About ASAPASAP was founded as a professional forum dedicated to bringing government FOIA and Privacy Act personnel in touch with the requester community. The requester community includes private citizens, law firms, businesses, media and nonprofit organizations; it is not a government agency. ASAP is the leading organization providing quality professional educational programs. ASAP draws upon the highest caliber of government FOIA and Privacy instructors along with known experts in the public requester field to teach and discuss common problems in an open-dialogue forum. Tremendous insight and education are attained by both sides as each learns from the perspective of the other.ASAP takes great pride in its programs, which have been cited consistently for their content excellence and for providing the opportunity to network with others across the United States and beyond. ASAP programs have something for everyone, from technical sessions to open forum discussions to informal gatherings where members and participants make some of their most important and long-lasting contacts. Learning — updating — enhancing skills — cost effective programs — these are just some of the reasons why our participants keep returning to ASAP programs year after year.American Society of Access ProfessionalsASAP_e0fde161-518a-4893-b7ab-9022b08a3fdeThe American Society of Access Professionals (ASAP) is a nongovernmental, independent, educational, not-for-profit association. It was founded in 1980 by concerned federal government employees and private citizens working in the fields of information access through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act (PA), and laws and regulations.Requester CommunityThe requester community includes private citizens, law firms, businesses, media and nonprofit organizations; it is not a government agency.CitizensLaw FirmsBusinessesMediaNonprofit OrganizationsASAP MembersWho are ASAP Members? ASAP members come from all walks of life. They are:Access ProfessionalsFOIA/PA and access professionals throughout the United States and Canada -- An access professional is a person who: * administers access laws by performing such functions as evaluating, selecting, or determining the information to be accessed; safeguarding information from unfair or illegal uses; advising on the accessibility of information; or adjudicating cases involving legal rights of access to information; * uses access laws in performing such functions as writing or some other journalistic endeavor which relies upon access to information covered by legal restraints; teaching about the laws, principles, practices, and regulations pertaining to information sciences; or representing the interests of those who claim rights of access to information; * promotes principles of fair information practice by performing such functions as encouraging the uniform administration of access laws; suggesting legislative or administrative changes regarding such laws; or testifying to facts which can lead to improved information practices; or * promotes citizen participation in government decision making by administering open meetings laws.Government Officialsconcerned with FOIA releases, information privacy, and electronic recordsFederal Officialsconcerned with FOIA releases, information privacy, and electronic recordsState Officialsconcerned with FOIA releases, information privacy, and electronic recordsLocal Officialsconcerned with FOIA releases, information privacy, and electronic recordsForeign Officialsconcerned with FOIA releases, information privacy, and electronic recordsRecords ManagersFacultyof colleges and universitiesStaffof colleges and universitiesAttorneysParalegalsJournalistsNonprofit PersonnelNot-for-profit public interest organization personnelGovernment ContractorsBusinesseswhose records are held by the Federal governmentLibrariansPrivacy AdvocatesASAP 2020 Board of DirectorsKirsten MitchellPresident -- Kirsten is Compliance Team Lead with the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Ombudsman’s office located at the National Archives. Kirsten began her work at OGIS as a facilitator helping resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and federal agencies in more than 450 cases. Before joining OGIS in 2010, she worked at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a coalition of media groups that worked to gain passage of the OPEN Government Act of 2007, which amended FOIA and created OGIS. A former journalist, most recently with the New York Times Co., Kirsten frequently used state and federal records, including databases, to shine a light on how government operates. She earned a certificate in federal workplace mediation in 2011 from Northern Virginia Mediation Service, an affiliate of the George Mason University School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and is a member of the American Society of Access Professionals (ASAP) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE). Kirsten earned her undergraduate degree in English at Mary Washington College and her graduate degree in journalism and public affairs at American University.Michael MorisyVice President -- Michael Morisy is the co-founder and executive director of the public records non-profit MuckRock. Through his work at MuckRock, he’s worked with thousands of requesters including journalists, researchers, and transparency advocates across the United States. He’s a frequent speaker on topics including government transparency, digital transparency efforts, and access to information. He also serves on the board of the National Freedom of Information Coalition and