Executive & General
Correspondence
Guidelines
2 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
Revised November, 2019
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 3
Revised November, 2019
Introduction
Welcome to the Executive and General Correspondence Guidelines.
Historically, there have been two sets of guidelines. One set was authored by the Executive Assistants
Group (EAG) and one by the Office of the Governor (GOV). In an effort to streamline efforts, make work
more efficient, and simplify your work product, EAG and GOV have collaborated and combined the
guidelines.
• SECTION 1 contains information about correspondence format, addresses and salutations, and
mailing and writing tips.
• SECTION 2 provides references for style, grammar, and usage.
• SECTION 3 describes the Governor’s correspondence and referral process.
In addition to these guidelines, you can find helpful information in the Gregg Reference Manual and the
Governor’s Plain Talk webpage: http://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/efficient-government/plain-
talk. We follow the Gregg Reference Manual.
We hope you will find this document useful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to
contact EAG at eag@executiveassistantsgroup.org. If you have a question regarding the Governor’s
Constituent Service Unit, contact Jeanne Blackburn at J[email protected].
Thank you for all of the good work you do for the residents of the state of Washington.
4 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
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Table of Contents
SECTION 1 ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Correspondence Formats and Tips ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Letter Format ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Continuation Pages .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Memo Format ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
Address/Salutation Formats ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Mailing Tips ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Tips for Letter-Writing ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Tips on Professional E-mail Etiquette ...................................................................................................................... 12
SECTION 2 ............................................................................................................ 15
References ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Word Usage ............................................................................................................................................................. 15
Capitalization ........................................................................................................................................................... 16
Citations ................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Numbers .................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Americans with Disabilities Act ................................................................................................................................ 20
SECTION 3 ............................................................................................................ 21
Governor’s Office Correspondence and Referrals ................................................................................................................. 21
Referrals from the Governor's Office ....................................................................................................................... 22
Overview of the Referral Sheet ................................................................................................................................ 22
Casework Referral .................................................................................................................................................... 23
Executive (VIP) Correspondence Referrals .............................................................................................................. 24
General Correspondence Referrals .......................................................................................................................... 25
Responding to an IQ Referral ................................................................................................................................... 25
Closing out an IQ Referral ........................................................................................................................................ 27
Example of Referral Sheet ....................................................................................................................................... 28
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 5
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SECTION 1
Correspondence Formats and Tips
Letter Format
AGENCY LETTERHEAD
February 7, 2015 4 Returns
The Honorable John Doe
U.S. House of Representatives
1234 Wisdom Street
Anytown, DC 99546 2 Returns
Re: Anytown 2 Returns
Dear Congressman Doe: 2 Returns
Thank you for contacting my office. I appreciate hearing from you. 2 Returns
Views and comments such as yours frequently give my staff and me valuable insights into the important issues
facing people in communities throughout our state. We rely on the calls and letters we receive to help us
determine what is working and what isn't, and where we need to concentrate our efforts. 2 Returns
Again, thank you for contacting me about this matter. We will certainly consider your message, and look
forward to hearing from you if you have further questions or comments. 2 Returns
Sincerely, 4 Returns
Joe Director (Do not type name in all caps)
Title 2 returns
Enclosures (2) 2 returns
cc: Jane Doe, President, DOE Enterprises
• Full-block style.
• First page top margin: 2.25 inches.
• Bottom, left, right margins: 1 inch.
• Right margin not justified.
• Single space.
• Font: 12 point.
• For letters to be signed by the
Governor, use Times New Roman.
• For letters to be signed by the
Governor, use one space after
punctuation.
• The Washington-shaped logo is
only used for Governor’s Office
correspondence.
• Enclosure is used for letters.
• Attachment is used for memos.
• In Gregg, the re: line is below the salutation – we show
it above the salutation, which is the common practice.
• For letters to be signed by the
Governor, he prefers:
Very truly yours,
• For signature use:
Jay Inslee
Governor
• A letter to be signed by the
Governor should not contain the
initials of the person who typed it.
6 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
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Continuation Pages
The Honorable John Doe
February 7, 2013 (Make sure date is before the page number)
Page 2 (Page number should be in numeric format) 2 returns
(In Gregg, the positions of the date and page number are reversed. Our example shows the common practice.)
Memo Format
Depending on the degree of formality, letters and memos may be used interchangeably within Washington
State government agencies. Memos should not be sent outside Washington State government agencies.
AGENCY LETTERHEAD
February 7, 2015 4 Returns
TO: State Agency Directors 2 Returns
FROM: Joe Director, Title 2 Returns
SUBJECT: 2013 Washington State Employee Appreciation 3 Returns
Thank you for contacting my office. I appreciate hearing from you. 2 Returns
Views and comments such as yours frequently give my staff and me valuable insights into the important issues
facing people in communities throughout our state. We rely on the calls and letters we receive to help us
determine what is working and what isn't, and where we need to concentrate our efforts. 2 Returns
Again, thank you for contacting me about this matter. We will certainly consider your message, and look
forward to hearing from you if you have further questions or comments. 4 Returns
¶Attachments (3) 2 Returns
cc: Jane Doe
• Use plain paper (not letterhead).
• Top margin: 1 inch.
• Enclosure is used for letters.
