IOA Opens Registration and Posts Agenda for 2012 Conference

Registration is now open for the Seventh Annual Conference of the International Ombudsman Association on April 13–18, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas. Special pricing is being offered for attendees who also register for Ombuds 101. Priority registration closes on March 23. IOA has also posted an expected agenda for the conference.

Day One -- Monday, April 16, 2012

Conference Welcome & Opening Remarks

Keynote Address: David Yamada, Professor of Law, Suffolk University Law School

IOA Pre-Annual Business Meeting Discussion (Limited to IOA Members Only)

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• Resolving 21st Century Disputes with a Pre-Historic Mind (Geoff Drucker, Manager, Dispute Resolution Services, American Health Lawyers Association)
• Understanding Your Cultural Patterns Across Conflict Styles (Bernard Anderson, Associate University Ombuds, Kennesaw State University; Deidra Dennie, Director of EEO, Kennesaw State University)
• Confidentiality as a Standard of Practice, Challenged and Challenging (Ilene Butensky, VP Office of the Ombuds, Eaton Corporation; Nicholas Diehl, Deputy Ombudsman, American Red Cross; Charles Howard, Partner, Shipman & Goodwin LLP; Craig Mousin, University Ombudsperson, DePaul University; The JIOA Editorial Board)
• Supervisors are People, Too: Ombuds Work with Managers (Kirsten Schwehm, Ombudsperson, Louisiana State University; Jim Wohl, Ombudsperson, Auburn University)
• The Ombuds as Trainer (Melissa Brodrick, Ombudsperson, Harvard Medical School/Dental School/School of Public Health; David Michael, Deputy Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• Systems Thinking in the Ombuds Office: Theory, Tools, and Practice (Howard Gadlin, Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; Wendell Jones, Ombudsman (Emeritus), Sandia National Laboratories; Jan Morse, Ombudsman, University of Minnesota)

Concurrent Sessions

• Why Internationally Mobile Students Need (more) Internationally Active Ombudsmen (Josef Leidenfrost, Austrian Student Ombudsman)
• Rethinking the Ombuds Role When Mediating (Howard Gadlin, Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; David Michael, Deputy Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• Exposing the Best Kept Secret - Ombudsing Works (Ilene Butensky, Eaton Corporation)
• Case Review with an Experienced Ombuds (Tom Sebok, Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado, Boulder; Mary Chavez Rudolph, Associate Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado Denver)
• The Neuro-Ombuds: Apollo 13, the Ombudsman and Helping Visitors Create Breakthroughs (Mauricio Ramos, Corporate Ombudsman, Sandia National Labs)
• Managing the “Proximity Effect” – Impact on Ombuds’ Visitor Demographics and Office Utilization in Global Organizations (Patricia Lynch, Ombudsman, United Technologies Corporation; Odile Rheaume, Respectful Workplace Advisor Program Administrator, The World Bank Group; Thomas Zgambo, Ombudsman, The World Bank Group)

Cocktails with the IOA Board

Day Two -- Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Keynote Address: Michael Dues, Lecturer, University of Arizona, Management Consultant

IOA Annual Business Meeting (Limited to IOA Members Only)

Concurrent Plenary Sessions (for Non-Members)

• The Ombuds Behind the Scenes (Jayla Henry, Halliburton)

Lunch / Lunch for Ombudsman New to the Profession & First Time Attendees*

Concurrent Sessions

• Analyze This! Adapting the Law School IRAC Framework to Ombuds Case Analysis (Donna Douglass Williams, Ombudsperson, World Health Organization; Indumati Sen, Ombudsman, International Baccalaureate Organization)
• Corporate Organizational Ombudsman Round Table (Amos Morale, Ombudsman, Marathon Oil Company; Gary Yamashita, Manager, Global Office of Ombuds, Chevron Corporation)
• A Classical Ombudsman's Survival in Tough Economic Times (Stephanie Maxberry, Ombudsman, Los Angeles County Office of Ombudsman)
• The Process of Bullying (Sue Theiss, University Ombudsman, Oregon State University)
• Increasing Your Effectiveness with Visitors: Establishing Rapport and Engaging in Case Reflection (Mary Chavez Rudolph, Ombudsman, University of Colorado Denver; Howard Gadlin, NIH Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; Patricia Ponce, Associate Ombuds, California Polytechnic State University; Tom Sebok, Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado Boulder)
• Latest Developments in the Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practioner® (CO-OP®) Program (Constance Bernard, Ombudsman, The World Bank Group; Wendy Friede, Consulting Ombuds, Friede Consulting Services; Jennifer Moumneh, Associate Ombudsman, University of California, Irvine; Albin Swenson, Ombudsman, Chevron Corporation; Marsha Wagner, University Ombuds Officer, Columbia University)

