West Virginia University Picks Next Faculty Ombuds

Christine Schimmel has been selected as the new WVU Faculty Ombudsperson. She will serve a part-time, one-year appointment and follows Professor of Management, Jodi Goodman. Schimmel is an Associate Professor of Counseling and was selected through an internal process. As the Ombuds, she reports to WVU's provost and practices to IOA standards.

Job Posting: Northeastern Illinois University

The public state university in North Park, Chicago is seeking its next Ombuds. The search will fill a vacancy left by Tyler Smith, who returned to the National Institutes of Health after two years in the position. The NEIU Ombuds is a full-time, IOA compliant position that reports to the University President and serves faculty, staff, and 8,000 students. 

Registration Opens for Ombuds Day 2022

Registration is now open for the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution (ABA DR) Ombuds Day on October 13, 2022. This marks the fifth year recognizing Ombuds — an impactful profession that has existed for centuries yet remains relatively unknown and underutilized. This year’s event “Ombuds: Resilience, Respect, Resolve” is intended to reflect and include the dynamic and diverse range of its practitioners.

Job Posting: Loyola Academy Willamette

The private, Catholic college prep high school in the northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, is hiring its first School Ombudsman. The part-time position will serve over 300 faculty and staff members as an, "impartial, informal, independent, non-retaliatory fair, and ethical facilitator of the problem-solving process", including "mediation, facilitation, and negotiation while honoring the critical elements of an ombudsperson practice. (Loyola Academy Posting via LinkedIn.)

Northern Illinois University Selects Next Ombuds

Sandra Cox has been introduced as the new Ombudsperson for the public research university in DeKalb. She comes to the position from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, where she was Director of the Counseling Center for the the past eight years. Cox reports to the Office of the President and provides services to over 20,000 students, faculty, and staff. NIU President Lisa Freeman said, “Her experience working with stakeholders across higher education institutions has prepared her to help faculty, staff and students navigate the processes and procedures at the university.”

Texas A&M Names Staff Ombuds for College of Education and Human Development

Patrice French has been appointed the Staff Ombuds at TAMU's College of Education and Human Development. The Faculty Ombuds position for CEHD remains vacant. Previously, French was the Manager for the Office of Organizational Development and Diversity Initiatives. She has worked in higher education and social services for her entire career. French graduated from Texas Christian University, and earned an MSW at the University of Michigan and PhD at Texas A&M. (TAMU CEHD Ombuds; LinkedIn.)

Nova Southeastern University Names First Ombuds for its College of Arts and Sciences

Neil Katz has been appointed as the first Ombuds the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center the private research university in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. As the Ombuds, Katz will serve faculty and staff following IOA standards. Meanwhile, he will continue as a faculty member in Nova's graduate Department of Conflict Resolution Studies. Katz is already well known in the Ombuds field for his research and consulting, especially as an author of a report on Federal Ombuds programs for the Administrative Conference of the U.S.

Job Posting: Bowdoin College

The private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine is hiring its first Ombuds. The part-time position will serve as a resource for its 1,100 employees. The position will report to Bowdon's president and practice to IOA standards.

Halliburton Ombuds Retires

In July, Halliburton's Manager and Senior Ombudsman, Melinda Miner, retired after more than three decades (her entire career) with the company. Miner became the Senior Ombuds and Manager of the Dispute Resolution Program in 2007. She has been a frequent speaker at IOA conferences and other professional associations. Nelita Hatch and Marie Neely continue as members of the office. (LinkedIn.)

Furman University Extends Ombuds Program to Staff

John Kemp has been named the first Staff Ombudsperson for the small, private, coeducational liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina. He joins Furman's Faculty Ombudsperson, Victoria Turgeon, who established the office in 2016. Kemp takes on Ombuds duties in addition to his full-time work as Senior Director of Planned and Major Gifts.

