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.