the federal FOIA Advisory Committee. He was previously an editor at the Boston Globe and a fellow at Stanford University Michael Morisy has spoken at ASAP’s National Training Conference as well as served on the conference committee. Looking forward, he’s interested in building stronger relationships and understanding from the requester community about how the FOIA process actually works, including helping guide more productive policy discussions, opportunities for ASAP to help better share the work of its member community with the public, and other structural improvements so the agency community is empowered to fulfill their important mission.Nicholas WittenbergSecretary -- Nicholas is an attorney-advisor at The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Office of Pesticide Programs focusing on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and litigation that involves large scale eDiscovery. Before joining EPA, he worked in the private sector in eDiscovery for large scale client matters involving antitrust, litigation, as well as internal or government investigations. Additionally, Nicholas has a strong interest in privacy and security with a real focus on the ever-expanding cybersecurity realm and has spoken on a CLE for the ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) on Cyber Liability for Lawyers. Additionally, he is a Vice-Chair on the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy General Committee for TIPS. Nicholas’s legal journey began in college at The University of Toledo in the fall of 2004 when he served as an intern in Congresswoman Mary Kaptur’s Washington, D.C. office. This excellent opportunity was a catalyst for pursuing a career in the law. While still in college Nicholas had the opportunity to work as an intern at the Public Defender’s Office in Toledo Municipal Court from May 2005 – May 2007, with a brief sabbatical for an internship in the summer of 2007 at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Upon graduating, he served as a project assistant at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP in Columbus, Ohio where he was involved in large scale cases involving toxic tort and asbestosis generally focusing on eDiscovery. While in law school at The University of Toledo he summered his first year at Kerger and Hartman LLC focusing on white collar criminal investigations and litigation. He also gained excellent experience serving as extern for the Honorable Peter Handwork at The Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals where he learned appellate process and review. In the summer of 2010 he was selected as a US EPA Honors Law Clerk Program in Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in the National Planning Measures and Analysis Staff where he worked on projects that involved regions and state relations. In the fall of 2010, he was honored to extern for The Honorable Vernelis K. Armstrong in The United States District Court for The Northern District of Ohio. In the spring of 2011, in Nicholas’s third year in law school, he completed a second clerkship at EPA in the Legal Counsel Division of the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training. Nicholas serves as a moot court judge for the D.C. Bar’s Moot Court Competition as well as Pace Law School’s Environmental Moot Court Competition. He also is actively engaged in Pro Bono matters in the District. Furthermore, he has a strong commitment to the advancement of The University of Toledo as he serves as a Trustee on The University of Toledo Alumni Association Board of Trustees. He is also a Representative on The University of Toledo College of Law Board of Governors. Nicholas is barred in Ohio and The District of Columbia, as well as admitted to The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, and The Supreme Court of the United States.Marianne ManheimTreasurer -- Marianne Manheim has spent the last four years as Chief of the FOIA Branch at NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in Bethesda, MD. She oversees an amazing staff of FOIA professionals that process requests for 20 institutes, centers, and offices at NIH. In addition, her office provides privacy and records management oversight for NHLBI. Prior to joining NHLBI, she spent six years as the FOIA Program Manager at the Department of State, where she was responsible for developing and implementing FOIA policies, training, reporting, for continuously evaluating the State Department’s FOIA process to make improvements and reduce backlog, and she served as the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison. Prior to serving at the Department of State, she worked at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission where she was responsible for privacy, data breach policy, and controlled unclassified information. She first began to embrace the FOIA at the Peace Corps’ headquarters, where she served as the agency’s FOIA and Privacy Act Officer. Marianne holds a J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law, a B.A. from the University of Idaho, a pastry arts certification from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cote d’Ivoire.Amy BennettImmediate Past President -- Amy is a management and program analyst with the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) within the National Archives and Records Administration. Prior to joining OGIS in late 2014, Amy was the assistant director at OpenTheGovernment.org, where she works extensively on the organization's policy issues, including improving access to government information, reducing national security secrecy, preserving