Am I an unknowing ass?? OR The love hate with e-mail

Actual transcript of an e-mail (names deleted.) concerning the submission of a bi-annually required application for renewal of a certification for our company. The person who reviews our application e-mails the head of our company, she e-mailed me and I responded to both of them. Then I followed up with a response directly to the reviewer. The reviewer then cops a major attitude and sends me a snarky message.

Good Morning (LEADER OF THE COMPANY)!

I'm reviewing your (BLANK) Recertification application and I do not see any (BLANK)individuals noted on your list of board members. Question II. A. asks that you indicate with an asterisk (*) those board members who are representative of (BLANK). Could you please look at your list and let me know which members are (BLANK), (BLANK), or (BLANK). Keep in mind that 1/3 of your board membership needs to be (BLANK). Without this information I can not authorize your recertification as a (BLANK).

Thanks (LEADER OF THE COMPANY)!

Very friendly sounding, don't you think? Everyone is friendly to the leader of the company. So the leader of the company forwarded it to me and asked me to follow up on it, which I did. First I responded to the Leader of the Company and cc'd the person reviewing the application.

(LEADER OF THE COMPANY),
I can do both and will scan and e-mail a copy of the app and supporting documentation.

She’s looking at the Breakdown of Board Directors.

On the application form item II Board Composition: (A.) asks for documentation of 1/3 of the board membership being (comprised of BLANK).

The “(BLANK) sector” of the BOD Breakdown, which consists of (the necessary BLANK persons), is intended to represent this. We have/had one position open in that sector and I explained that it was in transition.

(Reviewer) – let us know if you need further clarification or any other information.

Thanks!
(Me)

So my response is equally friendly. I don't have any ill will toward anyone for any reason. But since that was sent really to the leader of the company, I wanted to respond directly to the reviewer as well.

Hi (Reviewer),

Earlier I cc’d you on a response to (Leader of the Company) concerning your question about our (BLANK) BOD representation. I did not indicate on the application that those representatives are identified in the “(BLANK) Sector” of our breakdown of board members.

Those people are the (BLANK) and are either current or past customers – which is generally how we are able to reach out to that population to seek replacements for those positions.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
(ME)

This seemed pretty straight forward to me. I was acknowledging that I had neglected to identify the people as (BLANK) and explained which people serve that function on our BOD. THEN.... I get this response from the reviewer.

Guess there should have been an asterisk like I asked and then I wouldn't have had to question which ones were in the 1/3 group.

Wow! Is that full of attitude or what? Tell me, honestly, what did I do to garner such a response. There have been a couple of incidences in my 15 years here where I received such attitude in a response to one of my e-mails where my intent is nothing but to provide info requested. I have no ill will about it, I'm not angry about it, there's nothing there that says to me that any attitude should be coming from anyone. More than once it occurred with this particular person.

I just can't get over this. It really is bugging me and consuming my thoughts. I forwarded it to my boss and the leader of the company and asked them if I was reading it wrong? Honestly I hope one of them takes it up with her boss. I can't be the only one who catches her attitude. When I first started working with her around 2000 she was nice as pie. I think though that something happened in her life, or in her work environment, that really soured her because sometime after that she started having major attitude with me and I do not know why.

Ok - outty.