• Attachment is used for memos.
• Bottom, left, right margins: 1 inch.
• Right margin not justified.
• Single space.
• Font: 12 point.
• For Governor’s correspondence,
use Times New Roman.
• For Governor’s correspondence
use one space after punctuation.
• The Washington-shaped logo is
only used for Governor’s Office
correspondence.
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Address/Salutation Formats
Do not abbreviate a person’s title – use Chief Executive Officer instead of CEO; Corporal Jack Jones, not CPL
Jack Jones, etc.
Envelopes should be printed in the same font as the letter, directly on the envelope or on a label.
City
The Honorable John Doe, Mayor Dear Mayor Doe:
City of Olympia
The Honorable Mary Doe Dear Councilman/woman Doe:
Olympia City Council
Chief John S. Doe Dear Chief Doe:
Olympia Police Department
County
The Honorable John Doe Dear Commissioner Doe:
Thurston County Commissioner
The Honorable John Doe Dear Executive Doe:
King County Executive
Sheriff Jane Smith Dear Sheriff Smith:
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office
State
The Honorable Suzie Smith Dear Representative Smith:
House of Representatives
The Honorable John Doe Dear Senator Doe:
State Senate
The Honorable Jay Inslee Dear Governor Inslee:
Governor of Washington
The Honorable Kim Wyman Dear Secretary Wyman:
Secretary of State
Federal
The Honorable Patty Murray Dear Senator Murray:
U.S. Senate
The Honorable John Doe Dear Congressman/woman Doe:
U.S. House of Representatives
Tribal
The Honorable John Doe Dear Chairman/woman Doe:
Quinault Nation
8 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
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Mailing Tips
Envelopes
• Envelopes should be printed in the same font as the letter, directly on the envelope or on a label.
• The United States Postal Services provides these guidelines:
All capital letters
No punctuation
At least 10-point type
One space between city and state
Two spaces between state and ZIP Code
• Consolidated Mail Services provides these guidelines:
The individual's name:
MR JOHN SMITH
The division or work unit:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
The department:
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The PO Box number:
PO BOX 42565
The city, state, and ZIP+4:
OLYMPIA WA 98504-2565
OR
The individual’s name:
MR JOHN SMITH
The division or work unit:
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
The department:
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The street address:
123 ANY STREET
The PO Box number:
PO BOX 42565
The city, state, and ZIP+4:
OLYMPIA WA 98504-2565
Do not type a person's title and office on the same line.
Do
Don't
John Doe
Chief of Staff
Office of the Governor
OR
John Doe, Chief of Staff
Office of the Governor
John Doe
Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor
• For District of Columbia, use DC (USPS, Appendix B).
• In order to determine whether to use No. or the pound sign (#). If using the pound sign there should be
one space between the symbol and the number.
618 OHIO AVENUE # 513
• Spell out numbers 1 through 10
177 SECOND AVENUE
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• Use numerals for numbers over 10
144 65th STREET
• If an address contains a string of numbers, do not put a dash between them:
12345 14th AVENUE
Window Envelopes
Leave a clear space of at least 1/8 inch between the address and all edges of the window of an envelope.
Campus Mail
Foreign Mail
Include the name of the country on all mail sent outside the United States. Separate it from other mail because
it will require additional postage. Mark the pink slip as “International” and address the envelope using either
of the following formats:
Foreign Country Canada
MR/S CUSTOMER MR/S CUSTOMER
123 JONES STREET 123 JONES STREET
BOTUCATU SAO PAULO VICTORIA Z4C 286
BRAZIL CANADA
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Tips for Letter-Writing
General Guidelines
• State the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph.
• Double check spelling of names and addresses.
• Be conservative in the use of acronyms. When using, spell out the name or phrase the first time used
(e.g., Office of Financial Management (OFM).
• Keep letters to one page if at all possible. The Governor prefers Times New Roman 12 font, side and
bottom margins of 1 inch, and a top margin of 2.25 inches. However, you can revert to 11.5 font, side
margins of .75, a top margin of 2, and a bottom margin of .5 in order to fit a letter on one page.
• Plurals Agreement: Your dedication to children, families, and your community is greatly appreciated.
Your energy and dedication to your community are greatly appreciated.
• Double check subject-verb agreement.
• Redundancies: Do not repeat the same word or phrase several times in the same sentence, paragraph,
or letter, if at all possible.
• Use the active voice. Avoid the passive voice.
Active: I believe . . .
Passive: It is believed . . .
Courtesy Copy Notations
• Type cc at the left margin, followed by a colon. Your word processing program may automatically
change it to a Cc. Make sure you use two lowercase letters.
• If you are sending a copy to only one person, insert 2 spaces between the colon and the person's name.
cc: John Doe
• If you are sending copies to multiple people, insert a tab after the colon in order to start all the names
at the same point.
cc: John Doe
Jane Doe
Followed by name, title, and agency (title isn't always necessary, but the rest are). An example of a
correct notation is:
cc: David Postman, Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor
• Courtesy copy notations should be listed in this order:
U.S. Senators & Representatives
Governors
State Senators
State Representatives
Other Elected Officials
Agency Directors (secretaries or commissioners)
Private Citizens
Governor's Staff
• "In care of" notations should contain a lowercase c, slash, and lowercase o.
