## Curriculum 1. **Writing Essentials Course** 2. **Effective Government Correspondence Course** 3. **Clear Expression through Critical Thought Course** 4. **Grammar and Editing Essentials Course** 5. **AI for Government Writing & Briefings (Self-Paced)** ## Instructors ### Michele Proctor — Instructor Michele is a business strategist and Human Resources pioneer – delivering over 25 years of HR Management, Organizational Development, and leadership training to a variety of industries, which include the public, private, federal government, and higher education sectors. Scope of Expertise: Michele’s core competencies lie in the areas of Organizational Assessment and Development, Performance Management, Human Resources Management, Professional Development and Leadership Training, Transition and Change Management, Workforce and Career Development, and Conflict Resolution. Michele’s core competencies focus on creating a synergistic work environment where employees thrive to be successful by not only bringing their realized and unrealized strengths to their tasks, but also being allowed to experience the joy and happiness of the outcome of efficient and effective work products. She guides individuals through a journey to find their passion for work at work. Her consulting and organizational effectiveness expertise has been credited with improving performance efficiencies within business units and operations by as much as 70%. She is the former Project Manager and Lead Consultant on Building a Great Place to Work for the DC Courts Human Resources Division, having led the initiative for the creation of the HRD Five-year Strategic Plan and Workforce Development Program, “Fulfilling Our Future.” Michele has held senior-level executive positions at the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l; at Howard University, Washington, DC as Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Management; and at Executive Transitions International, Inc. as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Consulting Services. She has been an adjunct instructor at the George Washington University, Washington, DC and is currently adjunct faculty at Anne Arundel Community College, Anne Arundel, MD and Graduate School USA. She is the founder and President of RENQUEST & ASSOCIATES, INC., “Your Pathway to Excellence,” an independent consulting group in Organizational Effectiveness, Business Development, Human Resources Development, Business Operations, Change and Transition Management, Outsourcing, Facilitative Training, and Career Planning. Michele holds a BBA in Personnel Management from the George Washington University, Washington, DC. She has also held several Board of Directors’ positions in many professional associations. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, The Association for Talent Development, The International Association of Career Management Professionals, and The International Society for Performance Improvement. She is certified in the DiSC profile and certified as a mediator for the District of Columbia. She has been certified as a Career Management Practitioner by the International Board of Career Management Certification. Michele is a recipient of the Graduate School USA’s Customer Excellence Award and a recipient of the Business and Professional Women’s League, Inc. Business Award. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $3695