March 15, 2024

Conference Guide for IOA 2024


Organizational Ombuds are gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, this week for the International Ombuds Association's 19th annual conference.

Here's list of posts about the conference for easy reference:



March 14, 2024

Job Posting: Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General

The U.S. Defense Department's OIG is hiring an Ombuds (Organizational Development Specialist). The full-time position is located in the DoD OIG Front Office in Alexandria, Virginia, and serves all department personnel seeking informal and early resolution of workplace related concerns. Up to 25% travel may be required for the position.

U.S. Department of Energy Selects an Associate Ombuds

Stephanie Luckam Garner has joined the DOE Office of the Ombudsman. She brings significant experience to the job, having worked as an Ombuds for nearly a decade. Most recently, Garner has worked as an Ombuds and Respectful Workplace Advisor at the World Bank Group. She has also held the position at the Transportation Security Administration, Interamerican Development Bank, and American Red Cross. (LinkedIn.)

ENOHE Awards Honorary Memberships to Longtime Advocates

The European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education bestowed lifetime memberships to five long-standing activists for ENOHE – two from the UK, one from Spain, one from Mexico, and one from Austria. ENOHE statutes allow the General Assembly to award the honor "whose services to the Association have been of outstanding merit and who have contributed to the development of the Association." The following five individuals were awarded:

March 13, 2024

Job Posting: National Institutes of Health

The NIH Ombuds Office is seeking a contractor for a full-time Associate Ombuds position. The contract is renewed yearly by mutual agreement and does not have a specified start or termination date. The job may be performed remotely from anywhere in the U.S., but periodic travel to NIH locations will be required with and travel expenses reimbursed. The position will conform to IOA standards and will focus on one of two areas: working with groups (i.e., assessments, analysis, facilitations, etc.); or scientific/clinical conflicts.

Western University Ombuds Caseload Moderated in 2022-23

Western University's Acting Ombudsperson, Whitney Barrett, says her caseload declined 15.8% in the most recent academic year. The decrease followed a 13% jump in 2021-22, which reflected a post-COVID rebound. The total number of visitors, 956, was more in line with historical numbers and long-term growth. (Western Annual Reports.)

WADA Extends Contract for Athletes’ Anti-Doping Ombuds

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s Executive Committee has extended the contract with its inaugural Ombuds, Anna Thorstenson, through the end of 2024. Thorstenson will work on promoting her program outside Europe. In September 2024, the Executive Committee is expected to consider a long-term strategy for the Ombuds program. (WADA News.)

March 12, 2024

IOA Elects 2024 Board of Directors

In an email to members today, the International Ombuds Association announced the results of its latest election for the Board of Directors. Five directors, including two incumbents, will begin three-year terms starting later this month. Shortly after the annual IOA business meeting, the board will elect officers for the current year.

Here are the newly elected IOA board members:

Centre for Informal Dispute Resolution Opens Registration for First Ombuds Conference

CIDR at Saint Paul University in Ottawa has announced details for its first Ombuds-focused conference on May 6-7, 2024. The hybrid event, "The Ombuds: Foundations, Best Practices, and Development," will bring together practitioners and researchers in conflict resolution and the Ombuds field to discuss the evolution of Ombuds practice. The organizers, Brent Epperson and Jean-François Rioux, have released the full agenda:

March 11, 2024

Job Posting: Widener University

The private university in Chester, Pennsylvania, is seeking its first University Ombudsperson. The full-time position will report to the Chief Diversity Officer and provide services to faculty and staff. (In 2007, an undergraduate proposed the creation of a student Ombuds, but that was never taken seriously by the university.) The position is expected to practice to IOA standards and is eligible for hybrid or remote work.

March 08, 2024

Job Posting: World Health Organization, India

WHO is hiring a Regional Ombudsperson in New Delhi. The full-time position will serve WHO personnel in Europe and report directly to WHO's Regional Director. 

Oregon State University Selects an Associate Ombuds

Susie Brubaker-Cole has been appointed Associate Ombuds for Oregon State University. She joins Michael Steinberg, University Ombuds, and Jennifer Allemann, Administrative Program Coordinator. The OSU Ombuds Office practices to IOA standards and provides services to over 40,000 faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders.

City of Seattle Promotes and Adds Ombuds Staff

Seattle's Office of the Employee Ombud has promoted Assistant Ombud Emma Phan to the position of Senior Ombud & Head of ADR, and Rachel Nicholson to Ombud & Head of Capacity Building. The office also recently promoted some of its newer staff members: Associate Ombuds, Isar Mahanian and Barbara Allen, and Assistant Ombud & Training Specialist, Cesar Seguil. According to the office's latest annual report from Director Amarah Y. Khan, the program handled 299 cases and provided 73 training sessions in 2022. (LinkedIn; Seattle OEO 2022 Report.)

March 07, 2024

Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance Announces Ombuds Program

CSIA, an association of more than twenty thousand professional skiers in Canada, has named its first-ever Ombuds: Julie Boncompain and Brent Epperson. Together, they will provide services for CSIA members with concerns and complaints related to the association's policies, rules, and procedures. A document setting out the "Function and description of the Ombuds Office" ensures that Boncompain and Epperson will practice to IOA standards. 

New Book Captures Wisdom of Leading Dutch Ombuds

Paul Herfs has released his book, The Importance of Ombuds Work, as a paperback and ebook. Herfs was the Ombuds for Staff and Faculty at Utrecht University for 16 years. He has written for JIOA, ENOHE, and the Cal Caucus Journal. He served as a board member of ENOHE and has spoken at many Ombuds conferences. In 2021, he was appointed Knight of the Order of Oranje-Nassau for his many years of service to Dutch society.