(Word processing programs will incorrectly auto-capitalize the c.)
Professor James Smith
c/o Mr. Henry Jones
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Preparing a Letter for the Governor's Signature
• The Governor prefers certain openings and closings to a letter:
Examples of preferred openings include:
Thank you for your recent letter regarding . . .
I respectfully request your consideration of . . .
I support Washington State's application for . . .
Examples of preferred closings include:
Again, thank you for contacting me about . . .
Thank you for your consideration.
• Avoid the phrases "I feel" and "I think." The Governor prefers "I believe" and "I am confident."
• Watch out for the collective "we." Letters should sound as if the Governor wrote them himself. In
general, "I" is preferred. Also, "I understand" should be used when an agency has provided the
Governor with certain information or statistics.
• Avoid passive/weak voice.
PASSIVE: Tomorrow, I will be announcing a revolutionary new program.
PREFERRED: Tomorrow, I will announce a revolutionary new program.
PASSIVE: I am hoping to visit Spokane next week.
PREFERRED: I hope to visit Spokane next week.
WEAK: I wanted to tell you that our meeting has been canceled.
PREFERRED: I regret to inform you that our meeting has been canceled. OR Our meeting has been
canceled.
WEAK: I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your many valuable contributions.
PREFERRED: I am pleased to have this opportunity to thank you for your many valuable contributions.
OR Thank you for your many valuable contributions.
When including a phone or fax number, it is acceptable to use any of these styles.
Examples:
(360) 123-4567 (Gregg recommends use of hyphens)
360.123.4567
360/123-4567
360 123 4567
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Tips on Professional E-mail Etiquette
The purpose of e-mail, like all writing, is to communicate. If you prioritize speed at the expense of correctness,
you will make your e-mail recipient spend needless time trying to decipher what it is you want to
communicate.
1. Include a clear, direct subject line.
Examples of a good subject line include "Meeting date changed," "Quick question about your
presentation," or "Suggestions for the proposal."
People often decide whether to open an e-mail based on the subject line. Choose one that lets readers know
you are addressing their concerns or business issues.
2. Use a professional e-mail address and e-mail background.
If you work for an agency, you should use your agency e-mail address.
You should always have an e-mail address that conveys your name so that the recipient knows exactly
who is sending the e-mail.
Using an Outlook stationary for your e-mail background is not recommended.
3. Think twice before hitting ‘reply all.’
No one wants to read e-mails from 20 people that have nothing to do with them. Ignoring the e-mails can
be difficult, with many people getting notifications of new messages on their smartphones or distracting
pop-up messages on their computer screens. Refrain from hitting "reply all" unless you really think
everyone on the list needs to receive the e-mail.
4. Include a signature block.
Provide your reader with some information about you. Generally, this would state your full name, title, the
agency name, and your contact information, including a phone number. It is advised that “replies” should
also contain the same information so that the reader does not have to scroll down to find your information.
Use the same font, type size as the rest of the e-mail. Black is the preferred color of the font.
You may also want to include pronouns in your signature block. Including your preferred pronouns in your
e-mail signature is an important move towards inclusivity, no matter what your gender is.
What are Pronouns (or “Gender Pronouns” / “Preferred Gender Pronouns”)?
Pronouns are used in language all the time when referring to ourselves or other people. Examples of
pronouns you might use to refer to others are:
• he/him/his (for someone who might identify as male),
• she/her/hers (for someone who might identify as female),
• they/them/their (for someone who might not identify strictly as male or female, these pronouns are
considered “gender neutral.” They are also used when referring to multiple people).
5. Use professional salutations.
Do not use laid-back, colloquial expressions like, "Hey you guys," "Yo," or "Hi folks."
The relaxed nature of our writings should not affect the salutation in an e-mail. "Hey is a very informal
salutation and generally it should not be used in the workplace. “Yo” is not okay either.
Use “Hi” or “Hello” instead.
Do not shorten names. The recommendation is to write "Hi Michael," unless you are certain he prefers to
be called "Mike."
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6. Use exclamation points sparingly.
If you choose to use an exclamation point, use only one to convey excitement.
People sometimes get carried away and put a number of exclamation points at the end of their sentences.
The result can appear too emotional or immature.
7. Be cautious with humor.
Humor can easily get lost in translation without the right tone or facial expressions. In a professional
exchange, it is better to leave humor out of e-mails unless you know the recipient well. In addition,
something that you think is funny might not be funny to someone else.
Something perceived as funny when spoken may come across very differently when written. When in
doubt, leave it out.
8. Know that people from different cultures speak and write differently.
Miscommunication can easily occur because of cultural differences, especially in the writing form when
we cannot see one another's body language. Tailor your message to the receiver's cultural background or
how well you know them.
Individuals from high-context cultures (Japanese, Arab, or Chinese) want to get to know you before
proceeding. Therefore, it may be common for associates from these countries to be more personal in their
writings. On the other hand, people from low-context cultures (German, American, or Scandinavian)
prefer to get to the point very quickly.
9. Reply to your e-mails--even if the e-mail was not intended for you.
It is difficult to reply to every e-mail message ever sent to you, but you should try to. This includes when
the e-mail was accidentally sent to you, especially if the sender is expecting a reply. A reply is not
necessary but serves as good e-mail etiquette.
