Job Posting: Halliburton

The Halliburton Dispute Resolution Program in Houston is hiring a full-time Ombudsperson. The position will practice to IOA standards and report to Melinda Miner, Halliburton's Manager and Senior Ombudsman. Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in sociology, psychology or conflict resolution and a minimum of two years of experience in ADR, which includes experience in mediation and organizational ombudsman work and management experience.

University of Arizona to Resume Ombuds Committee

U of A has named Diana Simon the new Chair of the Ombuds Committee. The campus-wide program that provided Ombuds services through a network of faculty and staff volunteers for 18 years, was shut down in March 2021 due to Covid-related budget shortfalls. (Caitlan Hendrickson had been the Director of the UA Office of the Ombuds since 2015.) Earlier this year, Simon published paper that laid out arguments that could lead a federal court to find a privilege for an Organizational Ombuds (41 Tex. Rev. Litig. 33).

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Names New Faculty Ombuds

Steven D. Seidel has been appointed the next TAMU-CC Faculty Ombuds and will begin this fall. Seidel follows Andy Piker, who established the office in 2016. Seidel will serve over 600 members of the faculty, reports to the Faculty Senate executive committee and the Provost. The office practices to IOA standards with some significant exceptions to confidentiality, including: "allegations of discrimination, sexual harassment, related retaliation, sexual violence, fraud, waste, or abuse."

Job Posting: University of Toronto Scarborough

The large, public research university in Ontario is hiring an Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council & Ombuds Officer, a position currently held by Cindy Ferencz Hammond. The job has two roles and a dual reporting structure. The Assistant Secretary provides administrative support, advice, and information to the Governing Council on policies, precedents, and procedures for assigned Boards and Committees. In addition, as Ombuds Officer the position reports to the University Ombudsperson, Bruce Kidd, and serves as a primary contact for faculty, staff and students seeking assistance from the Office of the Ombudsperson.

University of California Merced Names Associate Ombuds

Jim Rudd Levy has been selected as the Associate Ombuds for the UC campus in Central California. He joins UC Merced's Campus Ombuds, Hector Escalante, and provides services to students, staff, and faculty at a rapidly-growing university.

Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine Announces First Ombuds

Angela Dash has been appointed the inaugural Ombuds Officer for the private medical school in Pasadena, California. In this new, part-time role, Dash will establish a program to provide services to students, faculty, and staff following IOA best practices. 

Job Posting: Asian Development Bank

The regional development bank based in Metro Manila, Philippines, is hiring an Associate Ombuds Programs Analyst. The full-time position reports to the ADB Ombuds, Wayne Blair, and will serve as the first point of contact and administrator for the office, and handle some Ombuds duties, including: data analysis, research, and report writing. The initial appointment will be for three years.

Texas State University Appoints First Staff Ombuds

This fall, Stella Silva will begin offering services as the first Staff Ombuds at Texas State. She joins Todd Jewell and Colleen Myles-Baltzly, who were selected to serve as Faculty Ombuds in June of this year. The two programs are not integrated, however. The Staff Ombuds office is located within the university's human resources department. Noentheless, the Staff Ombuds office generally operates to IOA standards.

UCLA Campus Ombuds Retires; Interim Appointed

Kathleen Canul, the Campus Ombudsperson at the University of California Los Angeles, retired in June after 15 years in the position. Prior to that, she was the University Ombudsperson at UC Irvine. Canul is continuing her work as a contract Ombuds for organizations including the American Chemical Society and Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Following her retirement, Thomas Griffin has been promoted to Interim Campus Ombuds and heads an office that includes Natalie A. Landau and Brenda Woods-Patin. A search for a permanent Campus Ombuds is expected, but details have not been announced.

Shearman & Sterling Appoints First Ombuds

The multinational, white shoe law firm headquartered in New York City has named Jonathan L. Greenblatt as its first Ombuds. The appointment, which was effective in April 2021, was announced earlier this year as part of the firm's summary of diversity and inclusion accomplishments.

