Distinguished Emeritus Membership Award

Recognizing Deserving Retired Members

Each year the IOA Board of Directors solicits nominations for the honor of Distinguished Emeritus membership status in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service to the organization and profession. This award is only presented once a year at the IOA Annual Meeting and the recipients receive complimentary, non-transferable, life-long membership to IOA.

Nominators and nominees must both be IOA members in order to participate.


The Nominations Window Is Closed for 2024

Please help IOA recognize deserving fellow ombuds for their accomplishments and contributions to our field by submitting a nomination for an IOA Distinguished Emeritus Member.

Before completing the form please read the following:
As the nominator, you are also responsible for collecting the nominee’s Curriculum Vitae, record of service, and three letters of support from IOA members. One letter may come from you. All documents must be submitted as one large file. Please use this file naming convention for your document: NomineeFirstName_LastName_Emeritus_Nomination_2024.

The Distinguished Emeritus Award criteria are as follows. Your nominee must meet at least one of these criteria and be a retired professional:

  1.  An outstanding record of service to the IOA or its predecessor organizations (TOA, UCOA, COA) either as an elected official or through other voluntary services to the organization on task forces, committees, or as an advocate of the organizational ombuds profession or the public.
  2. Demonstration of innovative service contributions that have advanced the organizational ombuds profession through administrative or committee work outside of IOA or its predecessor organizations, or other efforts, including publications, public speaking, testimony, and/or instruction.
  3. Evidence of a leadership role in one or more activities that has positively impacted the organizational ombuds profession.

2025 Nominations will open in October of 2024.

All nominations will be reviewed by our Nominating Committee and will be selected in advance of the annual conference.


Past Recipients

Jenna Brown
Vicky Brown
Isabel Calderon
John Carter
Ingrid Clarke
Claudia D'Albini
Glenda Dickson
Wendy Friede
Howard Gadlin
Tim Griffin
Helen Hasenfeld
Wilbur Hicks
Janet Hill
Wendell Jones
Willem Kweens 
James Lee
Alan Lincoln
David Miller
Carolyn Noorbakhsh
Don Perigo
Toni Robinson
Mary Rowe
Janis Schonauer
R. Ellen Schreiber
Tom Sebok
Robert Shelton
Mary Beth Stevens
Albin Swenson
Lee Twyman
Marsha Wagner
Margo Wesley
Ella Wheaton
Linda Wilcox
Ellen Williams
Gary Yamashita