Editing Services and Writing Workshops

I highly recommend Susan Silver for book and article editing and indexing. Susan's invaluable work contributed enormously to my award-winning book On Trans-Saharan Trails, which was published by Cambridge University Press. 

     Besides being a multi-award-winning author and editor herself, Susan sees across cultural boundaries, is sensitive to the meaning of historical texts, and understands historical research methodologies.

     A former English instructor at UCLA's AmericanLanguageCenter, Susan is professional, conscientious, caring, and collaborative. Susan is extremely knowledgeable about publishing and has years of experience as an editor and writer.

     If you need the best professional possible with truly remarkable skills, contact Susan Silver.

—Ghislaine Lydon, Associate Professor of History

University of California, Los Angeles

 

I'm not quite sure that I'll ever be able to convey just how important Susan's contributions were. Not only did she make the final work better, more importantly, she made me enjoy the project again, for the first time in YEARS!

—Juliette Levy, Associate Professor of Latin American History
University of California, Riverside

 

I highly recommend Susan Silver for her helpful, expert editing. She's well worth it. I definitely recommend her to others in need.

—Michael Kassman, National Safety Director, Masonry Restoration Trade Instruc.
International Masonry Institute

 

I observed Susan’s Grammar/Writing course and found her to be highly responsive to student needs, extremely conscientious in her lesson preparation, and encouraging of student participation. Susan’s students have given her high evaluations…they specifically noted her clarity, helpfulness, and sense of humor…Susan is professional, conscientious, and dedicated…I highly recommend her.

—Tara Neuwirth, Academic Director of the UCLA American Language Center
Academic Intensive English and English Communications programs

 

Using “live” examples, Susan Silver’s “Positively Organized! Business Writing Workshop” was extremely useful, practical and real.

—Daryl Hudson, Former Regional General Manager, Tourism Australia,
The Americas, Los Angeles

 

A stellar job with the Technical Writing course at Neutrogena...With your ‘passion about the topic,’ unbending commitment to focused hard work, comprehensive knowledge of the subject, boundless enthusiasm and fun sense of humor, the managers have nothing but great things to say.

—Janet Keefe, Former Senior Training Director, California Training Cooperative

 

I can vouch for Susan Silver as a high caliber professional whose writing and organizing talents are exemplary. Susan wrote an excellent piece on organization skills for a Weight Watchers newsletter that I edited. She's the best!

—Trish Lester, Marketing and Advertising Consultant, Greater Los Angeles

 

Your "Great Grammar on the Go!" POWWer Lunch and Learn programs were excellent and have definitely started a positive dialog about the grammar-related issues we face every day in our practice and in our efforts to produce error-free work.

     I've heard nothing but rave reviews from the staff, who really enjoyed learning more about grammar with you through a variety of activities and media. Having personally participated in most of the sessions, I was able to experience firsthand the high caliber of instruction you provide and the positive, interactive, cooperative learning environment you create.

     Scheduled conveniently during lunch time once a week for several weeks, your "bite-size" sessions were perfect for reviewing and learning practical content that could be and was immediately applied in the work place. Thank you for sharing your expertise in a warm, engaging style that truly involved all the participants in a dynamic process.

     As President and Managing Partner of Knapp, Petersen & Clarke, I highly recommend you as a trainer and your "Great Grammar on the Go!" programs, which are ideal for any law firm as well as any business that cares about the quality of the written work product produced by its employees. We look forward to inviting you back to conduct additional training programs.

—Cynthia A. Trangsrud, Esq., President and Managing Partner
Knapp, Petersen & Clarke

 

I wanted to thank you once again for your outstanding, results-oriented training program "Organized to Be Your Best!" for University Credit Union management and leadership teams. The two-part program inspired our staff to streamline their organization skills and systems particularly in the area of organizing their intense paper-based and electronic communications.
     The program’s accountability action plan and follow-up session insured that participants demonstrated measurable results. The outstanding evaluations, as well as the many positive comments I have personally heard long afterwards, further attest to the value of your dynamic program.
Your award-winning business book, Organized to Be Your Best! Simplify and Improve How You Work, continues to be a valuable resource for the participants.
     Thank you, too, for your custom presentation and your warm, engaging style. It was a pleasure to work with you. I appreciated your ability to be organized and flexible—willing and able to meet our needs.
All in all, I highly recommend you as a dynamic trainer and recognized organization expert who truly knows how to bring out the best in others!

