Jo Byrd, Principal Consultant of Byrd Writes Communications, planned to "grow up and become a librarian," receiving two degrees in library science. Her first (and only) position as a librarian convinced her she made a bad career choice, although subsequent events helped her realize she had made an excellent education choice.

Librarians have the reputation of knowing everything. They don't, of course. What they know is how to find information, what tools (the kinds of tools) to use to find that information, how to process that information, and how to disseminate that information to others. Using her writing skills and the information-gathering skills of her education, Jo transitioned into technical writing, documenting software applications and business processes..

Having been a victim of poor documentation, Jo understands the resulting frustration of trying to decipher a complex task with inadequate tools. Dedicated to the principle of clear communication, she does not limit herself to any one tool, but uses her proficiency in the multitude of available tools to select the ones best suited to the client's needs.

An expert-level help developer, Jo is also proficient at documenting business processes for Sarbanes Oxley compliance and ITIL and ISO certification. She is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communications, receiving a Distinguished Service Award in 1999.