Sector Forum Discussions

• Academic
• ADR
• Corporate
• Government
• International
• Other

Day Three -- Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Keynote Address: Sherry D. Williams, Esq., Sr. VP, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Halliburton

General Session (Thomas Zgambo, Ombudsman, The World Bank Group)

Volunteer Recognition Luncheon

Concurrent Sessions

• A Quest for Fairness (Douglas Melville, Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (Canada))
• Straight Thinking: Common Logical Fallacies an Ombuds Should Know (Brian Bloch, Ombudsman, ISKCONResolve)
• Inclusion of the Physically Challenged in the Workforce (Chantal Perreault, President, Ombudsman Solution)
• Employment Law for Ombuds – What do we really need to know? (Judy Bruner, UC San Diego)
• Ombudsman Pecha Kucha (Nicholas Diehl, Deputy Ombudsman, American Red Cross)
• The Culture Bump® Approach: Embracing our Prejudices… An Ombudsman’s Guide to Universal Connections (Carol Archer, Instructor, University of Houston; Jim Wohl, Ombudsman, Auburn University; Stacey Nickson, Assistants Director, Biggio Center, Auburn University)
• Concurrent Sessions What Would You Do? (Melinda Miner, Sr. Ombudsman and Analyst, Halliburton Dispute Resolution Program)
• What To Do With All That Data?! (Kelley Alexander, Ombudsperson, Georgia State University)
• You Can Remain Plugged In – Using Electronic Communication and Remaining Confidential – The Next Generation (Craig Mousin, University Ombudsperson, DePaul University; Arlene Yetnikoff, Director of Information Security, DePaul University)
• The Sustainable Ombuds: Taking Charge of Taking Care (R. Ellen Schreiber, Ombuds, University of Idaho)
• Corporate Organizational Ombudsman Round Table (Amos Morale, Ombudsman, Marathon Oil Company; Gary Yamashita, Manager, Global Office of Ombuds, Chevron Corporation)
• Ombudsing in a VUCA World (Dr. Patrick Robardet, Montreal (French) School Board)

(IOA 2012 Conf. Info.)

Related posts: IOA Posts Agenda for 2011 Conference; IOA Announces Keynote Speakers for 2012 Conference.

Eaton Names Ombuds Director

Eaton Corporation has named its compensation director, Ilene Butensky, to head the company's Office of the Ombuds. Butensky has worked for Eaton for 28 years in a variety of positions in human resources. Butensky holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY Albany, a master's degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Illinois, and a juris doctor degree from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law in Ohio. (Crain's Cleveland Business; Eaton Press Release.)

(Related post Job Posting: Eaton Corp.)

Eaton Ombuds to Present Program on Running a Global Office

On April 14, Ilene Butensky and Sophia Qiao will speak at the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Section annual conference in Denver. Along with Chuck Howard, the two Ombuds for Eaton Corporation will discuss, "Implementing a Global Corporate Dispute Resolution Program."

Here's the summary of their concurrent session:

Resolution of workplace disputes can be especially challenging in the global corporate setting, where many workers are no longer traditional employees, where they may work remotely or are connection with others in their organization only electronically, and where the workforce includes people from many different countries and cultural backgrounds. This program will describe how an organizational ombudsman program can be an effective supplement to formal channels such as HR and compliance in helping people raise issues and resolve disputes informally and in a confidential manner. The program will feature the experience of Eaton Corporation, a global manufacturing company, which began its organizational ombudsman program in the United States and has since expanded it to Central and South America, China, India, and the United Kingdom.

Butensky and Howard will both be speaking, in separate sessions, at the IOA conference next week. (ABA DRS Conf. Info., Program Summaries.)

Related posts: Number of Certified Ombuds Reaches 53; Olympic Ombuds to Speak at ABA Dispute Resolution Conference; Chuck Howard on YouTube.