Here is an example reply: "I know you're very busy, but I don't think you meant to send this e-mail to me. I
thought you should know so you could send it to the correct person."
10. Proofread every message.
Your mistakes will not go unnoticed by the recipients of your e-mail. Depending upon the recipient, you
may be judged for making them.
Do not rely on spell-checkers. Read and re-read your e-mail a few times, preferably aloud, before sending
it.
You have more options with e-mail closings than openings. If you are making a request or filing a
complaint, "Thank you" works well. "Best" is a good all-around ending. Some letter closings also work
well with e-mail, including "Sincerely" and "Regards."
11. Add the e-mail address last.
You do not want to send an e-mail accidentally before you have finished writing and proofing the
message. Even when you are replying to a message, it is a good precaution to delete the recipient's address
and insert it only when you are sure the message is ready to be sent.
12. Double-check that you have selected the correct recipient.
Pay careful attention when typing a name from your address book on the e-mail's "To" line. It is easy to
select the wrong name, which can be embarrassing to you and to the person who receives the e-mail by
mistake.
14 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
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13. Keep your fonts classic.
Purple Comic Sans has a time and a place, but for business correspondence, keep your fonts, colors, and
sizes classic.
The cardinal rule: Your e-mails should be easy for other people to read.
Generally, it is best to use 10- or 12- point type and an easy-to-read font such as Arial, Calibri, or Times
New Roman. As for color, black is the safest choice.
14. Keep tabs on your tone.
Just as jokes get lost in translation, tone is easy to misconstrue without the context you would get from
vocal cues and facial expressions. Accordingly, it is easy to come off as more abrupt that you might have
intended--you meant "straightforward;" they read "angry and curt."
To avoid misunderstandings, read your message aloud before sending. If it sounds harsh to you, it will
sound harsh to the reader.
For best results, avoid using unequivocally negative words ("failure," "wrong," or "neglected"), and
always say "please" and "thank you."
15. Nothing is confidential--so write accordingly. Public Records Act Chapter 42.56 RCW
E-mail is included in the Public Records Act. Be very careful in creating and responding to e-mail. Always
remember every electronic message leaves a trail.
A basic guideline is to assume that others will see what you write. Do not write anything you would not
want everyone to see. A more liberal interpretation: Do not write anything that would be ruinous to you or
your agency. After all, e-mail is dangerously easy to forward, and it is better to be safe than sorry.
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 15
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SECTION 2
References
Introduction
This section contains references for common questions regarding style, grammar, and usage. For more
references, see:
• The Gregg Reference Manual
• The Bluebook, a Uniform System of Citation
• Governor's Plain Talk Website:
http://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/efficient-government/plain-
talk
Word Usage
Word Usage
Examples
Agencywide is one word, not hyphenated.
A lot (NOT alot) Many or much.
Thanks a lot for your help.
Affect-Effect
Affect vt. To influence.
Effect n. Result; vt. To bring about.
The storm may affect our schedule.
It will be months before we can assess the full
effect [result] of the new law.
It is essential that we effect [bring about] an
immediate improvement in sales.
Allot vt. To assign a portion for a particular
purpose.
You will have to allot a portion of the budget
to cover unforeseen expenses.
a.m./p.m. Always lowercase with periods.
Assure vt. To inform confidently; to cause to feel
sure.
Assure, ensure, and insure all mean "to make
certain." Only assure is used to refer to a person
in the sense of "set the mind at rest."
I want to assure you that nothing will go
wrong.
Ensure vt. To make certain.
I want to ensure that nothing can go wrong
tomorrow.
Insure vt. To cover with insurance; to make
certain or secure.
I want to insure this necklace for $5,000.
In regards to. Substitute in regard to, with
regard to, regarding, or as regards
I am writing in regard to your letter of May 1.
Its-it’s. Its is a possessive pronoun.
It’s stands for “it is” or "it has."
The company must protect its assets.
It's time to go to the meeting.
Per-a. Per is often used to mean "by the," as in
28 miles per gallon. Whenever possible,
substitute a or an; for example, $8 an hour.
Percent is always spelled out as one word.
Principal-Principle.
Principal adj. Foremost in importance; n. One
who holds of post of presiding rank; sum of
money invested.
adj. My principal reason for quitting
n. The principal of the school; receiving an
excellent return on my principal
16 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
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Principle n. A basic law or rule; Moral or ethical
standards
A key principle of economics; a person of
principle
Statewide is one word not hyphenated.
Which-that. Which and that are used when
referring to places, objects, and animals. Which
is always used to introduce nonessential clauses,
and that is ordinarily used to introduce essential
clauses.
Who-that. Who and that both may be used when
referring to persons. Use who when the
individual person or group is meant. Use that
when the collective class or type is meant.
Who-whom.
Who is used when he, she, they, I, or we, could
be substituted. Whom is used when him, her,
them, me, or us could be substituted.
Who's-whose. Who's stands for "who is" or
"who has." Whose is the possessive form of who.
Who's going to the meeting?
Whose notes are these?
Capitalization
Refrain from over-capitalization, especially in instances such as "This program has proved to be extremely
valuable." Do not capitalize "program" in that sentence.
