Watch Part One and Part Two of the 2022 Good Day IOA interview between Ronnie Thomson, IOA 2022-2023 President and Ellen M. Miller, IOA Executive Director. Learn about their roles and what's on the horizon for IOA.
By Ellen M. Miller, IOA Executive Director
Many ombuds have allies who understand and promote the value and effectiveness of the ombuds office. Whether they are general counsel, Title IX or Clery coordinators, risk managers, HR or compliance professionals, CEOs, presidents, chancellors, or superintendents (just to name a few), these allies help advocate for the ombuds role within an organization.
In alignment with Goal 2 of our Strategic Plan, "Organizational leaders in key sectors understand and value the ombuds function, and IOA," we would like to gain additional insight into the perspectives of these allies and see if they can help us tell your story, especially to their peers. Are you willing to make an introduction? If you have a champion in your organization, please reach out to me via email at [email protected] or give me a call at +1 (619) 943-0792.
By Roy Baroff, CO-OP® and Steven Goodstein
The IOA Board of Directors recently approved a plan to create an All Things Internship Task Force (ATI-TF) to explore all things related to organizational ombuds internships including, among other topics, the creation of such programs, identifying existing internship programs, and collecting and developing materials for internship programs. IOA members are invited to participate in the task force.
Roy Baroff and Steven Goldstein on behalf of the Membership Committee have volunteered to lead the development of this task force. Participants in the Task Force will ultimately select co-chairs to lead the ATI-TF, with final approval of the IOA Board of Directors. The task force will report to the IOA Board of Directors via a Task Force Board Liaison.
By IOA Nominating Committee
Each year, members are invited to nominate retired colleagues to be honored as Distinguished Emeritus members, in recognition of their outstanding and dedicated service to the organization and profession. This year, we had several such nominations for ombuds who have gone above and beyond. These esteemed members were recognized during the 17th Annual IOA Conference. Please join us in congratulating each of them:
Retired, University of Denver, Member Since: 2000
By Sue Diviney, CO-OP®, IOA Board Member and Mollie Berg, CO-OP®, CO-OP® President
We are pleased to announce the formation of a new Joint IOA & CO-OP® Task Force that will recommend a proposal to accredit organizational ombuds programs. This will clear the way to separate program accreditation from individual certification under CO-OP®.
The goal is to create a time-limited task force that brings together a variety of critical perspectives and experiences, that may ideally include (but not be limited to) many of the following:
By the International Ombuds Association
We are delighted to announce that we have launched a new IOA website. You are invited to visit our new and improved site at www.ombudsassociation.org.
By Ellen Miller, IOA Executive Director
Greetings IOA Members & Supporters,
Thank you for the very warm welcome and the many kind messages I have received. I am now well into my third week at IOA, learning about the organization’s many committees, task forces, and projects, and attending the March Virtual Foundations course this week. One thing is very clear: I am so impressed with the tremendous energy and engagement of our members.
By IOA
Thank you to the 107 IOA members who participated in this year's IOA Board Election. There were nine director positions open on the Board and a slate of ten eligible candidates was presented to members.
By Ellen Miller, IOA Executive Director
We need your help. The US Department of Education has finalized its proposed amendments to Title IX and we expect a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to be issued in the next 60–90 days. According to an abstract previewing the amendments, the following changes may be included to align Title IX with Biden-Harris Administration priorities:
You may recall that in March 2021, President Biden directed the Department of Education to review changes made to Title IX during the Trump administration that prompted a week of exploratory hearings last summer. IOA participated by submitting comments that encouraged the retention of two amendments to preserve the effectiveness of organizational ombuds on college campuses.
By Teresa Ralicki, Ombuds, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, Founder, Ombuds Institute
Wow – I can’t believe how close we are to the next IOA Annual Conference. I also can’t believe this will be our third year being together virtually. It occurs to me just how much I rely on this conference to connect with other ombuds. To fill up my cup for the year with energy, with connection, with creativity. I am eagerly awaiting seeing you all!
By Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
San Diego, California, USA | 20–24 September 2022
Conference Theme: Re-imagining Ways to Research and Address Workplace Bullying and Harassment Across the Globe
In 2018, IOA began our journey to redefine the way we communicate about our association and about the organizational ombuds profession as a whole. Today, we are proud to announce and share the results of this effort.
Along with formally changing our organization's name to the “International Ombuds Association,” we are releasing a new logo, revised color palette, and a refined branding style guide. This new branding helps us celebrate the growth and evolution of our organization and our profession. It reflects a modern interpretation of our core values and traditions while incorporating elements of our 2021-2024 Strategic Direction.
During this process, member input has driven the overall direction and design of this new modern look. Your responses to the member-driven 2020 Branding Survey, your comments and input on the revisions to IOA's Bylaws & Articles of Incorporation, as well as your feedback on the 2021 logo design concepts have helped IOA leadership to better understand what you think IOA's brand should convey and what imagery resonates most with you.
By Melanie Jagneaux, JD, MBA, CO-OP®, IOA President
IOA begins the new year strong. Steadily growing over the past two years, IOA has surpassed its 1,000 member milestone! Even as the impacts of the COVID pandemic continued, we ended 2021 in a prosperous financial position, closing the year with an approximate net surplus of more than $35,000.