records, and increasing openness and accountability of the federal government. Amy has been particularly involved in the coalition's work on FOIA reform. Amy served as the secretary of the American Society of Access Professionals from 2013 to 2014.Jonathan CantorDirector -- Jonathan became the Acting Chief Privacy Officer and Chief Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer in July 2016 upon the departure of the Chief Privacy Officer. He previously served in this capacity from August 2012 to October 2013. In this role, he serves as the principal advisor to the DHS Secretary on privacy policy, and is responsible for evaluating department-wide programs, systems, technologies, and rule-makings for potential privacy impacts, and for providing mitigation strategies to reduce those impacts. Jonathan joined DHS as Deputy Chief Privacy Officer on July 1, 2012. He is a member of the Senior Executive Service, with nearly 20 years of experience in privacy, transparency, and information access. Jonathan previously served as the Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Commerce, and the senior privacy official at the Social Security Administration. He was the first Chief Privacy Officer at the Department of Commerce, charged with developing a departmental program, where he also led the Department’s Open Government activities and helped improve its FOIA program. He also contributed to the Administration’s Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, and other projects involving landmark privacy policy. At the Social Security Administration, he was responsible for overhauling the agency’s privacy program, leading Social Security’s transition to a modern, citizen-centered privacy program. He currently serves as co-chair of the Federal Privacy Council’s Federal Privacy Workforce Committee, is a member of the Government Technology Research Alliance, and serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Access Professionals. Previously, he was co-chair of the Federal CIO Council Privacy Committee. He is also a long-time member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and holds CIPP/US and CIPP/G certifications. Jonathan graduated cum laude from Duke University, and received his J.D. with honors from The George Washington University Law School. Awards include FedScoop’s FedMentor of the Year for 2014, and FCW’s Federal 100 in 2014. Jonathan has been actively involved in the Federal interagency on both privacy and Freedom of Information Act issues for many years. He speaks in many events, including previous educational institutions, other organizations, and within government events targeted at other employees. He has also been equally as active in working with organizations that provide education and networking to federal employees, such as ASAP. Jonathan has coordinated a great deal of privacy education in the federal sector, especially through the Federal Privacy Committee and the recently created Federal Privacy Council. He co-chaired the Workforce Subcommittee, which oversees all Federal Privacy Council-led training efforts. He has often encouraged his colleagues to share this information with groups such as ASAP to help reach a broader federal practitioner audience.Christopher CarrDirector -- Chris is a Freedom of Information Act Officer within the Department of Defense (DoD) and is responsible for the initial processing of requests for his respective agency. Before joining DoD in 2011, his past experience includes work in medical libraries, university archives, and the Smithsonian Institution. In 2015, Chris played a major role in the formation of recommendations for an agency-wide deliberative engagement process and training for appropriate workforce external engagement. In addition to providing quarterly FOIA training for new agency personnel, he has spoken at Records and Information Management conferences and American Archives Month speakers series. Topics include, “Transparency and Freedom of Information in the Digital Age” and “The Value of Military Intelligence Post Mission.” He holds a M.S. from Simmons University School of Library and Information Science and a B.S. in History from Coppin State University. Recognizing the difficulties and obstacles in working with FOIA even within the same agency, Chris pursued a seven-month, part-time assignment in the agency’s archives where he conducted research for a number of FOIA cases and attained a deeper understanding of the housed content. Each FOIA case was used as a learning tool in conveying the level of effort required in conducting archival research to the FOIA officers. Upon the end of his assignment, he conducted formal archival research training to the FOIA officers and managed their expectations by explaining the differences between library and archival research. As a result, FOIA officers now reach out to the agency archives for reference assistance rather than research tasking. This improved process has lessened the workload of archivists, shortened response time of FOIA cases requesting archived records, and ensured the reasonable nature of archival searches as FOIA officers now have greater influence in the way these searches are conducted.James HolzerDirector -- James has over 20 years of progressive program management experience with federal programs and the military. He has expert knowledge in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy Act (PA) administration. He serves as a key adviser to the Chief Privacy Officer/Chief FOIA Officer, Deputy Chief FOIA Officer and other senior Executive level DHS leaders on department-wide policies and program