The firm said:

Staff Endorses Proposed Ombuds at University of Pittsburgh

The Staff Council at Pitt has expressed support for a working group considering an Ombuds program at the university. The proposal comes out of the Faculty Assembly at Pitt, which is considering a centralized Ombuds program to serve all stakeholders. Currently, the public university has only a network of school-based collateral duty Ombuds that provide services to graduate students and postdocs. (University Times.)

IOA Selects Next Ombuds

Breanne Taylor has been appointed the next Ombuds for professional association for Organizational Ombuds. She succeeds succeed Elaine Shaw, CO-OP, who established the role in 2020, and will serve an initial one-year term. Taylor continues as the Associate Ombuds at Oregon State University, where she has worked for the past decade. Prior to that she was the Ombudsperson for Competition Not Conflict, a local youth sports organization. Taylor earned her Master's in Conflict and Dispute Resolution at Oregon State. She has been an active volunteer with Cal Caucus and speaker at IOA conferences. (IOA Blog.)

Mediate Podcast: Ombuds for Mediators

The Mediate.com Podcast, hosted by mediator Veronica Cravener, covers everything in the world of mediation: conflict resolution, best practices, ethics, technology, and business development. The latest episode offers, "An Introduction to the Ombuds Role for Mediators" with Chuck Doran, CO-OP. In the past year, Doran and his dispute resolution firm, MWI, have served as Ombuds for Iowa State University and CVS.

New Ombuds at Sam Houston State University Posts Charter

Falguni Mukherjee, who became the inaugural Ombudsperson for the public university in Huntsville, Texas, earlier this year has released the charter for her office. The document explicitly incorporate IOA's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, but also designates the Ombuds as a Campus Security Authority under the Clery Act. On the other hand, the HSU Ombuds is not a mandated reporter for Title IX matters. (SHSU Ombuds Charter.)

Related posts: Sam Houston State University Names First Ombuds.

Job Posting (RFP): The Wildlife Society

The international non-profit association that promotes wildlife stewardship through science and education is seeking its first conference Ombuds. The contracted position will IOA-compliant services for attendees and TWS members during its Annual Conference in Spokane, Washington, November 6-10, 2022. The new Ombuds is being implemented as part of a broad set of reforms aimed at promoting and enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the society and the wildlife profession.

COFO 2022 Annual Conference: Call for Presentations

The Coalition of Federal Ombudsman is pleased to announce that it is now accepting proposals to present at its 2022 Annual Conference on October 14, 2022. As with the COFO Annual Conferences in 2020 and 2021, presenters may present virtually, but COFO hopes to run the conference as a hybrid, with in-person attendance in Alexandria, VA. Organizers are therefore soliciting proposals for both virtual and in-person presentations, with a possibility of a pivot to all-virtual.

Job Posting: Tufts University

The private research university near Boston will hire its first Ombudsperson. The new Ombuds will report to the Provost and serve faculty, staff, and students following IOA standards. The job posting is the first public indication that Tufts was considering an Ombuds. Nick Diehl, Ombuds at nearby MIT, is a lecturer in conflict resolution at Tuft's School of Engineering. 

Development Bank of Latin America Retains Experienced Ombuds

CAF, Corporacion Andina de Fomento – Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina, has appointed José Martínez-Aragón as its first Ombudsperson. In this new position, he will provide Ombuds services to CAF personnel in 13 cities and report to the Executive President and Board of Directors from the bank's office in Panama. Martinez-Aragon comes to the position from the World Health Organization, where he served as the Ombudsman and Director for nearly eight years.

Bar Association of San Francisco Spotlights Ombuds

Next week, BASF will host "Conflict Resolution for Lawyers," featuring Joshua Berkowitz, an Ombuds with the County of Santa Clara, and Ilone Turner, a local mediator. The program on July 28 is open to the public and costs $80 for nonmembers. California attorneys can earn continuing legal education credit.

Here's the full description: 

University of Cincinnati Adds an Ombuds

Jivanto P. van Hemert has joined the UC Ombuds Office as an Associate Ombuds, reporting to Kim Fulbright. He replaces Michael Brochu, who moved to Louisiana State University. Van Hemert comes to the position from Ohio University, where he was Director of Case Management and Covid Response Operations.

