By Lee Twyman, Executive Director Search Team Co-Chair

In late September, the IOA Executive Director Search Team began our search for IOA’s next Executive Director. The Search Team values members’ perspectives as we meet the goal of selecting a new ED that represents you, our members, and we wish to share the following update and give you the opportunity to provide input. Our next ED will be a full-time position and work in collaboration with membership, the Board, and our staff to advance the goals of the IOA and the Organizational Ombuds profession. As a reminder, the Search Team includes the following members: Marcia Gee Riley, Juan Lattanzio, Suzanne Diviney, Marcia Martinez-Helfman, Lindsay Jennings, IOA Managing Director, and Co-Chairs Willem Kweens and Lee Twyman. Please view the IOA Board-approved ED position description for reference.

The search process and timeline includes:

By Chuck Howard, IOA Executive Director

I would like to make members aware of two upcoming opportunities to submit proposals to present at conferences of associations in related professions. IOA members have presented at these and other conferences in the past to help promote the value and increase knowledge and understanding of the ombuds profession, and I have as well. Our membership has a wealth of knowledge and insight to share and I encourage you to consider participating as a presenter or attendee at these conferences. 

LERA 74th Annual Meeting

June 2-5, 2022 – Virtual Conference
"Elevating Voice and New Voices in the Workplace and Beyond"

By Shannon Lynn Burton, Ph.D. & Shereen Bingham, Ph.D.,

Dear Colleagues,

The International Ombudsman Association Research and Assessment Committee will be developing The Organizational Ombuds Reader with an anticipated publication date during 2022.

Find out what you missed and what you need to do next.

Have you been following all of the latest updates on the IOA Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation? Are you feeling a little overwhelmed and lost in the sea of documents and links?

Here is a timeline to help you make sense of it all and help inform you about the next two steps of this process, including participating in one of the October Town Halls taking place on 26 October and placing your vote by proxy or at the next Special Member Meeting taking place on 16 November.

IOA Launches Search for New Executive Director

We are pleased to announce the launch of our search for IOA’s next Executive Director. This full-time leadership opportunity will soon be posted to a number of job boards and will remain open until 31 October 2021. 

The IOA Executive Director (ED) is the champion and public-facing representative for our association, its members, and the Organizational Ombuds profession. The ED is an advisor to and a leader of strategic initiatives for IOA. The ED builds relationships and networks, working across all representative sectors to promote and further the strategic goals of the organization while advancing IOA’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. The ED has a primary focus on the overall growth of the organization, including membership expansion and revenue generation. The ED works in partnership with IOA’s association management staff and reports to the IOA Board of Directors.

View the Full Position Description & Application Instructions

The Way Forward: An Informed Design

In 2018, IOA partnered with Westfourth Communications to redefine the way we communicate about IOA as an organization and the Ombuds profession as a whole. From building foundational core messaging to establishing a mission statement, values, and tagline member outreach and member feedback have served as our roadmap to modernize the IOA brand. 

Here is a recap of the rebranding timeline to date:

Members Are Invited to Share Their Thoughts & Questions

All IOA members are invited to participate in one of two Member Dialogues focused on the proposed amendments to the IOA Bylaws & Articles of Incorporation.

These dialogues will provide a space for members to discuss the proposed Bylaws changes, provide input, and ask questions of the IOA Board of Directors. The meetings will include small group discussions to encourage meaningful conversation. 

The Member Dialogues are identical in format and purpose and will follow the same agenda. We will begin in a large group with the same opening remarks, then move into the small breakout groups for 40 minutes. Each breakout group will be facilitated by a board member, who will capture the notes of the discussions and share highlights with the large group when it comes back together. 

One-Time CO-OP® Amnesty Program
Apply for Inactive Status Today

By Shannon Lynn Burton, Ph.D., University Ombudsperson, Michigan State University
& 
Shereen Bingham, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska Omaha, 

The IOA Research and Assessment Committee will be developing The Organizational Ombuds Reader with an anticipated publication date during 2022.

Edited by Dr. Shannon Lynn Burton and Dr. Shereen Bingham, The Organizational Ombuds Reader is a collection and bibliography of the scholarly pieces considered to be the most influential in organizational ombuds practice published since the 1960s. The purpose of the Reader is to serve as a resource for ombuds scholars and practitioners wanting to learn more about the field.