We, the members of IOA, accomplished a great deal in 2021! I think it is important to pause and celebrate our successes because our efforts in 2021 will bring even more value to our membership and the ombuds profession in the years to come. If you volunteered your time and talent on an IOA Committee or Task Force, IOA has greatly benefited from your investment. If you provided valuable feedback on proposals in surveys, you helped IOA leaders make better decisions. If you shared viewpoints in town halls or member meetings you contributed to our collaborative culture. We stayed well focused on our goals, engaged openly, collaborated well, met challenges with confidence and persistence, and made important changes to ready the organization for the future.
By Melanie Jagneaux, JD, MBA, CO-OP®, IOA President
We are pleased to announce that after a thorough and competitive search process, the IOA Board of Directors has selected a new executive director for IOA.
Ellen Miller will be joining us as our next executive director in mid-February. Ellen comes to us with prior experience as an executive director (most recently serving as the Executive Director of the California Lawyers Foundation) and extensive experience in organizational management, program and service implementation, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and organizational positioning. Ellen has deep roots in the dispute resolution field and is a trained mediator and facilitator herself. Her collaborative leadership style is already evident as she has begun meeting with IOA leadership to get to know the organization and hit the ground running in February.
By IOA SOP & COE Working Group
In the Fall of 2020, the IOA Board of Directors presented revised drafts of the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics to the IOA membership for feedback (more information is available on The Independent Voice). We received many comments via our survey questionnaire, during listening sessions, and in individual communications. The majority of the comments supported the proposed changes, but there were a number of members who offered valuable constructive criticism and specific suggestions.
Next, the Board convened a working group to methodically review and evaluate the comments and suggestions from members. That group met weekly and conducted a section-by-section, paragraph-by-paragraph review of the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, incorporating many of the suggested edits. The working group exercised its best judgment to reconcile many conflicting member suggestions.
By IOA
We would like to thank IOA's 1,000+ members for participating in our organization in 2021. Members' support and investment in the association help us continue striving toward our mission to advance the organizational ombuds profession worldwide.
Dear IOA Members & Supporters,
Soon after the first of the year, IOA will have a new Executive Director. But before I step away from this role, I want to let all of you know that I have very much appreciated the opportunity to work with IOA and IOA members for the past almost two and a half years. I also want to thank the IOA Board of Directors for their bold leadership in creating this position in the first place and for making it a full-time position going forward. Given the global challenges of the past couple of years and the need to adapt and re-envision everything, including our training programs and conferences, I believe this commitment represents the best in great organizational leadership.
As many of you know, I have long encouraged IOA to take a more active role in the world outside of IOA to support its members, to help create new programs, and to demonstrate the value of organizational ombuds programs for both people and organizations. During my tenure as the Executive Director, I have sought to prove that this mission is a worthy investment. I have endeavored to be just such a champion for IOA and the valuable role of an organizational ombuds through my speaking engagements and writings. I have been available to help IOA members with issues of concern in their own programs, and I have been willing to engage anytime and anywhere with organizations that are considering the possible creation of organizational ombuds programs and explain the key elements necessary for an effective program.
The wait is over! After more than a year of research and with the participation of many IOA members, Chuck Howard’s new book, A Practical Guide to Organizational Ombuds: How They Help People and Organizations, is going on sale this month.
It is the second book by IOA’s executive director and follows his seminal work, The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations - A Legal Guide, published in 2011, which has since become an essential resource for ombuds, dispute resolution professionals, in-house counsel, corporate executives, university administrators, compliance officers, and human resources personnel.
Where his first book provided a history of the evolution of the role of an organizational ombuds and explained the function, Chuck’s new release is a practical guide for anyone with questions about what ombuds programs are and how they operate.
By IOA Board of Directors
Nominations are now open for the IOA Board of Directors. Please consider serving the IOA community and the ombuds profession by stepping into this important leadership role. Several current IOA Board members have shared reflections on their service below, illustrating the rich experiences and impact board service has had on them and IOA.
The current Board along with IOA staff are planning a comprehensive orientation and onboarding to set up new directors for success. If you have any questions about board service, please reach out to [email protected] or contact Board members directly.
IOA would like to congratulate Pfizer's Office of the Ombuds on celebrating ten years of service. In December 2010, Pfizer announced the establishment of its Ombudsman Program as an alternative channel to address employee concerns about legal or regulatory issues. Pfizer’s Office of the Ombuds has now spent ten years offering a place for colleagues at any level can seek information and guidance to help them address and resolve work-related issues. Pfizer’s Ombuds is informal, independent, confidential, and neutral. What an achievement!
The office has recently shared a celebratory testimonial video that features thank you messages and commentary from five of Pfizer's Executive Leadership Team members including the CEO, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer. Also featured in the video is IOA member Sue Diviney, the Office of the Ombuds Lead, and her team which includes: Lourdes Delgado-Cheers, Global Ombuds; Tara Hunter, Specialist; Adam Learman, Global Ombuds; Elizabeth Lopez, Ombuds; and Sophia Qiao, Ombuds APAC.
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