• biennium: capitalized only when referring to a specific biennium.
2001-03 Biennium
The funds appropriated for this biennium
• committee, commission, board, department, director: capitalized only when referring to a specific
body already mentioned by its full name.
• federal: capitalized only when it is part of the official name of a federal agency.
the Federal Reserve Board
subject to federal, state, and local laws
• Governor: always capitalized.
• Governor's Mansion: always capitalized.
• Legislature, 2010 Legislative Session, Congress, Senate, House, House of Representatives: always
capitalized.
• legislative, legislator, legislation: not capitalized.
• senator, representative: Do not capitalize unless senator and representative precede a name.
• state: capitalize only when it follows the name of a state.
Washington State
the state of Washington
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 17
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Citations
Follow the guidelines set by the Revised Code of Washington, Washington Administrative Code, and the Office
of Reporter of Decisions, which prepares the decisions and opinions of the Supreme Court and the Court of
Appeals for publication.
RCW Sections
RCW 1.08.010
RCW 1.08.010(3) -- not "subsection (3) of RCW 1.08.010"
RCW 1.08.010(3)(a)(ii)
RCW 1.08.010(3) and (5)
RCW 1.08.010 and 1.08.015
RCW 1.08.010, 1.08.016, and 1.08.037
RCW 1.08.010 through 1.08.140 for an inclusive string
RCW Chapters
chapter 34.05 RCW
chapter 24.03 or 24.06 RCW
chapter 24.03 and 24.06 RCW
chapter 24.03, 24.06, and 34.05 RCW
RCW Titles
Title 43 RCW
Title 43 and 44 RCW
Title 34, 43, and 90 RCW
WAC
WAC 296-34-020
chapter 296-34 WAC
Title 296 WAC
Session Laws
Session Laws Laws of 2002, ch. 107 § 3
Special Sessions Laws of 1995, 2d Spec. Sess., ch. 14, § 21
Extraordinary Sessions Laws of 1963, 1st Ex. Sess., ch. 26
18 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
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Numbers
Basic Form
• Spell out numbers ten and under. Use figures for numbers over ten.
five requests 35 employees
• Spell out a number that begins a sentence, as well as any related numbers.
Eight hundred employees worked that day.
• Express numbers in the millions or higher as a combination of words and figures.
45 million 2.4 billion
Ordinal Numbers
• Spell out ordinal numbers that can be expressed in one or two words.
eighth grade forty-first reunion
Age
• Use figures (including 1 through 10) if the age is used as a significant statistic.
Joe Smith was 41 years old when he was injured.
The claimant is a 23-year-old man.
• Spell out in formal writing.
My son is three years old.
Dates
• When the day precedes the month or stands alone, use ordinal figures or words.
The claimant was hospitalized from Monday, the 2d of August, through Thursday,
the 5th.
• When the day follows the month, use cardinal figures.
August 13, 1992 February 1993
• Do not use a comma when writing only the month and year.
August 1990
• Do not separate the month from the day at the end of a line of text.
Percentages
• Use figures and always spell out percent.
18 percent 1 percent
Money
• Use figures for exact or approximate amounts of money.
$5.60 $125
over $1500 $44 million
30 cents $44,345,478
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Clock Time
• Always use figures with a.m. or p.m. For time "on the hour," zeros are not needed. Do not use a.m. or
p.m. with o'clock.
4:30 p.m. 3:30 to 6 p.m.
• Noon and midnight may be expressed in words alone. However, use the forms 12 noon and 12
midnight when the times are given with other times expressed in figures.
12 noon 4:30 p.m.
Plurals
Do Don't
Sixes and Sevens
6s and 7s
6's and 7's
Fiscal Years
Fiscal Year 2005-06 2005-2006 fiscal period
FTE Staff Years
3.1 FTE staff years 3.1 FTEs
20 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
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Americans with Disabilities Act
Under the ADA and the Governor's Executive Order on Implementing EO 96-04, public documents must be
made available in alternate format, upon request, to people with disabilities to ensure effective
communication.
Types of alternate format include Braille, large print, readers, audio tape, and computer disk. When producing
a brochure or other publication for distribution, include a statement with directions on who to contact, such as
the agency's ADA coordinator, to obtain the information in an alternate format.
Other resources include:
Americans with Disabilities website: www.ada.gov
Washington School for the Blind, Braille Access Center: www.wssb.org
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 21
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SECTION 3
Governor’s Office Correspondence and Referrals
Introduction
The role of the Governor’s Constituent Services Unit (CSU) is to receive comments, questions, concerns, and
complaints made to the Governor’s Office and help expedite responses to constituents through appropriate and
timely referrals to the state agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction.
The Governor’s Office receives hundreds of
thousands of inquiries every year regarding the
business of the state (and sometimes other levels of
government, as well) and depends on you to help
respond to these inquiries. Governor Inslee believes
that we should respond to as many people as possible
in a timely, accurate, and efficient manner, with
particular attention to addressing specific questions
and concerns. Your cooperation and timely responses
are vital to the Governor’s CSU Team.
The information that follows provides context around when and why a referral is being made to your agency;
information on how referrals are made; and instruction on how to respond to referrals made to your agency
through the Governor’s database (IQ). It also details how to make a request for a letter from the Governor,
including what should be included in a letter for the Governor’s signature.
