John Lechliter

Background

About John Lechliter

I lead the Writer-Editor Team of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). My team works within the Information Resources and Dissemination Branch, which is part of the Education and Information Division of NIOSH. The NIOSH Writer-Editor Team serves most of the divisions within the Institute, and it provides editing and writing services that support the NIOSH mission. As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH conducts research and provides education to promote healthier and safer workplaces. My work supports the goals of the Plain Writing Act of 2010 by promoting plain language in all NIOSH documents intended for public audiences. In 2012, I helped a NIOSH workgroup develop plain language training, and I led a plain language class for more than 100 key NIOSH health communicators. My previous position was director of publications for a forensic science association, and before that I held management positions for several newspapers in Kansas and Missouri. I served for six years as executive editor of The Emporia Gazette, a community newspaper with a Pulitzer Prize tradition. Specialties: Project management; scientific editing; technical writing and editing; plain language editing; and all aspects of newspaper management, writing, editing, photography, and design.