Job Posting: Kennestone Hospital

Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center is hiring its first Graduate Medical Education Ombudsman. The full-time position will serve residents, fellows, faculty, and program leadership across all GME programs within Wellstar Health System in and around Marietta, Georgia. The Ombuds is expected to report to the Office of Academic Affairs. 

ENOHE Opens Registration for Annual Conference in Krakow

The European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education has announced details for its 21st annual conference at AGH University of Kraków on June 10-12, 2026. This year's theme is "New Developments in a Maturing Profession: Ombuds Skills and AI." Speakers will connect emerging issues in artificial intelligence with Ombuds work in higher education. The agenda is expected soon. Conference fees are €420 for members and €470 for non-members. Grants are available for Ombuds who are new to the field. (ENOHE Conf Info.) 

Georgetown University Student Ombuds Releases 2024-25 Annual Report

Georgetown's Student Ombuds, Daniela Brancaforte, reports that she served 377 student visitors in the 2024-25 academic year and logged 427.25 hours in consultations, group visits, and informal mediations. She conducted 26 outreach events, reflecting continued efforts to raise awareness of services across the campus community. The report highlights a wide range of student concerns, including wellbeing, evaluative relationships, and communication challenges, as well as questions arising in a rapidly changing academic and social environment. (Georgetown Student Ombuds 2024-25 Report.)

Job Posting: Davidson College

The private liberal arts college north of Charlotte, North Carolina, is seeking its first Ombuds. This temporary, part-time consultant will lead the program's initial setup. Key responsibilities include creating the Ombuds website, formal policies, and various outreach materials, and requires regular on-campus presence. The Ombuds will report to the College President and will serve faculty and staff, but not the 2,000 undergraduates. 

Job Posting (RFP): Connecticut Energy Efficiency Board

The Connecticut Energy Efficiency Board (EEB), working with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, has issued a Request for Proposals for an independent Contractor Ombudsperson to support residential energy efficiency program contractors statewide. The engagement will cover an initial three-year term beginning January 2027, with the first year as a pilot period. Responsibilities include establishing a Charter, developing communication frameworks, tracking and synthesizing contractor concerns, and providing regular updates to the EEB on trends and systemic issues. The role is expected to require approximately 25–40 hours per month. 

University of Pennsylvania Ombuds Releases 2024-25 Annual Report

UPenns’s Deputy Ombuds Waged Jafer and University Ombuds Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin have released their 2024-25 annual report. The office reported 229 visitors, a 6% increase from the prior year, with staff comprising the largest share (38%), followed by faculty (21%) and graduate/professional students (17%). Employment-related concerns remained the most common (39%), followed by academic issues (33%). 

Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa Appointed Cape Town City Ombuds

Earlier this month, Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa became the Ombud for South Africa's second largest city. Her first public event celebrated World Consumer Rights Day. Several organizations supported the engagement of the new City Ombud, including the Western Cape Police Ombudsman, the Public Protector South Africa, Community Schemes Ombud Service, and the National Financial Ombud. Makamandela-Mguqulwa, the former inaugural Ombuds for the University of Cape Town, is wide recognized as a leading Ombuds in the region. In 2025, she was honored with the IOA President's Award for her work. (Nova News.) 

ABA Dispute Resolution Section 2026 Skills Summit Includes Joint IOA Programming

The American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section will host its inaugural Skills Summit on April 15-16, 2026. The first day of the virtual event will overlap with the third day of the IOA annual conference, with Day 1 designed as a concurrent program bringing together Ombuds and other dispute resolution professionals. (Participants will need to register for only one or the other event, not both.) In addition, the Skills Summit has been pre-approved for Certified Organizational Ombuds Professional Development Hours. 

Ombuds Academy Launches Training for Developing Ombuds

Reese Ramos has launched Ombuds Academy, a new training program for aspiring and early-career Ombuds. Ramos, an Ombuds with more than 25 years of experience, said the program responds to demand for more practical insight into the realities of Ombuds practice and opportunities to connect with experienced practitioners. The Academy’s flagship course, Ombuds Fundamentals, introduces the principles, challenges, and day-to-day dynamics of Ombuds work and is priced at $1,295 for four half-day sessions.

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine Selects First Ombuds

AWSOM, the five-year-old, private, allopathic medical school in Bentonville, Arkansas, has appointed Kami Gollhofer as its first Ombuds. In this new, part-time role, she will serve a growing student body of almost 400 students and report to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

International Ombuds Association Seeks New Editor for JIOA

IOA is seeking a new Editor for the Journal of the International Ombuds Association, the profession’s peer-reviewed journal dedicated to scholarship and practice related to Organizational Ombuds. The call follows the decision by Shannon Lynn Burton, the University Ombudsperson at Michigan State University, to step down after a decade leading the publication. The IOA Board is inviting letters of interest from members interested in overseeing the journal’s continued development and supporting research and writing about the field. 

Job Posting: SOS Children's Villages, Somaliland

The Austria-based international development organization for children is hiring National Ombuds in the capital city of Hargeisa. The full-time, 24-month contract position is expected to report to Nandisa Tilayi, the SOS Regional Ombuds for Eastern and Southern Africa.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas Ombuds Releases 2025 Annual Report

David G. Schwartz, CO-OP, the UNLV Ombuds, has published his fifth annual report, summarizing his work during 2025. The office recorded 635 visitors and 952 total contacts, representing a 4.27% increase over 2024 and a 35.61% increase since 2023. Half of all visitors returned for more than one consultation.

American Psychology-Law Society Names First Conference Ombuds

David Carver has been selected to serve as the Conference Ombuds for the professional association also known as Division 41 of the American Psychological Association. He will offer Ombuds services to approximately 900 attendees during the AP-LS meeting in Reno, Nevada, on March 12-14, 2026. While serving on the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives, Carver led the successful effort to create an Ombuds Program for Council members in 2022. 

Save the Dates for Cal Caucus 2026

The California Caucus of College and University Ombuds has announced dates for its 2026 gatherings. The virtual Summer Small Caucus will take place on June 25, 2026, offering members an opportunity to connect informally; details and registration information will be distributed on June 1. The 53rd Annual Cal Caucus take place November 8–11, 2026, at the Asilomar Hotel and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California. A Request for Presentations will open April 6 and close May 4, and registration for the conference will open July 20.