Baylor College of Medicine Expands Ombuds Program with Experienced Ombuds

Alicia Booker is the new Principal Ombuds for the private health sciences university in Houston, Texas. She joins Director and Ombuds, Melanie Jagneaux. Booker brings significant Ombuds experience: she was the first full-time Ombuds at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for the past two years and, prior to that, was the Associate Ombuds at the University of Cincinnati. Booker is also the President-Elect of the IOA Board of Directors.

ISD 622 in North St. Paul Launches Ombuds Program

Jamal Abdur-Salaam has been named the inaugural Ombudsperson for the public school district encompassing North St. Paul, Maplewood, and Oakdale, Minnesota. In this new role, Abdur-Salaam will "work with parents, community members and the school district to clarify and resolve questions, concerns and complaints in a fair and timely manner." District 622 is home to nearly 11,000 students in grades K-12. Abdur-Salaam comes to the position after a career in public education, most recently as an Assistant Principal in St. Paul.

U.S. Forest Service Announces First Ombuds

Mark Lewis has been appointed the inaugural Conflict Management Specialist Ombuds for the USFS. He will report to the Office of the Chief in the Office of Work Environment and Performance Office and serve about 30,000 Forest Service employees across the country. Lewis bring federal ADR experience from the Food and Drug Administration, where he has been a conflict resolution specialist in Maryland. (USDA On the Move.)

American Literary Translators Association Ombuds Returns

Caitlan Hendrickson will again serve as the annual conference Ombuds for the nonprofit arts membership association for literary translators. Hendrickson previously served as the Ombuds for the University of Arizona and currently also is an Ombuds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Tahirih Justice Center, and MWI's outsourced Ombud team. (YouTube.)

Job Posting: University of North Carolina at Greensboro

The public research university in central North Carolina has reposted its opening for an Ombuds. This is the fourth posting by UNCG: an earlier request for proposals in the fall of 2021 for an "Ombudsman" was extended and then closed without a contract being awarded; then in March 2022, the university opened a search for employee. This is a renewed posting for a full-time University Ombuds, who will report to the Provost and provide services to faculty and staff. (The initial RFP said the Ombuds would also serve students.) The job posting also indicates the potential for an additional part-time Ombuds staff and/or graduate assistants to be hired as services increase.

Job Posting: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

The non-governmental organization that regulates member brokerage firms and exchange markets in the U.S., is hiring an Associate Director, Ombudsman. The full-time position reports to the FINRA Ombudsman, Sarah Gill, and can be based in one of 17 U.S. cities. In addition to managing conflicts and complaints, the position works with senior management and represents the office at industry events.

Penn State Names Faculty Ombuds

Larry Catá Backer has been elected the new University Faculty Ombudsperson at Penn State for a four-year term. He follows Mohamad A. Ansari, who served in the role for the past five years. Backer has been a member of the faculty since 2001 and is currently Professor of Law and International Affairs. He has held a range of elected and appointed administrative positions at the university.

Job Posting: California's Teacher Retirement System

CalSTRS, the largest teachers' retirement fund in the U.S. (and 11th largest pension fund in the world) is hiring a full-time Ombudsperson. The position serves nearly one million enrolled members, about 1,800 employees, and the general public. The job is based in West Sacramento and is eligible for hybrid work of 2-3 days a week. Earlier this year, the CalSTRS Ombuds program adopted IOA standards.

Job Posting: Seattle University

The private, Jesuit university in Washington state is hiring its next University Ombudsperson. The role has been significantly restructured since initially established as a part-time position serving faculty in 2013 by C. McKenna Lang. In October 2021, the Ombuds work was subsumed by the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Natasha Martin. Newly redefined, the Ombuds now will serve faculty and staff as a full-time employee reporting to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

University of West Florida Appoints Student Ombuds

Vannee Cao-Nguyen has been named the Student Ombuds for the public university in Pensacola. She takes on the role in addition to her duties as Associate Vice President for Academic Engagement and Student Affairs, which includes oversight of the Offices of Equity and Inclusion, Title IX, Equal Opportunity, Diversity Programs, and TRiO/Student Support Office. She is assisted by Randolph Scott.