Happy Ombuds Day!  

I’ve spent the past few days attending IOA’s Asia Pacific RAC Conference (remotely) where I had the opportunity to hear a keynote from former New Zealand Ombudsman Peter Boshier.

It was fascinating to learn about the tremendous impact he had during his decade of service. At first glance, that might seem expected—after all, he was the national ombudsman with the backing of Parliament. But when he stepped into the role, he shared that the office was seen as ineffective—a place where issues went to die according to some comical YouTube videos. But through commitment to true neutrality, stronger transparency of process, reframing the work as problem-solving, and thoughtful recommendations, he demonstrated the value of the role and reshaped public perception. The results? Utilization of the office doubled.

 A message from our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) committee

On October 9, 2025, we join Ombuds professionals globally to honor Ombuds Day, under the theme “Ombuds: Empowering Voices, Resolving Challenges.” This year, we especially recognize the powerful intersection between the Ombuds role and our shared commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIAB).

Ombuds serve as trusted, confidential and impartial partners within organizations, amplifying voices that may otherwise go unheard and easing tensions with respectful, equitable solutions.

By Lana Smith-Hale, Assistant Ombuds at UCSB & Anthony Keen-Louie, Associate Ombuds at UCSC,

If you’ve been a part of the IOA community for a while, you probably have a good sense of what Ombuds Day is, and have found creative ways to recognize the day with your colleagues and constituents. But for the newer Ombuds or for the Ombuds who are looking to refresh their Ombuds Day practices, this blog post is for you! 

Ombuds Day grew out of the ABA Dispute Resolution Committee, which realized that the field needed to better understand the role of an Ombudsperson. So now, every second Thursday in October, we celebrate Ombuds by both connecting Ombuds with others in the Community (usually with a free webinar - link to sign up for this year’s event), as well as an opportunity to encourage each Ombuds to engage with their own constituents. IOA highlights this as an opportunity to understand the profession deeper and encourage greater awareness and use of the Ombuds services and programs.         

By, Sarah Ahmed Atif,
Program Coordinator, George Mason University Ombuds Office

The current George Mason University Ombudsperson, Kimberly Jackson Davidson, was introduced in February 2022, and the Office Charter was signed in October of the same year by University President Gregory Washington. We identify this moment of a signed charter as the official act of launching the Office. This October, completing one year of operations, the Office celebrated its anniversary by hosting various programs for different audiences.

The office hosted an Ombuds Gathering for academic ombuds from the DMV area at the beautiful Potomac Science Center on October 20. This program was an effort to bring the academic ombuds in one room to have a dialogue on events pertaining to the field. Following were the program topics: 

By Belinda M. Robinson, PhD
Associate Organizational Ombudsman - Federal Bureau of Investigation

For nearly six years, in conjunction with the American Bar Association’s Ombuds Day Committee, the Ombuds community is celebrated, recognized, and congratulated on the second Thursday of October, also known as Ombuds Day. This year, Ombuds Day is celebrated on Thursday, October 12. The theme for 2023 is Ombuds: Diverse in Role. United in Service.

Prior years’ themes have paid homage to the professionals who lead conflict resolution efforts and mediation services for organizations, large and small, and regardless of their internally or externally facing ombuds roles:

•  2022 – Ombuds: Resilience, Respect, Resolve
•  2021 – Ombuds: Exploring Options to Resolve Conflict Together
•  2020 and 2019 – Ombuds: Unusual Name. Important Service

Ombuds practitioners are often described as navigators who provide a beacon of light; giving employees, and often the public, hope that their problems can be resolved fairly and equitably.

By Twillea Evans-Carthen, 
University Ombuds Officer, Director of Ombuds Services, 
California State University, San Bernardino,

California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) celebrated Ombuds Day 2022 by creating a creative approach to have students, staff, faculty, and community celebrate their campus ombuds by stopping by the office of Ombuds Services to meet the campus ombuds, learn about the program, and have a conversation over cookies with the ombuds. The Ombuds informed the community how each year on the second Thursday during the month of October, people from around the world take time to 

celebrate the role of the Ombuds. The CSUSB Office of Ombuds Services celebrated this year by recognizing and bringing forward the 2022 theme: Ombuds: Resilience, Respect, Resolve.