Journal of IOA Explores Issues of Confidentiality

The latest issue of the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association looks at the fundamental ethical duty of confidentiality. JIOA Editor David Miller says, “the provision of a safe place in which options for action and response can safely be heard, away from the clamour of police sirens and media-fuelled public approbation, can help to protect the individual and public interest by ensuring that matters have a greater likelihood of swift resolution.”

Articles in the current issue of JIOA include:

• “In Whom Can We Trust?” by David Miller
• “Protecting Confidentiality: Considerations for the Ombudsman Subjected to Adverse Publicity or a Subpoena to Testify” by Charles L. Howard
• “Lessons Learned: A Revisit to the Garstang vs. California Institute of Technology Ruling” by Helen Hasenfeld
• “Ombuds in a Cloud of Exabytes — Understanding the Ombuds’ Digital Trail” by Craig B. Mousin
• “Can We Talk? Confidentiality and the Ombudsman as an Individual” by Indumati Sen
• “What Happens to Confidentiality if the Visitor Refuses to Report Unacceptable Behavior?” by Mary Rowe
• “Practice Note: Imminent Risk — A Serious Exception to Confidentiality” by Ilene Butensky
• “An Ombudsman’s Role in the Face of Confidentiality Violations” by Nicholas Diehl
• “Online Dispute Resolution and Ombudsmanship” by Frank Fowlie
• “The Conflict Competent Organization: Assessing the Perceived Economic Value of the Corporate Ombuds Office” by Jason A. Waxman

(JIOA, vol. 4, no. 2.)

Related posts: Journal of IOA Appoints New Editor; Journal of IOA Now Available Through EBSCO; Journal of IOA Highlights Bullying Issues; Journal of IOA Focuses on Fairness and Equity; Journal of IOA Seeks Articles for Issue on Confidentiality.

IOA Posts Agenda for 2011 Conference

 The International Ombudsman Association has posted the tentative agenda for its sixth annual conference in Portland, OR on April 4-6.

Day One: Monday, 4/4/11

Welcome & Opening Remarks: Wim Wiewel, President, Portland State University

Keynote Address: Alicia C. Shepard, Ombudsman, National Public Radio

IOA Annual Business Meeting (IOA Members Only) / General Sessions for Non IOA Members

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• The Whistleblowing Ombudsman in Germany (Björn Rohde-Liebenau, Attorney, Mediator, Ombudsman, RCC Risk Communication Concepts)
• Differentiating the role of the Ombudsman from HR in the Corporate Sector & Human Resources and the Collegiate Ombuds Office: Natural Partners (Joanne Jirik Mullen, Carleton College; Isabel Calderon, Mars Inc.)
• The Ombudsman as Servant Leader: Mn/DOT’s Ombudsman Program Resolves Issues and Rebuilds Trust
• Mn/DOT Ombudsman
• Information Session with the Directors of the IOA Board of Certification (Marsha Wagner, Ombuds Officer, Columbia University; Carolyn Noorbakhsh, Ombuds, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Diane Dorion, Employee Ombudsman, Royal Bank of Canada; Albin Swenson, Manager, Global Office of the Ombuds, Chevron; Pierre Niedlispacher, Ombudsman, Coca-Cola)
• Climate change isn’t always bad: Tools for diagnosing and working with your organization’s communication climate (Kerry Egdorf, Ombuds, Marquette University)
• Ombuds Work: Reflections on your lived experience (Carol Gabrielli, Ombuds, Portland State University)

Concurrent Sessions

• Safeguarding the Role of the Ombudsman in College and University Settings (Frank R. Baskind, Ombudsman for Faculty and Classified Staff, Virginia Commonwealth University)
• Raising our Voices: A Town Hall Gathering for Associate, Affiliate, and Retired Members of IOA (Kerry Egdorf, Ombuds, Marquette University; John Carter, The Citadel)
• Conflict Coaching; A Whole New Toolkit for the Ombudsman (Berry Kruijning, Conflict Resolution Coach, Crowning Communications LLC)
• Invisible Preference: the Challenge of Mediator Neutrality (Linda Brothers, Associate Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• When Women Talk: Reflections on Mediating Disputes among Women (Howard Gadlin, Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health; Samantha Levine-Finley, Associate Ombudsman, National Institutes of Health)
• Social media and the virtual soapbox: One institutions approach to bringing 'the conversation' back home (Trey Reckling, Director of Student Development, SCAD)

