Category: Public Engagement

The PIDB congratulates Ms. Sheryl Shenberger on being selected as a FY 2015 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award recipient. We understand the Presidential Rank Award Program honors high-performing career senior executives for “sustained extraordinary accomplishment.” The news of Ms. Shenberger being selected for the award was unsurprising to us. We have seen firsthand her dedication … Continue reading Sheryl Shenberger, Director of the NDC, Named Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award Recipient

On Friday, April 10, 2015, the National Declassification Center held a public forum, NDC Prioritization: What Secrets Do People Want to See? to discuss prioritization of its holdings as a way forward since the completion of the 351 million page backlog in February 2014. The public forum featured remarks from the Archivist of the United … Continue reading NDC Outlines Prioritization Plan

We are pleased that PIDB member William (Bill) Leary will participate as a panelist at the National Declassification Center’s next public forum. The forum’s theme is NDC Prioritization: What Secrets Do People Want to See?  This is an excellent opportunity for Mr. Leary to discuss the PIDB’s recent supplemental report, Setting Priorities: An Essential Step … Continue reading PIDB Member William Leary to Participate in NDC Public Forum on Prioritization

In our 2014 supplemental report, Setting Priorities: An Essential Step in Transforming Declassification, the PIDB advocated for a coordinated, government-wide approach to declassifying information based on those records most sought after and of most historical significance to the public.  To this end, we believe topic-based prioritization is a viable alternative to prioritizing records simply by … Continue reading Prioritization and the National Declassification Center

On behalf of the members of the Public Interest Declassification Board, I would like to congratulate Miriam Nisbet on the eve of her retirement from Federal  service.  Throughout her Federal career, she served with distinction as a tireless advocate for transparency and access to government records.  We first met Ms. Nisbet in her role as … Continue reading Retirement of Miriam Nisbet, Director of OGIS

On September 11-12, 2014, the PIDB traveled to College Station and Austin, Texas to see first-hand how the Presidential Libraries are providing access to their important holdings.  The PIDB would like to thank the Directors and staff at the George. H. W. Bush and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Libraries for hosting us.  We appreciated … Continue reading PIDB Visits Presidential Libraries and the Center for Content Understanding

On Friday, June 20, the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) held a congressional briefing on the Report to the President on Transforming the Security Classification System, which offered fourteen key recommendations on how to reform the security classification system to better reflect the digital age.  The need for increased transparency and improved public access to … Continue reading PIDB Holds Congressional Briefing on Transforming the Security Classification System

The members and staff of the Public Interest Declassification Board attended and participated in many events last week to commemorate Sunshine Week. We thank the public and representatives from civil society and open government advocacy groups, Government agencies, the Congress and all attendees who participated in Sunshine Week activities. The Board wishes to thank the … Continue reading What We Heard and Learned during Sunshine Week

The annual celebration of Sunshine Week reminds us of the need for greater transparency in government and greater public access to government information. As part of the initiative to promote freedom of information, we, the members of the Public Interest Declassification Board, renew our call on the need to transform our nation's security classification system. … Continue reading Commemorating Sunshine Week: More Sunshine Earlier

The PIDB still wants your suggested topics that you feel agencies should prioritize for declassification.  Beginning on January 27, 2014, the PIDB will begin compiling the responses and comments it received on this blog.  It will then use those ideas and report back to the public its conclusions and suggested next steps to assist the … Continue reading Final Call for Topics