IOA Posts Agenda for 2011 Conference

 The International Ombudsman Association has posted the tentative agenda for its sixth annual conference in Portland, OR on April 4-6.

Day One: Monday, 4/4/11

Welcome & Opening Remarks: Wim Wiewel, President, Portland State University

Keynote Address: Alicia C. Shepard, Ombudsman, National Public Radio

IOA Annual Business Meeting (IOA Members Only) / General Sessions for Non IOA Members

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• The Whistleblowing Ombudsman in Germany (Björn Rohde-Liebenau, Attorney, Mediator, Ombudsman, RCC Risk Communication Concepts)
• Differentiating the role of the Ombudsman from HR in the Corporate Sector & Human Resources and the Collegiate Ombuds Office: Natural Partners (Joanne Jirik Mullen, Carleton College; Isabel Calderon, Mars Inc.)
• The Ombudsman as Servant Leader: Mn/DOT’s Ombudsman Program Resolves Issues and Rebuilds Trust
• Mn/DOT Ombudsman
• Information Session with the Directors of the IOA Board of Certification (Marsha Wagner, Ombuds Officer, Columbia University; Carolyn Noorbakhsh, Ombuds, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Diane Dorion, Employee Ombudsman, Royal Bank of Canada; Albin Swenson, Manager, Global Office of the Ombuds, Chevron; Pierre Niedlispacher, Ombudsman, Coca-Cola)
• Climate change isn’t always bad: Tools for diagnosing and working with your organization’s communication climate (Kerry Egdorf, Ombuds, Marquette University)
• Ombuds Work: Reflections on your lived experience (Carol Gabrielli, Ombuds, Portland State University)

Concurrent Sessions

• Safeguarding the Role of the Ombudsman in College and University Settings (Frank R. Baskind, Ombudsman for Faculty and Classified Staff, Virginia Commonwealth University)
• Raising our Voices: A Town Hall Gathering for Associate, Affiliate, and Retired Members of IOA (Kerry Egdorf, Ombuds, Marquette University; John Carter, The Citadel)
• Conflict Coaching; A Whole New Toolkit for the Ombudsman (Berry Kruijning, Conflict Resolution Coach, Crowning Communications LLC)
• Invisible Preference: the Challenge of Mediator Neutrality (Linda Brothers, Associate Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• When Women Talk: Reflections on Mediating Disputes among Women (Howard Gadlin, Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; Samantha Levine-Finley, Associate Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• Social media and the virtual soapbox: One institutions approach to bringing 'the conversation' back home (Trey Reckling, Director of Student Development, SCAD)

Day Two: Tuesday, 4/5/11

Keynote Address: John S. Barkat, Ombudsman, United Nations

General Session: The Convergence of Diverse Ombuds/Ombudsman Offices: Comparing the Spectrum of O/O applications to identifying structure, essential characteristics, and value to the organization as well as those served (Michael P. Mills, City of Portland)

The Crystal Ball

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• The Ombudsman's Role as a Leader in the Organization (Grace Bartini, Ombudsman, American Student Assistance Association; Joyce DeMoss, Ombudsman, Transportation Security Administration)
• What Ombudsmen Should Know About Whistleblower Laws (Chuck Howard, Shipman & Goodwin LLP)
• Federal and State and Local Ombudsman: What we can learn from the Differences and the Similarities (Gregory A. Burke, Ombudsman, ORM)
• Electronic Communication Strategy: Online Conflict Management Coaching Tutorial (D. A. Graham, University Ombuds Officer, Princeton University)
• Journal Author's Panel: Advocating for Fairly and Equitably Administered Processes . . . as a Designated Neutral (Tom Sebok, Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado at Boulder; Journal Authors, JIOA)
• The Untold Millions - Demonstrating Organizational Ombudsmen’s Value Return (Lawrence Jagneaux, Halliburton)

Concurrent Sessions

• Therapeutic Theory and Skills for the Ombuds (Lauren Bloom, Ombudsperson, The University of Texas at Austin; Kevin Jessar, Corporate Ombudsman, American Red Cross)
• Nuts and Bolts of An Universally Accessible Ombuds Office (Suzy Rosen Singleton, Campus Ombuds, Gallaudet University)
• Drawing the Line and Choosing Sides: A Tool for Helping Visitors to Remain Constructive (R. Ellen Schreiber, Ombuds, University of Idaho)
• Using Mediation as a Mean to a More Peaceful Society (Tsipora Dimant, Mediator/Facilitator/Instructor, Portland Community College)
• Improving interactions between Ombudsmen and Compliance Officers/Inside Counsel (Ilene Butensky, Eaton Corporation)
• Emotional Well-Being - R U OK? (Mim Gaetano, Asia-Pacific/AIME Ombudsman, Mars, Inc.)

Day Three: Wednesday 4/6/11

Keynote Address: Michael Moffitt, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Director, ADR Center, University of Oregon Law School

General Session: Adopting Business Excellence and Quality Principles to Create Business Value ... Even in an Ombudsman Office (Nicole Goodfellow, Canada Post Corporation)

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• How do Ombudsmen across sectors collect and report data? (Lisa Witzler, Ombudsman Intern, National Institutes of Health; Tom Barnette, Regional Ombudsperson, American Express; Sarah Kith, Associate Ombudsman, American Red Cross; Tom Sebok, Ombudsperson, University of Colorado, Boulder; Sara Thacker, Director & Ombudsperson, University of California, Berkeley)
• Internal Justice Systems in International Organizations: Lessons Learned (Camilo Azcarate, Manager of Mediation Services, World Bank Group)
• Ombuds for Small Business (Clare Fowler, Organizational Consultant, Mediate.com)
• Apology and Forgiveness in Multicultural Settings (Miranda Kato, Ombuds, Bellevue College)
• A life-changing experience: Ombuds in Honduras and Nicaragua (D. A. Graham, University Ombuds Officer, Princeton University)
• Interest Session for Editorial Reviewers for The JIOA (David Miller, Editor, JIOA; Alan Lincoln, Founding Editor, JIOA)

Concurrent Sessions

• Values in Action Dialog -- Putting IOA's Decision Model into Practice (Don Noack, Corporate Ombuds, Sandia National Laboratories; Kerry Egdorf, Ombudsman, Marquette University)
• Challenges to Impartiality and Neutrality (Nora Farrell, Ryerson University)
• Conflict Analysis: Using Models/Frameworks to Understand Our Most Complex Cases (Brian Bloch, Co-Director, ISKCONResolve; Bob Cohen, Co-Director, ISKCONResolve)

(IOA Preliminary 2011 Conf. Agenda.)