Day Two: Tuesday, 4/5/11

Keynote Address: John S. Barkat, Ombudsman, United Nations

General Session: The Convergence of Diverse Ombuds/Ombudsman Offices: Comparing the Spectrum of O/O applications to identifying structure, essential characteristics, and value to the organization as well as those served (Michael P. Mills, City of Portland)

The Crystal Ball

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• The Ombudsman's Role as a Leader in the Organization (Grace Bartini, Ombudsman, American Student Assistance Association; Joyce DeMoss, Ombudsman, Transportation Security Administration)
• What Ombudsmen Should Know About Whistleblower Laws (Chuck Howard, Shipman & Goodwin LLP)
• Federal and State and Local Ombudsman: What we can learn from the Differences and the Similarities (Gregory A. Burke, Ombudsman, ORM)
• Electronic Communication Strategy: Online Conflict Management Coaching Tutorial (D. A. Graham, University Ombuds Officer, Princeton University)
• Journal Author's Panel: Advocating for Fairly and Equitably Administered Processes . . . as a Designated Neutral (Tom Sebok, Director, Ombuds Office, University of Colorado at Boulder; Journal Authors, JIOA)
• The Untold Millions - Demonstrating Organizational Ombudsmen’s Value Return (Lawrence Jagneaux, Halliburton)

Concurrent Sessions

• Therapeutic Theory and Skills for the Ombuds (Lauren Bloom, Ombudsperson, The University of Texas at Austin; Kevin Jessar, Corporate Ombudsman, American Red Cross)
• Nuts and Bolts of An Universally Accessible Ombuds Office (Suzy Rosen Singleton, Campus Ombuds, Gallaudet University)
• Drawing the Line and Choosing Sides: A Tool for Helping Visitors to Remain Constructive (R. Ellen Schreiber, Ombuds, University of Idaho)
• Using Mediation as a Mean to a More Peaceful Society (Tsipora Dimant, Mediator/Facilitator/Instructor, Portland Community College)
• Improving interactions between Ombudsmen and Compliance Officers/Inside Counsel (Ilene Butensky, Eaton Corporation)
• Emotional Well-Being - R U OK? (Mim Gaetano, Asia-Pacific/AIME Ombudsman, Mars, Inc.)

Day Three: Wednesday 4/6/11

Keynote Address: Michael Moffitt, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Director, ADR Center, University of Oregon Law School

General Session: Adopting Business Excellence and Quality Principles to Create Business Value ... Even in an Ombudsman Office (Nicole Goodfellow, Canada Post Corporation)

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions

• How do Ombudsmen across sectors collect and report data? (Lisa Witzler, Ombudsman Intern, National Institutes of Health; Tom Barnette, Regional Ombudsperson, American Express; Sarah Kith, Associate Ombudsman, American Red Cross; Tom Sebok, Ombudsperson, University of Colorado, Boulder; Sara Thacker, Director & Ombudsperson, University of California, Berkeley)
• Internal Justice Systems in International Organizations: Lessons Learned (Camilo Azcarate, Manager of Mediation Services, World Bank Group)
• Ombuds for Small Business (Clare Fowler, Organizational Consultant, Mediate.com)
• Apology and Forgiveness in Multicultural Settings (Miranda Kato, Ombuds, Bellevue College)
• A life-changing experience: Ombuds in Honduras and Nicaragua (D. A. Graham, University Ombuds Officer, Princeton University)
• Interest Session for Editorial Reviewers for The JIOA (David Miller, Editor, JIOA; Alan Lincoln, Founding Editor, JIOA)

Concurrent Sessions

• Values in Action Dialog -- Putting IOA's Decision Model into Practice (Don Noack, Corporate Ombuds, Sandia National Laboratories; Kerry Egdorf, Ombudsman, Marquette University)
• Challenges to Impartiality and Neutrality (Nora Farrell, Ryerson University)
• Conflict Analysis: Using Models/Frameworks to Understand Our Most Complex Cases (Brian Bloch, Co-Director, ISKCONResolve; Bob Cohen, Co-Director, ISKCONResolve)

(IOA Preliminary 2011 Conf. Agenda.)

IOA Elects Six to Board in 2012

The International Ombudsman Association has announced the results of its recent board election. The following individuals who have been elected to serve three-year term as Directors starting on April 14, 2012: Ilene Butensky, Doris Campos-Infantino, Isabel Calderon, Indumati Sen, and Ted Williamson. In addition, Nora Farrell, was elected to a two-year term as Associate Member Representative.

