Our people
PrincipalsDr Neil James is Plain English Foundation's executive director and has trained over 2,000 workplace professionals. He was a communications |
Let us not shrink from using the short, expressive phrase, even if it is conversational. Winston Churchill |
consultant for the public and private sectors, and also worked in the NSW Cabinet Office and Arts NSW.
In 2003, Neil co-founded Plain English Foundation with Peta Spear. He has a doctorate in English from the University of Sydney and speaks regularly in the media about public language. His most recent books are Writing at Work: How to write clearly, effectively and professionally and Modern Manglish: Gobbedygook made plain. In 2012, Neil became the vice president of PLAIN, the Plain Language Association International.
Dr Peta Spear is our managing director. She has extensive experience in plain English editing and instructional design. Peta began her career working in the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Australian Film Commission. She has published several books and has a doctorate in writing from the University of Western Sydney.
Training team
Greg Moriarty is our training manager. He has extensive teaching experience, which includes delivering nationally recognised business training. Greg has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from Macquarie University, and a Diploma of Training and Assessment. He also completed the College of Law’s legal practice course.
Judy Hext has trained adults in writing skills for over 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Sydney, a Graduate Certificate in TESOL, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Judy also has experience in eLearning design and development.
Brooke Naylor has trained writing skills for 15 years and has worked as an assistant director of studies. She has a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and a Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching. She also has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Western Sydney.
Meredith Thumann has experience in the international corporate training sector. She has a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney. Meredith also has a Communication and Language Trainer Certificate (Corporate).
Professor Peter Butt is an emeritis professor of law at the University of Sydney and founding director of the Centre for Plain Legal Language at that university. He has many years experience in teaching and legal practice. Peter is well known for his publications, which include Modern Legal Drafting, Land Law and the Australian Legal Dictionary.
Editing team
Justine Cooper is our managing editor. She is a specialist technical editor, with a Postgraduate Diploma in Book Editing and Publishing from Macleay College and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English from the University of Sydney. Justine was previously a content developer at the British Standards Institution.
Business services team
Glenn James is the Foundation’s business services manager. He has a Masters in Finance from the University of New South Wales. Glenn has experience in banking and finance, IT and business analysis, credit and lending administration, and international trade and commerce.
Tanya Hani helps to coordinate our training and client services. She has a Masters in Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of Wollongong in Dubai. She has previously worked as a training project consultant and lecturer, and been a partner in a human resources consultancy.
Stephen Moriarty is the business process analyst redesigning our IT infrastructure and e-business. With 20 years of IT experience, Stephen has designed and developed systems for large corporations across several industries. Most recently, he has focused on helping companies convert to online services.
Domenico Perri is the Foundation's creative and IT coordinator. He has a Bachelor of Design Studies from the University of Western Sydney and is responsible for the Foundation's visual design and website activities. Domenico previously worked as a consultant in the fields of graphic design, web mastering and IT.