COFO Announces 2025 Conference

The Coalition of Federal Ombuds has published the agenda for its Annual Conference on September 12, 2025. The conference will be an all-day hybrid event, with an in-person conference hosted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. The conference open to all, but aimed primarily at Federal Ombuds of all models. Information and sessions may be relevant to ADR practitioners elsewhere, as well as those interested in other fields

Job Posting: State Bar of California

California's attorney licensing agency (the largest in the U.S.) is hiring a Public Trust Liaison. It is not clear whether the search will replace Enrique Zuniga, who established the role in 2023. The job is essentially an External Ombuds and provides the primary point of contact for external stakeholders with feedback or suggestions about the State Bar. In addition, the Public Trust Liaison develops education programs and tools to assist the public with complaints. The Liaison is not involved in attorney disciplinary cases. The job allows for up to four remote days a week.

Association of Higher Education Ombudsmen of Quebec Names 2025 Leaders

AOESQ (Association des ombudsmans en enseignement supérieur du Québec) has selected its next executive team. They are "committed to promoting fairness, procedural justice, and respect for rights in higher education institutions."

The new officers are: 

Article Recaps Work of Root & Shoot Ombuds

An association of plant science societies, Root & Shoot, collaborated on an article in the open-access journal eLife about their new guidelines for making conferences more inclusive for scientists with marginalized identities. As part of this effort, Root & Shoot hired Bathabile K.S. Mthombeni and Laura Minero to provide on-site Ombuds services at three conferences in 2023. Their work is prominently featured in the eLife article, "Making conferences in the plant sciences more inclusive through community recommendations."

University of Tennessee Knoxville Adds an Ombuds

Nellie Haddad has been hired as the next Associate Ombudsperson, filling a position recently vacated by Brooke Wichmann. Haddad will report to the Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and assist in providing Ombuds services to over 18,000 stakeholder, including faculty, staff, and graduate students at the large, land-grant university.

IOA Announces 2025 September Symposium Speakers

The International Ombuds Association has announced the speaker lineup for its 2025 September Symposium, "Advocating for Your Office and the Ombuds Role." The virtual event will take place on September 30, 2025, from 11:00am to 7:00pm Eastern time.

Here are the scheduled speakers:

Job Re-Posting: Western University of Health Sciences

The private medical university in Pomona, California, has been seeking its first Ombudsperson for over 13 months. WesternU continues to post the position on several job boards. The full-time position will established a program to serve the entire campus community, including 3,700 students and over 2,000 employees. The Ombuds will report to the President and practice to IOA standards. Some travel to WesternU's campus in Lebanon, Oregon, is required. 

New Subreddit Caters to Ombuds

A new community on the website Reddit aims to provide an online home "for Ombuds and aspiring Ombuds alike. Visitors, organizational, governmental and public stakeholders, as well those generally interested are welcome." A user named ombudstelle launched the subreddit on August 13, 2025, and serves as the moderator. (r/ombuds.) 

Colorado Ombuds Gather for Summer 2025 Picnic

Members of the Colorado Ombuds Group gathered for a fun end-of-summer picnic at Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado on August 22, 2025. COG has had a long standing commitment to meet a minimum of three times a year for well over 33 years.

Job Posting: Houston Community College

The Texas community college system seeks a part-time Ombuds. It appears that the new position will report to Michael Edwards, who restarted the HCC Ombuds Office in early 2025. The part-time position will serve all constituents across multiple campuses, including over 52,000 students. (Initially, Edwards was providing services to nearly 5,000 faculty and staff.) The office practices to IOA standards.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Selects an Ombuds

Marcus Stergio has been selected as the next Ombudsperson for MIT, following Nick Diehl. Stergio joins the other MIT Ombuds, Judi Segall, and reports to the President. Together, they serve as a resource for all members of the MIT community, including faculty, staff, postdocs, and students — a total population of nearly 35,000.

CUNY Graduate Center Appoints Next Ombuds

The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York has appointed two Ombuds. Harriet Goodman and Manfred Philipp, both emeriti professors, will serve as Co-Ombudspersons for students, faculty, staff, and administrators. They follow Loraine Obler in the position and will practice to IOA standards. 

Fanshawe College Closes Ombuds Office

The college in London, Ontario, has shuttered its Office of the Ombuds "citing budget constraints, alternative options for support, and a decline in enrollment." Fanshawe opened the Ombuds office in 1993 as a program jointly funded by the college and student union. Rose Padacz was the last Ombuds in the role. (Fanshawe Ombuds.)

Kennesaw State University Appoints First Full-Time Ombuds

Luc Guglielmi has been appointed the first full-time Ombuds for KSU, the public university in Cobb County, Georgia. Previously Kennesaw State has two, part-time faculty providing Ombuds services, so the development marks a turning point for the office. As a faculty member, Guglielmi has served as part-time Ombuds since 2021. KSU has also hosted summer workshops for Ombuds for the past several years.