Updates from the Special Meeting

Thank you to all members who voted by proxy or participated in today’s special meeting of the membership to discuss the proposed revisions to our organization’s Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.

During the meeting, members raised procedural issues, which delayed the discussion of the motion to approve the changes to IOA's Bylaws. By the time the procedural issues were resolved, the time that had been dedicated for discussion had expired and the motion to vote was withdrawn. In the remaining few minutes, several members expressed views and asked questions. The Board will meet next Monday, 19 July 2021 to discuss how best to move forward.

Special Member Meeting for Bylaws Revisions Announced

In our roles as ombuds professionals and association members, it has never been more important to continue our advancement of standards and practices that strengthen IOA’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

As the world continues to grapple with some of its most complex and painful challenges, our pursuit of justice continues. This includes ensuring that we maintain fair and equitable processes for qualification, nomination, and election to the IOA Board of Directors.

In March of 2021, IOA's DEIB Task Force reported concerns regarding IOA elections.  IOA leadership took immediate action and approved an outside review of the nomination and selection process as it pertains to Board service. That independent review, conducted by the law firm of Ahmad Zaffarese LLC, recently concluded. The firm's report offers valuable, actionable insight and makes several recommendations the Board has been considering as proposed changes to IOA's Bylaws. These newly proposed changes are to be submitted to a vote of IOA members at a special member meeting to be held this July. Among the review’s findings are the following:

IOA Submits Comment to the U.S. Department of Education

In March 2021, President Biden issued an executive order directing the U.S. Secretary of Education, Miquel Cardona, to review the changes made to Title IX under the Trump administration.

For multiple days during the week of 7 June, the U.S. Department of Education held a virtual Title IX Public Hearing to gather information from survivors, students, parents, faculty, school staff, administrators, and other community members about the steps the Department can take to ensure that schools are providing students with safe learning environments free from discrimination and sexual harassment while implementing fair processes. The public comments will inform the Department’s review of its regulations, guidance, and other agency actions under Title IX. In addition to oral statements at the public hearing, the Department welcomed the submission of written comments.

IOA's Government & Policy Committee  with the support of IOA leadership submitted a written comment highlighting the important and unique role organizational ombuds play on many campuses by providing confidential, informal, impartial, and independent assistance to all college and university community members including complainants, respondents, and the administration, writing:

by Melanie Jagneaux, JD, MBA, CO-OP®, 2020-2021 IOA President

In North America, where vaccinations continue and an end to the pandemic appears to be in sight, many of us are beginning to feel a sense of relief as we perceive that the worst may be behind us.

However, as an international organization, IOA is well aware that our colleagues around the world are experiencing grave difficulties and have families, coworkers, organizations, and communities that continue to struggle with COVID-19.

By Heidi Stensby & Melissa Watson
DEIB Task Force Communications Liaisons

In July of 2020, the IOA Board unanimously approved the establishment of a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Task Force. The group was tasked with helping IOA internally evaluate itself on anti-racism practices and racial justice—and with defining parameters for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that supports membership belonging and connection within the organization. 

Under the leadership of co-chairs Brett Harris and Jai Calloway—selected by task force members – the DEIB group dedicated early discussion to the meanings of the words “diversity,” “equity,” “inclusion,” and “belonging”—recognizing that individual perspectives and experiences inform each person’s understanding and practice. To ensure fidelity to the project and IOA’s broad purpose, the task force drafted the following mission and values statements:

The IOA Board of Directors composed the following statement in collaboration with the Communications Committee and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Task Force.

The International Ombuds Association (IOA) is deeply saddened by the news from Atlanta on 16 March 2021 – when eight people were murdered by a gunman who attacked three Asian-owned businesses. Six of the eight deceased were Asian. Though details are still forthcoming about the gunman’s motives, it is impossible to disentangle this incident from the nearly 3,800 reported hate crimes directed at Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) since March 2020 (source: Stop AAPI Hate).  