Prior post: Election Opens for 2012 IOA Board of Directors.

CO-OP Board Announces First Class of Certified Ombuds

The Board of Certification for Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioners has announced the names of the first Ombuds to become certified. Nineteen individuals from 12 different organizations have now passed the examination and have demonstrated they have at least a year of experience and practice to the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

• Evan R. Arrowsmith, Eaton Corporation
• Thomas W. Barnette, American Express
• Carol L. Breslin, Chevron Corporation
• Victoria Brown, University of Central Florida
• Ilene Butensky Brehm, Eaton Corporation
• Mary Chavez Rudolph, University of Colorado Denver
• Melissa Connell, University of Colorado Denver
• Joan Elaine Engel, Career Concepts, Inc.
• Sylvia L. Powlis Garvin, Career Concepts, Inc.
• Sharon Lanier, Munroe Regional Medical Center
• Bathabile K. S. Mthombeni, Columbia University
• Lisa M. Neale, University of Colorado Denver
• David Richardson, Kaiser Permanente
• Janis Schonauer, AllianceBernstein
• John A. Simonetti, Eaton Corporation
• Albin W. Swenson, Chevron Corporation
• Marc Vaucher, United Nations
• Richard G. Wall, Chevron Corporation
• Theodore R. Williamson III, The Coca-Cola Company

The next CO-OP examination will be offered during the IOA annual conference in New Orleans, April 8, 2010. (CO-OP Directory of Practitioners.)

Update 3/14/10: One Name Added to the List of First Certified Ombuds.

Related posts: IOA Unveils Certification Program for Organizational Ombuds; First Ombuds Certification Exam: 96% Pass Rate.

Society of Women Engineers Magazine Article on Ombuds

The winter issue of the SWE periodical includes an article: "A Fresh Look at the Organizational Ombudsman." The piece is based partly on interviews with attorney and author Chuck Howard, Ilene Butensky, Ombudsman for the Eaton Corp., Marsha Wagner, Ombuds at Columbia University, and Mary Rowe, Ombudsman at MIT. The article explains that Ombuds are an important resource for women who continue to face gender bias in the engineering profession.

The nonprofit Society of Women Engineers has over 17,000 members in nearly 100 professional sections and 300 student sections throughout the U.S.(SWE Magazine.)Related post: Asian Scientist Magazine: The Organizational Ombudsman Can Help.

Election Opens for 2012 IOA Board of Directors

The International Ombudsman Association has announced the slate for the 2011 Board of Directors election. As it has in the past, the Ombuds Blog provides links to public information about the candidates to supplement the official ballot statements.

Nominees for the five open directors positions are:

• Bernard Anderson -- LinkedIn; Ombuds Blog;
• Ilene Butensky -- Eaton Corp.; Ombuds Blog;
• Isabel Calderon (incumbent) -- LinkedIn; Ombuds Blog;
• Doris Campos-Infantino (incumbent) -- Interamerican Development Bank;
• Dolores Gomez-Moran -- George Mason University; Ombuds Blog
• Reto Meister -- LinkedIn;
• Indumati Sen (incumbent) -- International Baccalaureate; Ombuds Blog; and
• Ted Williamson -- LinkedIn; Ombuds Blog.

The nominee for the single associate member representative position is:

• Nora Farrell -- Ryerson University; Ombuds Blog.

Voting, which is open only to IOA members, closes Monday, December 12, 2011 at 5pm Pacific Standard Time (8pm EST). Results of the election will be sent out via email in January, and a formal announcement to members will be made at the IOA conference in April.

Related posts: IOA Announces Board Nominees (2008); Slate for 2009 IOA Board Election; IOA Voids Election Results, Reopens Voting; IOA Announces Board Election Results (2010); IOA Opens Balloting for 2011 Board of Directors.

Eaton Ombuds Issues Annual Report

The Office of the Ombuds for the Eaton Corporation reported that it received over 1,500 inquiries in 2007. Director Ilene Butensky said that 92.5% of visitors developed a plan of action with assistance from her office. The annual report also introduced Gennette Trípari as the Latin American and Caribbean Field Ombuds, who joins Associate Ombuds Crystal Bahr, and Field Ombuds John Simonetti and Evan Arrowsmith. (Eaton Ombuds Annual Report 2007.)

Related posts: Eaton Names Ombuds Director.