By the 2022 Ombuds Day Committee

We need your help! Please continue reading if you are interested in supporting our “Ombuds Day 2022 Proclamation Request-a-thon” scheduled for August 8^th – 12^th, 2022. Volunteering for this effort is a great way to create awareness and improve understanding of the ombuds profession.  It’s also a great way to meet and connect with other ombuds across the nation.   If you’re interested and short on time, you can skip to the bold text below.

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 IOA Executive Director, Chuck Howard

Today, on this 3^rd Annual Ombuds Day, IOA Executive Director Chuck Howard was honored to speak during the virtual event Ombuds Day – A Recognition of the Ombuds Profession & the Value of Ombuds, presented by the ABA Dispute Resolution Section Ombuds Day Committee.

Celebrate Our Profession October 8, 2020

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
• Highlight the value ombuds bring to the institutions and constituents they serve.
  
  

With all of that in mind. How can you participate this year while keeping safe and healthy? Here are some helpful suggestions from Ken Skodacek, representing the ABA Ombuds Day Subcommittee.

By Michael Green

With #OmbudsDay 2020 around the corner, I received a ‘challenge’ from a few colleagues and members of IOA. They, knowing of my passion for creating meaningful playlists, suggested I curate a list of songs for this event taking place on October 8th, 2020. I took this informal invitation as an opportunity to craft some songs for personal reflection and professional development. Using the lens of an ombuds, with an eagerness to serve communities and listen to the issues facing organizations, institutions, and everyday people, I developed the playlist that follows.

It was my intention to utilize art, in this case music, as a mechanism for awareness into the lives of the people who walk through the doors of ombuds offices. I attempted to absorb the complexities and dynamics that various populations are being forced to face during this turbulent year and mold that into a list of songs that could provide insight for those of us working with those populations. I believe that being intune with the culture of our constituents is vital to our impact. It is my hope that my fellow ombuds (former, current, and aspiring) can use this playlist to reflect on the past year, enhance their current practice amidst major societal shifts, and as a means to inspire transformation as we move forward. There is much work to be done, but I think if we listen intently to those we serve we will be better ombuds, better global citizens, and better human beings.

By Ken Skodacek
CDRH Deputy Ombuds

Ombuds Day 2020 is scheduled for October 8, 2020, only 3 months away!  

As a reminder, the theme for Ombuds Day 2020 is "Ombuds: Unusual name. Important service."  The primary goal of Ombuds Day is to improve public awareness of ombuds. 

Our actions are intended to: 

By Katie Swanson, Ombuds Day Task Force Committee Volunteer

The second annual Ombuds Day has come and gone leaving many amazing highlights from this year’s events and theme – Ombuds: Unusual Name. Important Service. In case you may not be familiar with all of the back story behind Ombuds Day,be sure to check out the ABA Journal on What are ombuds? The ABA provides a primer on special day.

A major point of focus surrounding Ombuds Day 2019 was the effort behind pushing cities, states, universities, and so forth to make a proclamation that would recognize the second Thursday of every October going forward as Ombuds Day. And the effort by those involved paid off in a very meaningful way with the response received. On the state level, proclamations were received from Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, Washington, Arizona, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Joining in as well at the city level, Boulder, Denver, Aurora, Anchorage, East Lansing, Des Moines, and King County in Washington have proclaimed Ombuds Day moving forward. This is only the beginning when it comes to proclamations as the efforts continue so be sure to stop by the Ombuds Day Toolkit for all the details and keep watching for who is added to the list next.

IOA Executive Director Chuck Howard gave the keynote address at the Ombuds Day event held on 10 October 2019 in Washington DC. Read on for the full transcript of Chuck's speech.