FCO-ACCUO Posts Agenda and Opens Registration for 2022 Biennial Conference

The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman and the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons has released details for their biennial conference on October 17-18, 2022 in Ottawa. The conference theme is "Together Again: Strengthening Ombuds Practice through Connectedness and Inclusion" and registration is now open.

University of Northern Colorado Names First Ombuds

In June, Johnny Armijo II was appointed UNC's first University Ombudsperson. In this new, full-time position, Armijo will report to UNC's President and serve faculty and staff at the public university in Greeley. (The university's division of student affairs is considering a separate Ombuds for the 12,000 students.) “I’m looking forward to being the driving mechanism in solving conflicts so that people can be happy in their position at the university, and they enjoy collaborating and working with one another,” Armijo said.

USOA Resumes In-Person Conference for 2022 in New Hampshire

After a one-year delay, the United States Ombudsman Association will convene its 41st Annual Conference at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel in New Hampshire. Gregory Vincent, President of Talladega College, will give the keynote address on "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion as a Public Good." Also, Jennifer Mahony, Ombuds Office Director, Boston Children’s Hospital, will be a plenary speaker. The conference is preceded by training workshops on September 12-13. (USOA Conf Info.)

Job Re-Posting: University of the Pacific

The private Methodist-affiliated university with its main campus in Stockton, California, has reopened its search for a Senior Director of Community, Culture & Belonging/Ombuds. The full-time, collateral duty position reports to the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and "provides early detection for arising issues and is a source of suggestions for systemic change to improve existing university culture and processes." The position was last held by Hector Escalante, who left to become the Campus Ombuds for the University of California Merced.

Job Posting: Pomona College

The small, liberal arts college in Claremont, California, has opened a search for its next Ombuds. (Pomona's Ombuds Office has been closed since it's first Ombuds, Conchita Serri, retired in January 2021.) The part-time position will serve faculty, staff, and students following IOA standards, and report to the College President. 

Job Posting: School of the Art Institute of Chicago

The private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago is hiring its first Ombudsperson. The new, full-time position will provide consultation, conflict assessment and analysis, conflict coaching, restorative practices, mediation, and facilitation services to faculty, staff, and students. The Ombuds will report to the School's President. 

Job Posting: Los Alamos National Laboratory

The U.S. Department of Energy laboratory near Santa Fe, New Mexico, is hiring an Ombuds Specialist at level 3 or 4. The position will report to Ombuds Office Director, Cindy Mazur, and join Senior Associate Ombudsman Elisa Enriquez and Associate Ombudsman Evelyn Martinez. Depending on the qualifications of the person hired, the job description could include additional duties.

Job Posting (RFP): International Criminal Court

The intergovernmental organization and international tribunal in The Hague is seeking its first Ombudsperson. The consultant will assist the Court in developing the Court’s internal legal framework on informal dispute resolution by the end of 2022 and provide Ombuds services to elected officials (Judges, Prosecutors, and Registrars), staff members, and non-staff personnel. The program is expected to follow "generally accepted standards of practice for organizational ombudspersons and principles of justice and fairness." 

Job Posting: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The Ombuds program for the multilateral development bank based in Beijing will expand with the addition of a Senior Ombuds Services Officer. The position will report to Huan Chen, AIIB Ombudsperson, and provide services to all bank staff.

Job Posting: Queen's University

The public research university in Kingston, Ontario, is hiring a part-time Associate Ombudsperson for a one-year appointment. The remote-eligible position will report to Queen's Ombuds, Lavonne Hood, and provide services to students, staff, faculty, and community members.

Job Posting (RFP): United States Institute of Peace

The federal institution that promotes conflict resolution and prevention worldwide seeks an independent contractor or firm to serve as an Organizational Ombuds. The USIP Ombuds will work with 300 Institute staff as an independent, impartial, confidential, and information conflict management practitioner. The position is expected to be carried out remotely, with some reimbursable travel to USIP headquarters in Washington, DC. 

Santa Clara University Debuts Ombuds Office

David Galán has been appointed the first Ombudsperson for the private, Jesuit university in Silicon Valley, California. In this new, full-time position Galan will serve Santa Clara's faculty and staff, practicing to IOA standards, and reporting to the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.