IOA recognizes the historical pattern of anti-Asian discrimination in the United States. COVID-19 has re-ignited the longstanding social injustice against the AAPI community which traces its roots to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Japanese Internment Camps of World War II. IOA stands in steadfast support of the AAPI community. As experts in facilitating difficult conversations, ombuds can – and should – take an active role in promoting inclusivity and addressing identity-based oppression and racial bias. Supporting AAPI communities aligns to IOA’s mission and is integral to the organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging values. While ensuring that xenophobia is absent from IOA practices and policies, at moments like this, ombuds must take active steps to support individuals and communities that are targeted and hurting. As an organization committed to the respectful treatment of all individuals, in the wake of the Atlanta murders, IOA believes that a dedication to advocacy, allyship, and social justice are core elements to our collective healing and progress.

By Ken Skodacek, ABA Ombuds Day Subcommittee Chair

Ombuds Day is the 2^nd Thursday of October, with this year's day of recognition falling on 14 October 2021.  I’m honored to again be leading and coordinating this year’s activities as the chair of ABA’s Ombuds Day Subcommittee.  I’m writing to request your support. I would like to have someone to work with me as the IOA Liaison: this individual would work closely with me and also interact with representatives from other professional organizations (COFO, USOA, NASOP, ACR). I would also like to have other volunteers to support specific projects (short-term commitments of 4-6 hours total). If you’re familiar with Ombuds Day, you can skip the next few paragraphs and focus on the “How can you help?” section below.

The primary goal of Ombuds Day is to improve public awareness of ombuds.  Our actions are intended to educate the public about the role of ombuds, explain the wide variety of services that ombuds provide, encourage greater use of ombuds programs and services, and highlight the value ombuds bring to the institutions and constituents they serve.  The secondary goals of Ombuds Day are to connect ombuds in their respective communities and to recognize their important work.

By Jennifer Mahony
Associate Ombudsman, NIH

What are the mechanisms you use to create meaningful insight for your organizations?  How do you show that your ombuds office is valuable and effective? What frameworks are you using with your organization to define effectiveness?

In a recent blog post, Hector Escalante discussed The Ombuds Effectiveness Project as well as the work of Goal #1. Chuck Howard, IOA’s Executive Director, formed a project team led by Randy Williams and Ronnie Thomson to address these key questions. The Ombuds Effectiveness Project’s mission is “to equip ombuds offices with guidance, research tools, and training to measure and present effectiveness of their programs relevant to the stakeholder’s goals, in alignment with their organization's mission and values”.

by IOA

With September 2020 marking the one-year anniversary of Chuck Howard’s appointment as IOA’s first-ever Executive Director, we thought the start of 2021 would be a good time to reflect on Chuck’s leadership and accomplishments over the past 16 months.

With 30 years of experience as an attorney representing ombuds nationwide, and author of the definitive history of the ombuds profession, IOA had high hopes for the impact Chuck would make on our organization—and he didn’t disappoint!

by IOA 2020-2021 President, Melanie Jagneaux, JD, MBA, CO-OP®

Greetings IOA, and Happy 2021!

2020 was a tumultuous year for all of us…for the world, really. From the global pandemic of COVID to racial injustice to deep divisions in our societies, 2020 brought us chaos, challenge, and pain. With courage and clarity of purpose, IOA adapted to the challenges of the year, made important progress, and continued with its growth strategy.  We now have cause to celebrate a successful year despite those challenges.

Very importantly, our membership increased by 7% during 2020 to almost 1,000 members. We had more than 270 new members join IOA in 2020 and a phenomenal renewal rate of 79%. This increase in our membership and high rate of renewal is a signal that you, our IOA members, are finding real value in our global ombuds community. Our member benefits, training, leadership, information, and services are meaningful to you. We fully intend to continue providing the same high-quality benefits, information, and services this year!

A Name Change Is on the Horizon

Dear IOA Members & Supporters,

Recognizing that words matter, that impacts matter, that diversity, inclusion, and belonging are to be supported and celebrated; the International Ombudsman Association shall therefore change its name to the International Ombuds Association and take the necessary steps to effect this change.

As a part of the implementation of the 2021-2024 Strategic Direction Goal 4, 4.7. Develop a process for consideration of a possible name change for the organization, the IOA Board of Directors voted to approve the name change at its January 2021 meeting.