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.

Podcast: Personal Crisis, Perspective, and Conflict

Kira Nurieli, an Organizational Ombuds and conflict resolution consultant, joined the hosts of the Blessed Be Podcast to discuss how unexpected personal crises can reshape the way people experience and approach conflict. Reflecting on how sudden disruptions challenge assumptions about control and stability, Nurieli discusses how stress can intensify everyday tensions and how stepping away from routine responsibilities can foster greater presence, patience, and compassion in difficult conversations.

Asian Development Bank Announces Next Ombuds

The regional development bank in Metro Manila has selected Anje Schubert as its next Ombudsperson. She follows Wayne Blair, who served in the role for more than eight years. Schubert will lead an IOA-compliant office that provides Ombuds services to all ADB stakeholders and reports to the bank president. The initial appointment will be for three years and may be renewed once.

Job Posting: Harvard University Medical School

The private research university in Cambridge is hiring an Ombuds II to join an office headed by Melissa Brodrick that currently includes Adam Barak Kleinberger and Lisa Neale, and two consulting Ombuds, Tyler Smith and Howard Gadlin.

Prince George's County Public Schools Names Ombuds

Thea Wilson has been appointed the new Ombudsperson for the large school  district in Maryland. She will reopen an office that has been dormant for several years. In the full-time position, Wilson will serve as a neutral intermediary for PGCPS and the broader community, including more than 130,000 students and their families. As the Ombuds, she reports to the District Superintendent's Chief of Staff.

Research Request: Participants for Study on Leadership and Employee Accountability

Bina Patel, an Ombuds, conflict resolution consultant, and IOA Board Member, is recruiting participants for a research study on leadership behaviors and employee accountability. The project is being conducted by graduate researchers in the Industrial & Organizational Psychology program at George Mason University and examines how employees perceive their manager’s leadership behaviors and expectations related to job performance. 

Job Posting: South Dakota State University

The public university in Brookings has opened a search for its next Ombuds. The search will fill a position established in 2016 when Nicole Picconi became the university’s first Ombuds. The part-time (0.45 FTE) position is located within the Office of the President and serves all members of the campus community, including 12,000 students.

Maybe AI Chatbots Won't Replace Ombuds: Part 2

Evidence continues to emerge that indicates artificial intelligence is unlikely to replace Ombuds, at least in the short term: 

ABA Ombuds Committee Signals Pivot to State Legislative Strategy

Following the adoption of Resolution 503 by the American Bar Association House of Delegates endorsing the Organizational Ombuds Practices Act, the ABA’s Ombuds Committee is shifting its focus to state-level strategy. The committee will devote its meeting on March 24, 2026, to a discussion of next steps for advancing the Act through state legislatures, marking the beginning of the effort to translate the ABA endorsement into legislation.

Job Posting: Virginia Health Sciences

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is seeking a Senior Training Consultant/Associate Ombudsperson within its Human Resources Organizational Development and Training unit. The full-time role focuses primarily on leadership and workforce development training for faculty and staff while also serving as the Talent Management and Culture Associate Ombudsperson. (It is not clear whether the position reports to Linda R. Archer, the GME Ombudsperson for Virginia Health Sciences.)

NOMMO Sets Inaugural Meeting

The Network of Ombudsman and Mediators of Multilateral Organizations will hold its first meeting on February 9, 2026. Youssoupha Niang (Ombudsperson and Mediator at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency) will convene the meeting at 15:00 CEST | 9:00 EDT. The session, "Bridging the Gap: 2025 Lessons as 2026 Blueprints," is intended to be the first step in establishing the new group. Panelists are expected to include Shireen Dodson (UN Ombudsman), Nadine Chapman (Manager of the World Bank Group Mediation Services), and Nicholas Diehl (Head of Ombuds for the Inter-American Development Bank). (LinkedIn.) 

University of Waterloo Ombuds Releases Inaugural Annual Report

Whitney Barrett, the inaugural Ombuds at uWaterloo, has issued her first annual report, covering the office’s initial eight months of operation. The Office, which includes Associate Ombuds Sam Vandekerckhove, received 55 cases from January through August 2025 and reported an average of 8.28 connections per case, reflecting sustained engagement with visitors. The vast majority of visitors were students, consistent with the Office’s primary focus on supporting the student experience. The report also features four “stories from the threshold” illustrating the types of concerns brought forward. (Waterloo Ombuds 2025 Report.)

Podcast: Sana Manjeshwar on Global Ombuds Leadership

Sana Manjeshwar is the latest guest on a podcast by composer and pianist Leonardo Le San, "Modus Operandi." Manjeshwar talked about building and leading Ombuds programs for global organizations across six continents, drawing on her background in organizational psychology, employment litigation, human resources, coaching, mediation, and Ombuds practice. Manjeshwar is also a singer and the episode features one her first songs.

AORC and AOMA to Host Global Webinar on ADR Practices

The African Ombudsman Research Centre, in partnership with the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association, will host an international webinar, “Integrating Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for Effective Case Resolution in Ombudsman Institutions,” on March 3, 2026. These are strategies that Ombuds of all types use routinely in their work.