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MEETING MINUTES 

Meeting Date and Time: November 18, 2020, 1:40‐2:35 pm (ET)* 

*late start due to technical challenges; early end, as it was a hybrid meeting followed by 

Ombuds Supporting Ombuds due to holidays the week before and after this meeting 

Location:  Teleconference 

Agenda:

1. Annual Conference Recap 

2. Draft Changes to IOA Standards of Practice  

3. Mentoring Program Update 

4. Charter and Governance Workgroup Update 

5. Social Media Committee Creation 

6. Announcements  

7. Discussion – Ombuds Supporting Ombuds 

Highlights: 

1. Annual Conference Recap 

a. Gratitude to the chairs, volunteers, and attendees

b. Please let Paul Sotoudeh know if you haven’t received the survey or materials. 

Email: Paul.Sotoudeh@USPTO.GOV

2. Draft Changes to IOA Standards of Practice 

a. First proposed changes in 11 years 

b. Regional ombuds groups are asking IOA to lengthen the review period 

c. Original drafting group had many years to work, while the review period is presently 

six weeks 

d. Consider reviewing document online by 11/20/2020 or attending meeting on 

11/18/2020 

e. COFO members may rely on the IOA Standards of Practice for establishing or 

reinforcing our offices, particularly with new leadership 

f. COFO will ask for additional time to review the document and to have IOA open the 

process to Ombuds practitioners who are not IOA members 

3. Mentoring Program Update 
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a. Mentoring Committee completed matching seven pairs for the fourth cohort 

b. Volunteers needed to serve on the Mentoring Committee, as the present term ends 

1/1/2021 

c. Reminder will be sent 

d. If you are interested in serving, send an email to a member of the Executive 

Committee: Paul.Sotoudeh@USPTO.GOV, mary.a.berg@nga.mil, 

Guy.J.Weber@nga.mil, Heather.Milner@cfpb.gov, laurel.gordon@usdoj.gov, 

Erica.Katherine@fda.hhs.gov, or Lisa.Levine@usdoj.gov

4. Charter and Governance Workgroup Update 

a. The group has met and will send a draft revised charter to the Executive 

Committee 

b. COFO Members will have an opportunity to weigh in and suggest revisions 

5. Social Media Committee Creation 

a. Erica Katherine leading efforts to develop COFO’s social media presence

b. What is the best way to use technology, the parameters, and pitfalls?

c. An email will be sent announcing the committee and asking for volunteers

d. The committee will decide what platform(s) are appropriate: LinkedIn, Facebook, 

Twitter, Instagram

e. First meeting of the group will be either the first or second week of January 2021

f. Email Erica Katherine at Erica.Katherine@fda.hhs.gov if you’d like more information

6. Announcements 

a. DHS has a new Congressionally‐created external ombuds office, the Office of the 

Immigration Detention Ombudsman with Luke Bellocchi as the Ombudsman and 

Allison Posner, detailee from CIS. They’ll look into immigration detainee issues and 

investigate facilities, make recommendations, and issue an annual report.

b. PTO has a GS14 position open and added an Acting Associate Ombudsman, detailee 

Aaron Footman

c. Census has two positions open, one in Suitland, Maryland, and one in Indiana

d. NGA is hiring an Associate Ombuds for the west and added Emilee Hopkins for the 

east

e. There is still time to add documents and tools to the IOA Effectiveness Project. 

Email: Jennifer.mahony@nih.gov  

f. NIH has a new Ombudsman and the Director of the Center for Cooperative 

Resolution, Victor Voloshin.

7. Ombuds Supporting Ombuds (OSO) 

a. No notes are taken during OSO discussions 
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Attendance 11/18/2020 

Last First Agency Call-In 

Balick Howard FDA 1 

Behr Virginia FDA 1 

Bellocchi Luke Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) 1 

Berg Mollie DOD / National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) 1 

Bloch Brian Dept of Interior 1 

Brown Andrea United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 1 

Carmouche Colette TSA 1 

Coleman Jean SBA 1 

Doty Brenda Federal Maritime Commission 1 

Ekwuabu Ogochukwu Dept of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General 1 

Feliciano Ramon Department of Defense / Defense Intelligence Agency 1 

Fleming Tasha BOP 1 

Footman Aaron USPTO 1 

Gordon Laurel US Marshals Service 1 

Green Veronica Dept of State 1 

Hopkins Emilee DOD / NGA 1 

Hurley Nathan FDA / Center for Tobacco Products 1 

Jarrett Syreeta DIA 1 

Katherine Erica FDA 1 

Levine Lisa DOJ / Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) 1 

Lloyd Brenda Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 1 

Mahony Jennifer NIH 1 

Manderson Katie VA 1 

Mattice Steve 1 

Maurer Bill Census 1 

McNeil Tracey SEC 1 

MeGee Christine DoD Education Activity 1 

Michael David NIH 1 

Miller Carla DOJ / ATF 1 

Miller 

Sander Dawn Conflict Transformation Associations 1 

Milner Heather CFPB 1 
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Last First Agency Call-In 

Patno Arielle FDA / Center for Tobacco Products 1 

Porch Susanne Commerce / National Institute of Standards and Technology 

(NIST) 1 

Posner Allison Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman 1 

Reed Janay DOD / DIA 1 

Rojas Nick DOD / DIA 1 

Rowe Mary Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 1 

Shore Stacy Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman 1 

Sotoudeh Paul USPTO 1 

Vermillion Chris TSA 1 

Villafane Jacqueline American Red Cross 1 

Voloshin Victor NIH 1 

Weber Guy DOD / NGA 1 

Whittington Frederic U.S. Department of Labor 1 

Wolfe Lexi DOE 1 

 Total 45