—Troy Achong, former Director of Training and Organizational Development,
University Credit Union, and former President, ASTD Los Angeles Chapter

 

Since founding the Center for Professional Development in 1984, I have met uncountable business professionals and corporate trainers like myself. Susan Silver heads the list of knowledgeable, thorough, and flawlessly, well-prepared instructors. She could rightfully be termed “the trainer’s trainer,” for she demonstrates consummate professionalism in all she does. Her standards are extremely high. The preparation she undertakes for the classes she conducts is reflected in the outstanding evaluations she receives.
     She has skillfully conducted a variety of classes for the Center ranging from one- to five-day formats in the following subject areas: supervision, management, leadership, writing, grammar review, presentation skills, memory/listening, and stress management.
     With complete confidence, I recommend Susan Silver to anyone seeking a trainer and speaker who relates extremely well to participants, who presents classes that are informative and enjoyable learning experiences, and who exemplifies the epitome of integrity, intelligence, and complete attention to detail.

—Dr. Marlene Caroselli, Director, Center for Professional Development

 

You're the best!!! Thank you for putting so much hard work into your custom, Positively Organized! training programs on accountability, delegation, and decision making. The audiences, both the senior management team (the CEO and VPs) and the supervisors of the Los Angeles Firemen's Credit Union, were very pleased with the ideas and tools you presented as well as your dynamic, hands-on, interactive facilitation style. You made the programs a real success for UNIVentures and our client.
     As you know, our success and reputation depends on providing exceptional trainers like you to serve our clients. And you've done so superbly. Susan, it is always a pleasure to work on projects with you. You are very responsive and customer oriented. The customer comes first in your thinking and design. We know we can count on you for the highest quality programs and solutions.

—Candace J. Cox, President, UNIVentures, Inc.

 

Thank you for designing and presenting "Let's Talk Organization!" for our District employees. The six workshops were nothing short of spectacular!
     Your insight and sensitivity to the time and work management concerns of our employees as well as the custom designed talk show format created a climate in which each participant was able to maximize the benefits of both your expertise and the positive suggestions of the other participants. Essentially the blending of the two sources of information greatly enhanced the richness of the training. Your inclusion of the follow-up accountability piece further contributes to the goal of measuring the participants becoming more positively organized.
     It is no wonder your book is such a success. You not only advocate the use of positive organization practices, you passionately exhibit them in all you do. Thank you for enhancing the excellence of our staff and organization.

—Stacy Edwards, former Classified Training Coordinator, currently Senior Human
Resources Specialist, Organizational Excellence Department,
Los Angeles Unified School District

 

Thank you for the outstanding consulting services you provided for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. I am pleased to write a letter of recommendation describing the comprehensive program assessment you designed and implemented for one of our major public health programs.
     Your "Confidentially, What Do You Think?" assessment successfully solicited the voluntary participation of 43 staff members in every work group classification through surveys, personal interviews and innovative "Let's Talk Shop!" idea exchange focus groups.
     You created a positive, confidential respectful process in which participants trusted you and felt safe to share their experiences and ideas, both positive and negative.
Your comprehensive final report compiled a wealth of data and presented your "Positive Development Model"—a blueprint for future change, growth and development. The values portion has been extremely helpful.
     Thank you for bringing great empathy, dedication and experience to this important project. I recommend you highly and look forward to working with you again.

—Eric K. Frykman, MD, MPH, former Health Officer/Chief of Disease Control and Prevention,
San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, California; now Community Health Agency Director Public Health Officer Riverside County, California

 

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the fine training work you’ve provided for the County of San Bernardino since 1999.

We have an established relationship with you and love working with you. In addition, your classes get such great evaluations. We’re so pleased to be working together and we heartily recommend you to other organizations that are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, and conscientious trainer of your caliber.

—Lynda Cook, Retired Director, Performance, Education & Resource Center,
County of San Bernardino, California

 

Your "Great Grammar on the Go!" POWWer Lunch and Learn sessions were a big hit with our legal support staff. I've received all positive comments about your outstanding training program.
     We all enjoyed the training and learned a lot. I liked the way you took grammar, punctuation, and capitalization and made them fun, accessible, and practical through hands-on activities, clear slides, and useful participant materials. You also helped generate great camaraderie among our support staff at each session. We look forward to having you back soon for more training programs.
     It was a real pleasure to work with you. I appreciated your willingness to tailor the programs to meet our needs and time frame and to incorporate the use of The Gregg Reference Manual, the main style guide we use at our firm. Thanks, too, for providing clever copy for the initial announcement email of the training program as well as for the reminder email before each session; it made the job of communicating with everyone quick and easy for me. 