If you have a question regarding a specific referral or have ideas or suggestions about how to improve our
process, please feel free to contact the Director of Constituent Services, Jeanne Blackburn, at (360) 902-0387
or [email protected]ov.
Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.
THE GOVERNOR’S
SIGNATURE CANNOT BE
USED WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF CSU.
22 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
Revised November, 2019
Referrals from the Governor's Office
There are two main styles of referral that will come to your office:
• Casework Referral
• Executive Correspondence
An e-mail referral will come to you as “re: Governor Referral (Intranet
Quorum IMA123456)” from [email protected]
. The
process that agencies use to handle these referrals may vary. We rely on
the correspondence/referral coordinator to assist us in getting the
information we need from the appropriate unit or staff member. We ask
that you let us know of any changes to your agency’s
correspondence/referral coordinator information as soon as possible so
we may update our records.
Overview of the Referral Sheet
Every constituent contact is tracked in a database called Intranet
Quorum (IQ). An example of the referral sheet can be found at the end
of this section.
Contact Date - The date the Governor's Office received the constituent
contact (this information is listed on the top of the referral sheet).
IQ ID:
• All constituent contacts received by the Governor's Office are
entered into the IQ system and receive a unique IQ identification
number. The seven-digit Work Flow number appears in the top
left corner of the referral cover sheet.
• If the Governor receives several constituent contacts on the same
topic, we may "batch" them together in the database for ease of
tracking and responding. There may be a notation in the Routing
Instructions portion of the Referral Sheet indicating that CSU
has multiple contacts on this issue. The Governor’s Office will
hold the “batch” while awaiting draft language from your
agency for the Governor’s response.
Referred to: Identifies the staff person or agency responsible for determining the appropriate response to
the constituent.
Routing Instructions: A short summary of the subject matter or special directions.
Action: Designates the type of response needed (see below). If an agency believes an action different from
the one designated is necessary, please contact the staff member who made the referral.
• FYI – Material is being sent for your information only. There is no need to respond to the constituent
or CSU, unless you have important information you wish to share.
• Please Advise – Please advise whether or not the incoming letter requires a response or provide
information on the appropriate course of action.
• Please Respond – We are required to issue a response from the Governor. Please provide draft
language to be used in the response.
The IMA number is unique to
each referral.
When responding via e-mail,
please do not change the
subject line on the e-mail.
The IMA number is necessary
for IQ to automatically load
your response into the
appropriate record.
Without the IMA#, we do not
automatically receive a
notification that you have
responded, and the
information that you have
provided to our office may get
lost
.
It is helpful if the e-mail
address to which we send
agency referrals is a shared
box, to ensure that referrals
are seen by a staff member
and handled appropriately,
even if the
correspondence/referral
coordinator is not available or
leaves the agency.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 23
Revised November, 2019
CC: Indicates other individuals/agencies who have received copies of this referral for informational purposes
only. Those receiving copies are not required to respond to the referral, however, those receiving copies
should contact the "referred to" individual or agency immediately if you have information you believe should
be included or considered as part of the response.
Message: Either a copied and pasted excerpt from the incoming correspondence or a brief summary from
CSU.
Referral Date: The date that the referral was made.
Due Back: Timely responses to correspondence are a priority for Governor Inslee. Due dates are two weeks
from the referral date. If you need an extension of this due date, please contact the person who made the
referral and provide information on the status of the referral as well as the reason why additional time is
needed.
Send Questions and Response to: This is the name of the staff member who made the referral. The final
agency response or information pertinent to the referral should be returned using “reply” to the original
referral e-mail received from the Governor’s Office staff member, remembering not to change the subject line!
Contact Information:
• From – Any contact information provided by the constituent, including his/her name, address, and/or
telephone number(s).
Casework Referral
Overview
Casework referrals are generally the result of a phone call, personal visit to the Governor's Office, or a
message through the Governor’s website. These matters are assigned to the CSU Caseworker.
Referral Process
After talking with the constituent (or based on the information left by a constituent on the CSU Casework
line), the Caseworker decides whether it is more appropriate for an agency or the Governor's Office to
respond. Even when the Caseworker takes the lead in handling the case, they may request information from an
agency with which to respond. Because these requests often are time-sensitive, the Caseworker may call the
agency to follow up after making the referral through IQ.
Deadline
If the Caseworker asks the agency to respond directly to the constituent, the agency should make the initial
constituent contact within 24 hours, with a follow-up call or a copy of a written response to the Caseworker.
Responding to and Closing Out the Referral
See guidelines on responding to IQ referrals.
See guidelines on closing out an IQ referral.
24 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
Revised November, 2019
Executive (VIP) Correspondence Referrals
Executive Correspondence refers to postal mail, faxes, e-mails, hotlines, etc. received from:
• Current elected officials (the President, members of Congress, statewide officials, state legislators
from Washington or other states, other governors, elected officials from cities or counties in
Washington) and most former elected officials
• State or federal cabinet members
• Governors' associations
• Officials and dignitaries from foreign countries
• Significant state or national organizations (e.g., labor unions, business organizations, social services
representatives, environmental groups, etc.)