International Organization for Migration Selects Ombuds for Kenya

In June, Hans Kohler was hired as a Conflict Resolution Officer (Ombuds) for IOM, the intergovernmental organization that promotes international cooperation on migration issues. Stationed in Nairobi, Kohler is part of the IOM Office of the Ombudsperson and Mediation Services and assists staff members with employment issues following IOA standards. 

Oakland University Selects Ombuds

Stephanie J. Lee has been named the new Ombudsperson for the public research university in Oakland County, Michigan. (In 1970, Kenneth Coffman was the inaugural Ombudsman at OU and served several years in the role; it appears that the Ombuds program was then defunct for several decades.) Lee starts today and will establish a program to serve faculty, staff, and 16,000 students across two, suburban campuses.

University of Massachusetts Amherst Hires Associate Ombuds

Kenneth Russell has been named the Associate Ombuds for the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts. He joins the University Ombuds, Colette Carmouche, and will assist in providing services to over 38,000 faculty, staff, and students, practicing to IOA standards.

Job Posting (RFP): Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

The Department of Energy National Laboratory in Newport News, Virginia, seeks a contractor to serve as its first Ombudsperson. The new, part-time position will provide IOA-compliant services to about 700 Jefferson Lab employees and other scientific users. The initial contract term will be five years, with possible extension, and services will be delivered on an as-needed basis. Work may be performed remotely or in-person. Required travel may be reimbursed. 

Job Posting: Federal Bureau of Investigation

The FBI is seeking a full-time, permanent Associate Organizational Ombuds — a rare exemption from the current federal hiring freeze. The position will join an office that provides services to Bureau employees with workplace issues and concerns, and follows IOA standards. 

Job Posting: City of Atlanta

The City of Atlanta is seeking an Ombudsman of Neighborhoods. The post explains that, "The Office of the Ombudsman of Neighborhoods is committed to providing an independent, neutral, impartial, and confidential (wherein requested) platform for informal grievance exploration, resource sharing, community engagement, and collaborative discussion. The position was established by Jodi Merriday in 2021. 

University of Washington Hires Two Associate Ombuds

The University of Washington has appointed two Associate Ombuds. Diana Cooke and Marguerite Dorn will join Ashley Davis and report to the University Ombud, Chuck Sloane. (This office consistently uses "Ombud" rather than "Ombuds.") Cooke is the first Associate Ombud dedicated to the UW’s medical campuses which make up more than a third of the office’s cases each year. Marguerite Dorn is also an Associate Ombud, and her work will be focused on UW’s faculty and staff. (UW Ombud Office.)

University of Rochester Selects Experienced Federal Ombuds

Paul Sotoudeh will be the next Ombuds for the private research university in Upstate New York beginning in mid-Spetember. He follows Lynnett Van Slyke, who reestablished the office in 2022. Sotoudeh will report to the provost and serve all campus stakeholders, following IOA standards. Sotoudeh comes to the position from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he has been the Chief Ombuds for nearly nine years.

Meet the New Ombuds for Erasmus University Rotterdam

Aukje Verstegen has been named an Ombuds Officer for Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, the large public research university in the Netherlands. She joins Wico Verbaan, who was appointed to the role in January 2023. Together they serve more than 40,000 students and employees. The followed Edith Weijnen, who piloted the Ombuds program alone and as part-time employee beginning in 2019. (EUR Ombuds.)

Johns Hopkins University Expands Ombuds Services

This fall, JHU will extend its Ombuds services to Master's and medical students. The university's inaugural Ombuds, Annalisa Peterson, has been a resource for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows only for her first four years. According to an article announcing the change, Peterson assists nearly 200 students a year. (JHU Hub.)

Ombuds to Head ABA Dispute Resolution Section

Elizabeth ("Liz") Hill has begun her year as the Chair of the American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section. This marks the first time that an Ombuds has headed the influential section of more than 12,000 members that promotes ADR practices globally. Hill is well known for her advocacy on behalf of Ombuds, including work on the ABA Dispute Resolution Section’s Ombuds Committee (including Ombuds Day), several IOA committees, Colorado Ombuds Group, and Association for Conflict Resolution.

Podcast: Ombuds Building Trust in K-12 Education

Stacey Aliasso Rowcliffe was a guest on a recent episode of Brian Graham's podcast, "Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools." Rowcliffe is the inaugural Ombuds for Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES and she was joined by the District Superintendent and CEO, David O'Rourke. They explored "the quiet but transformative impact of Ombuds Services in education." 

Job Posting: Utah Valley University

The public university in Orem is seeking its next Assistant Director - Conflict Resolution/Ombudsman. The search will fill a position vacated in May by Emily de Schweinitz Taylor, who served in the role for one year. Maren Turnidge has been serving in the role on an interim basis for the past few months. The full-time position is located in the Students Rights & Accountability department and serves a student population of about 37,000.

ENOHE Partners with Danube University Krems for Certificate Program

The University for Continuing Education Krems (Universität für Weiterbildung Krems) is launching a certificate program called “Managing Conflict and Effective Dispute Resolution in Higher Education” in October 2025. The new program was developed in cooperation with the European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education and is specifically tailored to meet the needs of Ombuds.