Job Posting: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

The federal agency responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector is hiring an Associate Ombudsman. While CFPB acts as a Classical Ombudsman service, the position has duties of an Organizational Ombuds, offering informal conflict resolution services while practicing independence, impartiality, and confidentiality. The full-time position is either remote or based in Washington, DC. Travel is not required. 

Alicia Shepard: Former NPR Ombudsman

Alicia "Lisa" Shepard, who served as the Ombudsman for National Public Radio in 2007-2011, has passed away at the age of 69. While Shepard was NPR's Ombuds, she became a focus of controversy when she defended the network's description of interrogation techniques used by the George W. Bush administration during the Iraq war. She later described her role as the "loneliest job in the newsroom." In 2011, she was the keynote speaker for the IOA conference. The balance of Shepard's career was as a journalist. (NYTimes.)

Save the Date for COFO's 2023 Conference

The Coalition of Federal Ombudsman will hold its 2023 Annual Conference on Friday, October 13, 2023 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The full-day event will continue to be free and open to attend for anyone with an interest in Ombuds practice, especially Ombuds working in the federal space. Organizers are excited to return to holding the conference in person at the same venue where they gathered for many years pre-pandemic. Some portion of the event will be offered virtually, but the better experience will be for those who attend in person. Further details will be posted here when available.

IOA Board Selects 2023 Officers

The Board of Directors for the International Ombuds Association has announced the election of its officers for the 2023 term. All are long-time volunteers and professional Ombuds. The IOA Board meets at least monthly, with more meetings for the executive leadership. 

Job Posting: Armed Forces Retirement Home

The federally-run veterans retirement facility in Washington, DC, is seeking an Ombudsman. There is some ambiguity within the posting. The top-line description for the position is for a Classical, Long-Term Care Ombudsman: "The Ombudsman is a senior advocate for unresolved resident issues." The more detailed list of duties is consistent with an Organizational Ombuds: "Provide residents with confidential, informal and impartial assistance and serves as an advocate for fairness for residents seeking answers to unresolved questions, providing a mechanism for problem resolution after considering all sides of an issue in an informed and unbiased fashion."

ABA's 2023 Dispute Resolution Section Spring Conference Includes Two Ombuds Sessions

Registration is now open f0r the American Bar Associations Dispute Resolution Section Spring Conference. The in-person event is the world's largest ADR conference and will take place at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, May 10-13, 2023. The theme of this year’s conference is “Leading Change Through ADR: Strategies for Navigating Our World Today.” Liz Hill, Ombuds at the University of Colorado Boulder, is the Planning Committee Co-Chair.

Job Posting: Kaiser Permanente, Northern California

KP is hiring a full-time HealthCare Ombuds/Mediator for its medical facilities in San Rafael, California. The Kaiser HCOM, "functions as a trained alternative dispute professional offering patients, family members, staff & providers a conflict management program to resolve patient/provider healthcare disputes early thereby improving patient safety & reducing the costs of health care dispute resolution." Local travel is required.

Union Contract Negotiators at Oregon Health & Science University Consider Role of Ombuds

Last week, members of the OHSU and Graduate Researchers United bargaining teams met in their sixth collective bargaining session. Among other things, the union proposed to include reference to the University Ombuds. This would be uncommon, but not unprecedented.

Here's a summary from OHSU:

Ombuds to Address Labor and Employment Relations Association

On April 13, 2023, LERA will offer a webinar featuring two Ombuds. Geetha Ravindra, CO-OP, and Julie Weber, CO-OP, will explain "Who Ombuds Are, What Ombuds Do, and How Ombuds Benefit the Workplace." Ravindra is currently in private practice and previously served as Ombuds for the International Monetary Fund and the Center for Global Development. Weber is currently the Ombuds for Brown University and also held the position at Montgomery College. The LERA webinar is free for non-members. (VA LERA.)

Job Posting: Think Systems, Inc.

The Maryland-based management consulting firm is hiring an Ombudsman. It is not clear whether the full-time position will serve Think employees or one of the firm's many mid-size company or state or federal public entity clients. The Ombuds will practice to IOA standards. 

Internship: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

The Texas DMV is seeking a Summer Intern Specialist—Ombudsman. The full-time, paid position reports to the TxDMV Employee Ombudsman, Leah Leone. The intern "will be responsible for performing professional and administrative functions supporting various functions as a direct report ... under close supervision with limited latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgement." The internship is based in Austin and begins as early as May 15 and ends by August 31, 2023. The office of the Employee Ombudsman was created in FY2020 and serves as an Organizational Ombuds for department employees.

IOA Announces 2023 Conference Scholarship Winners

The International Ombuds Association is wrapping up its annual conference in Seattle today. Among the480 attendees were scholarship winners: Ombuds practicing outside the U.S. and new/aspiring Ombuds who do not have sufficient organizational support.

Here is a list of the scholarship recipients:

Marshall University Names Next Faculty Ombuds

Robin Riner has been selected the next Faculty Ombudsperson for the public university in Huntington, West Virginia. In the part-time position, Riner will serve as a resource for Marshall's faculty and staff, practicing to IOA standards. Riner joins La'Kesha Taylor, who has been the University Ombuds since 2019. Riner is a Professor of Anthropology. (WAM Newsletter.)

Job Posting: Smith College

The private women's liberal arts college in Northampton, Massachusetts has opened a search for its next Ombudsperson. The part-time position (two days a week) will work with faculty and staff. The search will fill a position vacated by Michael Stephens, who served in the position for five years and recently moved to MWI as a contract Ombuds.

American Educational Research Association Continues its Conference Ombuds Program

The professional association for academic researchers announced that Shannon Lynn Burton and Carol Mershon will return as Ombuds for its 2023 annual meeting. AERA’s Ombuds are available to all attendees, staff, exhibitors, vendors, and any others at the conference, which will take place in in Chicago, April 13–16, 2023, and virtually May 4–5. Burton is the University Ombudsperson at Michigan State University and Mershon has been the Ombuds for the American Political Science Association. Together, the co-founded the program for AERA in 2019. (AERA News.)