Lisa D. Orchard

Lisa D. Orchard is an urban planner skilled in technical communications. It’s a unique combination! She helps other urban experts tell their stories by making their documents clear, effective, and engaging.

Since launching Scribe Technical, Lisa has worked with clients in government, industry, and non-profits who are changing the ways that we think about and shape our communities. She’s inspired by the work they’re doing and is committed to making it shine, whether they’re writing for decision makers, project partners, or the public.

Lisa values a collaborative process. She reviews drafts (or helps craft the first one!), assesses and recommends changes, and provides the right type and level of editing that’s needed. Along the way, she makes sure her clients understand why she’s making certain edits and provides style sheets where they would help build in-house capacity. To that end, she also offers customized webinars and training.

Lisa is a huge advocate for plain language, particularly for technical content, and goes beyond editing to help her clients learn how to apply key principles to their reports, plans, studies, proposals, and the many other documents they prepare every day. She volunteers with Plain Canada to advance civic clarity and expand the community of plain language professionals.

During almost two decades as an urban planner, she wrote countless internal and external documents, alone and with colleagues, in different voices, from different viewpoints. She understands how decisions get made, and how to write so that professional expertise is heard and taken seriously. Today, she’s delighted to be focused on delivering the top-quality, polished documents that her clients need to influence their audiences and transform their communities.

Lisa believes in always being a beginner at something (anything!) from the arts to IT. When she’s not reading or in a new class, you can find her at the Cooper Koo YMCA or walking on the Leslie Spit with friends and family.