—Training and Support Specialist, law firm

 

Your course is consistently excellent from beginning to end. Course content is well organized. Everything I learned is not only informative and mind-expanding but applicable to my role as a manager/supervisor.

—Linda Leib-Baker, Chief of Protocol, U.S. Air Force

 

The course was outstanding. You did a topnotch job at really delivering leadership concepts to the individual manager to go forward with confidence that they have the tools to succeed at leading their people to success.
—Capt. Kris Wood, Training Systems Program Manager, U.S. Air Force

 

Grammar overview, punctuation, parts of speech, syntax, usage, and vocabulary…my business writing skills have improved as a result of this course.
—Candace Whitesel, U.S. Navy

 

Learned new techniques that I was not aware of…good techniques for getting people comfortable with speaking—from individual, to small groups, to larger groups and from short presentations to long.
—Eugene Kaszubowski, U.S. Navy

 

Her friendliness, enthusiasm, and energy, and caring was wonderful and inspiring. I feel more comfortable in public speaking and felt that I learned a lot from this class.
—Le, Phuong, U.S. Navy

 

Excellent content and depth of material for a one-day course. Exposed me to structured, methodical approaches to reaching decisions both in personal and work related areas.
—Frank Jalteco, Sr. Engineer, Product Support Branch, U.S. Navy

 

Good structure/good presentation. Very well prepared and presented.
—Bob Kolesnik, Aerospace Engineer, Maintenance Planning Branch, U.S. Navy

Susan, Super job! Thanks for the great facilitation!
—Steve Goad, Black Belt, Integrated System Evaluation, Experimentation and
Test Department, U.S. Navy

 

Made me stretch myself to different types of thinking. I liked the simulation; made me think more about details.
—Allen Larsen, Team Lead, Software Engineering Branch 3, U.S. Navy

 

Very interesting! Gave actual tools to use for every problem. The five questions will be useful with staff involvement.

—Eva Fortney, Housing Director, Department of Defense

 

Thank you for the three wonderful "Grammar on the Go" classes. Everyone who attended the classes commented on what a great teacher you are... all of us learned many new grammar issues. You are a joy and a delight to be around. Please come back soon.

—Secretary, law firm

 

I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your classes. I thought it a great idea to have the "Power Lunch" where you sure had our attention. You also made a very dry subject quite fun.
You should also know, I find your handout a great source of quick reference. It's been a help to me already.

—Secretary, law firm

 

Praise for custom Best Work Practices "Organized to Be Your Best!" workshops and team consultations at Oxford College of Emory University:

 

Thanks so much for your invaluable workshops and consultations. I really enjoyed them and found many useful ideas that will help move Oxford forward.
—Myra Frady, Dean for Resource Planning and CFO, Oxford College of
Emory University

 

We especially enjoyed the business team consultation and felt that it was one of our most productive – ever – team meetings. Your being here has given us a common experience and language for our follow-up meetings, too. At the end of each meeting we now say,“Before we leave, let's be Susan Silver — what are our actions items, who is responsible, and what are our next deadlines?"

—Margaret Dugan, Financial Services Director, Oxford College of Emory University

 

We thoroughly enjoyed having you at Oxford. I have heard a lot of comments about much the staff has learned—wonderful networking and sharing of ideas occurred!

—Sue Dale, Human Resources Manager, Oxford College of Emory University

 

Great ideas—and practical ones which can be put into practice to reduce rather than create more stress. [Liked best about the program:] interaction, the opportunity to hear from colleagues and Susan about best practices, Susan's enthusiasm and energy level.

—Jennie Taylor, Dean for Enrollment Services, Oxford College of Emory University

 

[On the workshop:] Working together was great—enjoyed the humor and that having fun can make you work more efficiently and effectively…interactive and customized to our group.
[On the building committee consultation:] I really appreciate your ability to get our science building group moving forward on our next steps. I also learned a great deal from the way in which you developed the meeting plan. Thanks.
—Eloise Carter, Professor of Biology, Oxford College of Emory University

 

It was a wonderful workshop. Thank you so much for coming and putting it on. You are a really good presenter. And personalizing it for Oxford made it even better. What a great tool on top of everything else! I’m sure people will remember things much better because of relating the material and tips to Oxford specifically and the people that work here.

—Carol Moser, Senior Administrative Assistant, Oxford College of Emory University

 

(Copies of original letters and evaluations are available on request.)

See more praise at Susan Silver's LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/ssilver1