Job Posting: World Health Organization, Philippines

The UN agency for international public health is hiring a Regional Ombudsman to be based in Manila for a full-time, two-year contract. Among other typical Ombuds duties, the position is expected to maintain active IOA membership and participation in UNARIO meetings.

IOA Announces Board Election Results; Current President to Leave Board

The International Ombuds Association has announced the results of its board election. Voting was delayed ten months ago while the association reviewed equity concerns, and updated its election process and other provisions of the bylaws. As a result, two cohorts were up for election: a total of ten candidates for nine open board seats. With the unexpected departure of the current board president, Melanie Jagneaux, all of the candidates will become directors.

AWI Webinar to Explore Alternatives to Workplace Investigations

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Ombuds Donna Louden will join a panel of experts for a webinar offered by the Association of Workplace Investigators. "Conflict Resolution Options to Consider Before, After, or In Place Of an Investigation" will take place on March 15, 2022, and is open to the public for $50. Louden has two decades of Ombuds experience, including stints at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and University of California, Irvine. She is a principal instructor for IOA and helped lead the creation of the virtual Foundations course.

IOA Releases Detailed Agenda for 2022 Virtual Conference

For the second year in a row, the International Ombudsman Association will hold its annual conference virtually. IOA's 17th annual meeting will take place April 4 through 6, 2022. Social events will use Gather.town, a virtual world with video features. Registration has been open for a few weeks and now the detailed agenda has been posted.

Ryerson University Selects Next Ombuds

Maureen Helt is the new Ombudsperson for students at the public research university in Toronto, joining Assistant Ombudspersons Ayesha Adam and Gemma Kerr. Helt comes to the role with 25 years of legal, investigative, and dispute resolution experience, most recently as vice-chair and adjudicator at Tribunals Ontario. She moved to Ryerson in mid-January 2022.

Job Posting: Baylor College of Medicine

The private health sciences university in Houston, Texas is seeking a Principal Ombuds—a hire that will expand its Ombuds office headed by Melanie Jagneuax. Baylor ran a search last August for an Associate Ombuds, which was apparently not fruitful. There are some significant changes: current posting requires more experience and the salary range is now advertised.

ABA's 2022 Dispute Resolution Spring Conference Includes Two Ombuds Panels

The American Bar Association's Section on Dispute Resolution will hold its Virtual Joint Annual Spring Conference on April 25-29, 2022. This is the largest annual conference of ADR practitioners and the theme this year is “Where Do We Grow from Here? New Directions and Rejuvenation.” There will be just two sessions featuring Ombuds (programmed at exactly the same time):

Job Posting: University of Tennessee

The public university in Knoxville is hiring an Educational Program Coordinator for its Office of Ombuds Services. The position will join Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, and be responsible for expanding and managing educational programming and outreach for the office.

Job Posting: United Nations, New York

The UN Funds and Programmes (which comprises UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOPS, and UN Women) is seeking its next Ombudsman. The search will fill a position held most recently by Giuseppe De Palo. The Ombuds heads a large office with about 20 staff members with several locations worldwide. Significant travel is expected.

University of Tennessee Expands Ombuds Office with New Associate

In November 2021, Brooke Wichmann became the first full-time Associate Ombudsperson at UT Knoxville. She joins Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and serves faculty, staff, and graduate students. Wichmann comes to the position after six years as the Associate Director of Conflict Resolution Services at Colorado State University.

Webinar to Explore Case Management for Ombuds

On Friday, March 11, 2022 (11-11:30 PST/2-2:30 EST), Colin Rule and Clare Fowler of Mediate.com will be discussing a few different case management platforms (what's available and what's coming), as well as data security for visitor information. The event is free and designed for Ombuds. (Mediate Registration.)

Job Posting: City of Seattle

Seattle's Office of the Employee Ombud is hiring an Assistant Ombud for Capacity Building. The new position will serve as the lead facilitator and trainer, and will also establish standard Ombuds practices, reporting, and data analysis, as well as curriculum development for skill building and support. The Ombud will report to Director Amarah Y. Khaan and join Assistant Ombud for Case Management Emma Phan.

Society for Personality and Social Psychology Names 2022 Conference Ombuds

Kathleen Canul will serve as the Ombuds for SPSP's annual conference —the largest international gathering of social psychologists and personality psychologists. Canul is the Campus Ombuds for the University of California Los Angeles and has served as conference Ombuds for several other professional associations. She is also a licensed psychologist. (SPSP Conf Ombuds.)

Job Posting: Georgia Southern University

The public research university in Statesboro is hiring its first University Ombudsperson. The new full-time position will serve GSU's 7,100 faculty, staff, and administrators (and not the 24,000 students). The posting explicitly states that Ombuds will not practice to IOA standards as it will be a mandatory reporter "If Federal or State law requires disclosure (e.g., something falls within open records law definitions, information already considered public and discoverable, Title IX allegations, Clery, VAWA, U.S. export control, and national security concerns)." 

Ombuds Abound at Kennesaw State's 2022 Summer Institute

Kennesaw State University's annual Summer Institute for Professional Development returns as an in-person event this year. Hosted by the KSU Center for Conflict Management, the Summer Institute again includes an several workshops for Ombuds and a consortium meeting in late June 2022.