objectives on matters that pertain to DHS record disclosure. He works closely with senior leadership throughout the Department and functions as an authority on information disclosure matters under the FOIA/PA. James also serves as a principal DHS point of contact with other Federal, State and local agencies and private organizations. He supports the DHS General Counsel in litigation filed pursuant to FOIA, often involving national security interests. James is skilled in providing strategic and project management leadership and a proven driver of organizational change who inspires continual process improvement while achieving clear, measurable results. He is a consensus builder with strong negotiating skills, resulting in rallying support in organizations. His background in the military, where he participated in several professional organizations at various levels (e.g., President, Vice-President), provides additional knowledge of the inner workings of a large professional organization and helps provide context for how ASAP operates. In addition, he teaches several courses which he developed at local universities, which has provided him with unique insights into the challenges of putting together meaningful presentations for adult learners. These solid experiences and knowledge of non-profit organizations enable James to make continuing significant contributions to ASAP.Ginger McCallDirector -- Ginger has worked as both a government open records attorney and an attorney for the requester community. She was formerly an Attorney Advisor at the Department of Labor, where she worked on public records, information law, and privacy issues. There she defended the Department against Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits, commented on the Department’s FOIA regulations, and commented on proposed FOIA legislation. Prior to her work in government, she was the Associate Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a public interest research center, where she directed the Center’s Open Government Program. She managed EPIC's FOIA litigation and worked on a variety of related issues, including consumer privacy protection, international privacy law, and national security matters. Ms. McCall has twice served on the FOIA Federal Advisory Committee, where she has led two subcommittees dedicated to researching and proposing improvements on the implementation of the FOIA. Ms. McCall has also taught a course on the Law of Open Government at Georgetown University Law Center. She co-edited Litigation Under the Federal Government Laws 2010, has been published in the New York Times, and has co-authored several friend-of-the-court briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. McCall has provided expert commentary for local, national, and international media, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News, NPR, MSNBC, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and Al Jazeera. Ms. McCall graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh and received her law degree from Cornell Law School. She is barred in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and the District of Columbia. Ms. McCall served on the ASAP board as vice president in 2015-2016.Patrice ParkerDirector -- Patrice has been a member of the DoD Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Habeas and FOIA team, since November 2016. She is a Florida licensed attorney and started her career as an Assistant Public Defender in the office of the Honorable Bob Dillinger, Public Defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, where she tried a variety of misdemeanor, juvenile and felony cases; managed the Public Defender's Homeless Outreach program; and represented clients held involuntarily under the Florida Mental Health Act or Sexual Violent Predators’ Treatment and Care Act. In the fall of 2009, she took a position at the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) Special Security Office (SSO) where she wrote Standard Operating Procedures for proper classification, reviewed materials for declassification, and wrote the SSO's Privacy Act Statement. She eventually transitioned to CENTCOM's Freedom of Information Act Office (FOIA) where she managed a large FOIA and Privacy Act portfolio. From the fall of 2012 until 2016, she was a member of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Joint Staff (OSD/JS) Freedom of Information Division as a contractor and brought on as a federal government employee in 2014. Patrice handled everything from initial FOIA requests to complex FOIA litigation cases. In her current role as an Associate Deputy General Counsel, she answers FOIA requests for DoD OGC, advises senior leaders and OSD/JS offices on FOIA matters, manages a FOIA litigation portfolio, and represents the DoD in habeas corpus cases. Additionally, she is helping stand up a new FOIA litigation team within DoD OGC.Kellie RobinsonDirector -- Kellie serves as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program Manager/FOIA Public Liaison, for the Department of State. She is responsible for ensuring that the Department‘s policies and procedures are established and that they are in compliance with FOIA, FOIA Amendments, Executive Orders, case law, and government-wide policy changes. She works to improve awareness of FOIA programs and policies throughout the State Department developing training curriculums and then training staff through briefings and sessions about different aspects of the FOIA, updates or changes to FOIA policy or law, any update or changes to the Department’s FOIA policies or procedures, and any other relevant FOIA matters. As the Department’s FOIA Public Liaison she is an advisor to senior leadership, the Department bureaus and offices and other federal agencies on all matters related to FOIA processing and policy matters at the Department. Assisting in the resolution of disputes between the requester and the Department acting as a conduit between the public and the Department, especially when there are issues with FOIA requests and/or the FOIA process._3b31927a-2a87-11e2-add7-ef5fbfd8e79dTo bring government FOIA and Privacy Act personnel in touch with the requester community._3b319a90-2a87-11e2-add7-ef5fbfd8e79dEthical StandardsStatement of Principles of The American Society of Access Professionals -- All professions demand the highest qualities of integrity from their members. They require active adherence to ethical standards and moral responsibilities in addition to judgment, intellect, and technical competence. This statement of principles is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday conduct of access professionals having responsibility to: * facilitate and advance effective methods, procedures, and techniques of administering statutes pertaining to the availability of records or information contained therein or open meetings; * promote improved liaison, communication, and education among persons whose positions require an understanding of such statutes, sometimes called "access laws" (i.e., freedom of information, privacy protection, sunshine, fair credit reporting, etc.); * enhance understanding and appreciation of principles of fair information practice; * promote and facilitate citizen observation of and participation in government decision making through open official meetings or hearings; and * cooperate with government agencies, private organizations, and legislative committees in seeking creative solutions to problems inherent in such laws or legislative proposals. IntegrityMoral ResponsibilityJudgment Intellect Technical CompetenceTrainingConduct seminars on the FOIA and PA._f55cf98a-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea001Training Series -- This "nuts & bolts" program is a series of one-day seminars on the FOIA and PA. The first day serves as an entry level program or refresher course, covering comprehensive overviews of each Act. The second and third days are designed to cover more advanced topics. The series is usually held in the Washington, D.C. area in late spring or summer._3b319d42-2a87-11e2-add7-ef5fbfd8e79dConferenceBring educational opportunities beyond the Washington, D.C. area._f55cfbc4-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea002National Training Conference (NTC) -- This program was created to bring educational opportunities beyond the Washington, D.C. area. The program combines "nuts & bolts" type training topics with the thought-provoking and practical issues associated with FOIA and Privacy Act processing and requesting. A special feature of the program is concurrent breakout sessions for individual agencies, thereby giving personnel a unique opportunity for Questions & Answers as they pertain to their own agency policies. The program is usually two or three days depending upon the venue. The venue is rotated throughout the nation with the program typically held the first week in March._f55cfd72-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea00SeminarsSponsor luncheon seminars highlighting FOI or Privacy issues._f55cff16-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea003Food-For-Thought Training -- ASAP sponsors three to four luncheon seminars each year highlighting a specific FOI, or Privacy, topic or issue. Speakers and topics vary according to interest levels and have included high profile members of the judicial branch, congressional staffers, journalists, new or proposed regulations, web page content, appeal processes, etc. The program is designed to attract 20-50 people in an informal setting, conducive to questions and answers. ASAP underwrites the major costs of this program._f55d0196-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea00JobsMaintain an informal job bank._f55d031c-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea004Job Vacancy Notifications -- ASAP maintains an informal job bank. From time to time, ASAP receives job opening notices from federal agencies that are in turn distributed to members who are opted in for the distribution list._f55d04d4-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea00VisionDevelop the vision and shape the future of information access and privacy._f55d066e-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea005Credibility -- Benefit by belonging. All members agree to abide by the Statement of Principles and help develop the vision and shape the future of information access and privacy._f55d07fe-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea00NetworkingBuild relationships with other access professionals._f55d09c0-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea006Members take advantage of the relationships they build with other access professionals._f55d0b5a-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea00ScholarshipProvide financial assistance for undergraduate and/or graduate students._f55d0cfe-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea007Undergraduate StudentsGraduate StudentsThe Diane Flores Korwin Scholarship is intended to provide financial assistance for undergraduate and/or graduate students._f55d0f56-ac4f-11ea-a7ad-d1e21283ea002006-12-172020-06-11https://www.accesspro.org/about-asap/who-we-are/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net