• Recognized national, state, or community leaders
• Tribal members
• The Governor's family or personal friends
• Others, as deemed appropriate
All correspondence not defined as "executive" is considered General Correspondence.
Referral Process
The Executive Correspondence Manager will send all executive correspondence referrals to agencies as an e-
mail referral through IQ, including a PDF copy of the constituent correspondence and referral sheet. If you
have questions about this referral or the status of an executive letter, please contact the Executive
Correspondence Manager by e-mail, using “reply” to the original e-mail or by phone at (360) 902-4123. Please
have the workflow number ready when inquiring about a referral (Example WF#: IMA1234567).
Deadline
Agencies are given two (2) weeks to respond to executive correspondence referrals, unless otherwise
indicated. **IF YOU NEED AN EXTENSION ON THIS TIME FRAME, PLEASE CONTACT THE
EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE MANAGER**. Unless directed by the referral sheet to prepare a
response for the Governor's signature, agencies may respond in written form, via a telephone call, or through
personal contact with the constituent.
Letters for Governor's Signature
When an agency drafts a response for the Governor's signature, the agency correspondence/referral
coordinator should send it to the Executive Correspondence Manager via “reply” to original e-mail as a Word
attachment. The appropriate Policy Advisor will be asked to review the draft. The subject line should not be
altered in any way; it should show as "Governor's Referral (Intranet Quorum IMA123456)." The Executive
Correspondence Manager will be responsible for moving the letter through the approval process.
After the Governor signs a document, it is returned to the Executive Correspondence Manager, who will e-
mail and/or mail it and close the WF record. A copy of the signed response is then returned to the agency
correspondence/referral coordinator.
Rush Referrals
When a referral is labeled "RUSH," please work closely with the Executive Correspondence Manager to
expedite the response.
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 25
Revised November, 2019
General Correspondence Referrals
All correspondence not defined as "executive" is considered General Correspondence.
Referral Process
General correspondence referrals will be delivered via e-mail through IQ and will include a referral sheet as
well as a scanned copy of the original correspondence, e-mail, or notes from a phone call or personal contact
with the constituent. If you have questions about the referral, please contact the person who sent the referral by
e-mail, using “reply” to the original e-mail or by phone. Please have the workflow number ready when
inquiring about a referral.
Deadline
Agencies are given two (2) weeks to respond to general correspondence referrals unless otherwise indicated.
**IF YOU NEED AN EXTENSION ON THIS TIME FRAME, PLEASE CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE
MEMBER OF THE CONSTITUENT SERVICES STAFF**. Unless directed by the referral sheet or the
Governor’s staff to prepare a response for the Governor's signature, agencies may respond in written form, via
telephone call, or through personal contact with the constituent.
Responding to an IQ Referral
Salutations
• Executive Correspondence
o For executive correspondence, the Governor prefers the use of a formal salutation (e.g., Dear
Mayor).
• General Correspondence
o Governor Inslee prefers the use of a first-name salutation in response to most general
correspondence. Please use a first-name salutation unless the letter writer refers to
himself/herself otherwise. Tone and content of the letter also can provide guidance that the
writer would prefer to be addressed formally.
Style and Format
See Section 1.
Quality of Correspondence
Please be careful to ensure that the letter is accurate. Please use spell-check. Please confirm that the recipient's
name, address, and salutation are correct. We recommend that any response prepared for the Governor's
signature be reviewed by the agency's director or his or her designee.
Beginning a Response Letter
When responding directly to a constituent, please make it clear that you are responding at the request of the
Governor's Office. For example: "I have been asked to respond to your (letter/phone call) to Governor Inslee
regarding . . ."
Occasionally, we will refer a letter that has been forwarded to us from a congressional office. In those cases,
the congressional office has notified the constituent that the letter has been sent to the Governor. Therefore,
you need to reference both the member of Congress and the Governor in your response letter. For example:
"Governor Inslee has asked our agency to respond to the letter you sent to (name of U.S. Senator or
Representative) regarding . . ."
26 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
Revised November, 2019
Duplicate Letters
Personal computers have made it easy for correspondents to personalize the same letter to many people. In
addition, many constituents commonly fax and mail the same letter to the Governor.
If you receive a referral from the Governor's Office that is a duplicate of a letter that also was addressed to
your agency, call the person in the Governor's Office who referred the letter to discuss the best way to avoid
duplicating efforts. If you receive two referrals of the same letter addressed to the Governor (i.e., a faxed
version and a mailed version), please call the person who made the referral and arrange to have one of the
referrals deleted.
Multiple-issue Letters
Many constituents who write to the Governor address more than one issue, relating to different agencies of
state government. Your agency may receive a referral asking you to respond to a highlighted section of a
letter. Clearly indicate in your letter that you are responding only to the issue that is specific to your agency.
Also, as previously mentioned, we may ask for "draft language" to be included in a letter written by the
Governor's Executive Correspondence Manager. Please send suggested language via e-mail concerning the
issue we have asked you to address as soon as possible.
Dating Letters
Letters for the Governor's signature must be dated for a day when the Governor is in the state and acting as
Governor.
Enclosures, cc's, and bcc's
Please include all pertinent enclosures. Limit the number of cc's to those absolutely necessary. When drafting
letters for the Governor's signature, please provide the recipient’s title, organization, and e-mail address so we
may easily distribute cc's.
If you are including the CSU staff person as a cc to a response, please show it as: “cc: Governor’s
Office” or “cc: Governor’s Office, CSU.” CSU staff have been instructed not to give out their last name.
Please do not include the original referral from our office with the response to the constituent since it
identifies full names.
Form Letters with Multiple Addressees
Use mail merge format for any letters to be sent to three or more addressees. Electronically forward to CSU
the following attachments: template letter, database, and merged letters, as described below. Please follow
guidelines for letter format, address/salutation format and correspondence preferences, as described in these
guidelines.
• Template Letter – The actual letter to be merged, including properly placed data fields.
• Database – At minimum, include separate fields for Firstname, Lastname, Title, Address1, Address2,
City, State (if letters will be sent to different states), and Zipcode. (Note: if the field name contains
more than one word, do not insert a space between words.) When inputting data, be careful not to
inadvertently insert spaces after the entry. This will show up as a double space in the merged letters.
• Merged Documents – Proofread your merged documents for typographical and spacing errors before
forwarding them to the Governor’s Office for approval and/or distribution.
Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines 27
Revised November, 2019
Closing out an IQ Referral
After you have responded to a constituent referral, providing this information to CSU allows us to close out
the WF.
1. If a letter was sent directly to the constituent from someone in your agency, send to CSU using
“reply” to the original referral e-mail from the Caseworker or Executive Correspondence Manager:
• An electronic copy, in Word or PDF, of the response letter.
2. If an e-mail was sent directly to the constituent from someone in your agency, “reply” to the original
e-mail and attach an electronic copy of the e-mail response.
• DO NOT add the constituent services staff person as a cc to your original response to the constituent.
You can bcc the staff member if necessary.
3. If a letter was drafted for the Governor's signature, send the following via e-mail through IQ,
replying to the original e-mail. (If the IQ referral process does not work send these items through
MS Outlook):
• The proposed response letter saved as a Word attachment. (A signed PDF copy of the final letter will
be returned to your agency.)
• Electronic versions of enclosures, if applicable.
• A Word document in merge format containing the data needed to print letters and envelopes if a letter
has multiple addresses, cc's, or bcc's.
• An electronic copy of the original letter.
.
4. If we requested draft language, send:
• The draft language, via “reply” e-mail, in Word format, so we can easily incorporate it into the
Governor’s response.
5. If a response was made by telephone:
• Record the date and time the call was made, as well as a summary of the conversation. If the issue
required multiple conversations or contacts, be sure to record the date and time of each contact. Send
this information to CSU, via “reply” e-mail, to the person who made the referral to your agency.
Requesting a Letter for the Governor’s Signature
When a state agency requests a letter for the
Governor’s signature, it should be sent to the
Executive Correspondence Manager via e-mail as a
Word attachment to VIP[email protected]. The
subject line should read “Governor’s Correspondence,
Agency-Initiated.” Attach background information
and a brief memo from the agency’s director to the
Governor’s Chief of Staff explaining the need for the
requested letter. The Executive Correspondence
Manager will log the agency-initiated letter request into IQ, (assigning it a WF number), route it to the
appropriate Policy Advisor for approval, and track the letter through the approval process, assuming that the
Policy Advisor approves the request.
The Governor's Office requires at least two weeks to complete agency-initiated letters and other documents for
the Governor's signature. In the event that a letter is needed sooner, label it "RUSH" and include an
explanation for the letter's RUSH nature in the memo to the Chief of Staff. Please set clear deadlines for
NOTE THE
“GOVERNOR.WA.GOV”
EXTENSION (INSTEAD OF
“GOV.WA.GOV).”
28 Executive & General Correspondence Guidelines
Revised November, 2019
completion in your memo and work with the Executive Correspondence Manager to ensure that your deadlines
are met.
Review Process
Correspondence for the Governor's signature is edited and reviewed for content by Policy staff, the Executive
Correspondence Manager, the Director of Constituent Services, the Deputy Chief of Staff and, as needed,
other senior management staff. If questions arise during this process, we will contact you for additional
clarification or information.
We strongly encourage a review process within each agency for all letters for the Governor's signature, within
the parameters of the two-week response deadline. Letters to constituents reflect not only upon the Governor,
but upon all of state government, so please be mindful of appropriate tone, grammar, word choice, sentence
structure, clarity, implications of content, punctuation, spelling, etc.
Example of Referral Sheet
Generated from CSU
Office of the Governor
5/30/2019
IQ ID: 2013784
Mail Stop: 40002
When responding to this e-mail, please do not change the subject line.
REFERRAL DIRECTIONS
Referred To:
Charles Knutson
Office of Governor Jay Inslee, Policy
Routing Instructions:
Please advise whether a response is necessary.
Action:
Please Advise
CC:
[email protected];
Message
Letter requesting Real ID compliance assistance from various
Airline trade groups.
Referral Date:
May 30, 2019
Due Back:
Send Questions and Response To:
Maverick Ryan
CONTACT INFORMATION
From: Airlines for America
Phone(s):
Business: 1275 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 1300, Washington, DC 20004
Cell:
Home:
Fax: