UNCLASSIFIED

1

UNCLASSIFIED

MEETING MINUTES

Meeting Date/Time: May 08 2019 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Location: CFPB – 1700 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20552

Agenda:

1. COFO Membership Location

2. COFO Mentoring Committee Update

3. ABA Dispute Resolution Conference Reflections

4. Discussion Topic

5. Your Topic

6. Announcements 

Highlights:

1. COFO Membership Location

a. Location: June meeting will be held at the Smithsonian, 1100 Jefferson Street.

2. COFO Mentoring Committee Update

The Mentoring Committee has begun their June Cohort, second cohort. We have six mentor 

candidates, three mentee candidates (three pairs). We look forward to reaching out to our 

mentors and mentees following the matching process. The Committee has decided to hold two 

cohorts a year. The next cohort will take place in January 2020 and we will begin taking 

applications in October 2019. Requirements for mentor/mentee include,

a. Mentee candidacy: be a current practicing ombuds

b. Mentor candidacy: practiced in the ombuds function previously or currently for a 

minimum of three years

c. If you have any questions, please contact COFOMentoring@nih.gov

3. ABA Dispute Resolution Conference Reflections

a. The conference was successful in presenting a variety of issues ranging from current 

opioid crisis, sexual harassment, ombuds (what’s in the name), to access to legal counsel

in rural areas. 

4. Ombuds’ Day: 10 October, 2019

a. Theme: Ombuds: Unusual Name, Important Service 

b. The goal of this event is to increase awareness of the ombuds role with the public. The 

committee is currently working to make Ombuds Day an official day via local 

governments. 

c. The awareness will serve to emphasize the importance of the function. The committee 

encourages all ombuds serving in the private and federal sectors to celebrate this day. A 

toolkit with templates will be released soon. Practitioners are encouraged to celebrate 
UNCLASSIFIED

2

UNCLASSIFIED

this day by enhancing the awareness through their agencies, senior leader buy in, social 

media, and local news. 

d. For inquiries, please contact Ken Skodacek - Food & Drug Administration

(Ken.Skodacek@fda.hhs.gov). 

4. Discussion Topic: Bullying: How do we define bullying? How do we identify bulling in our day to day 

work?

a. Definition: A pattern of behavior displaying power imbalance and level of aggression 

against another individual. 

i. WorkplaceBullying.org presents a definition: “Workplace Bullying is repeated, 

health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or 

more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is: Threatening, humiliating, or 

intimidating, or Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from 

getting done, or Verbal abuse.”

b. Where is the line between harassment and bullying? The line is determined by the 

pattern of behavior against a targeted individual. The main element is the impact the 

aggressive behavior has on an individual who is targeted. 

c. NSA is currently working on an anti-harassment policy that includes a definition of 

bullying (in accordance with DoD Regulation 1020.03). 

d. Passive bullying is experienced when one individual is targeted in a group, impacting 

others in the group who become fearful of speaking up, changing the behavior and 

dynamic of the entire group. 

5. Your Topic: An open forum-space for new ombuds practitioners to ask questions and/or share 

thoughts to COFO members. We will continue this space for all meetings going forward.

a. A request for an instruction on scientific conflict resolution: Specifically, the request is to help 

with how to manage scientific conflict resolution and what type of information may be shared 

(within a peer review model). The request should also provide guidance on how to interface 

internal with external dispute resolution. 

b. FOYA: need assistance or guidance on what we release to FOYA vs confidential information

i. Under the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADRA) Act, exemption 3: there is 

verbiage on the release of records. ACUS study addresses similar guidance on 

release of records. 

6. Announcements 

a. Conference: U.S. Ombuds Association Conference will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii from 18-

20 September 2019.

b. Job Announcements 

i. Department of Homeland Security: Joint Duty Assignment, GS 14, TS/SCI for one 

year at the Office of I&A. The position requires a current Top Secret Clearance. 

For questions, please contact Mollie Berg: mary.a.berg@nga.mil
UNCLASSIFIED

3

UNCLASSIFIED

Attendees

Last First Department Agency InPerson

Berg Mollie Department of Defense National GeospatialIntelligence Agency 1

Maurer Bill Department of Energy 1

Delpesche Andrew Department of Homeland Security United States Secret Service 1

Doyle Bill Department of Homeland Security United States Secret Service 1

Milne Heather Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau 1

Sotoudeh Paul United States Patent and Trademark 

Office 1

McNeil Tracey U.S. Securities and Exchange 

Commission 1

Weber Guy Department of Defense National GeospatialIntelligence Agency 1

Total 8

Last First Department Agency Call 

In

Asar Sharen Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau 1

Balick Howard Department of Health and Human 

Services

Food and Drug 

Administration 1

Bolden Anna U.S. Federal Reserve 1

Bookstein Monique Federal Bureau of Investigation 1

Brown Andrea United States Patent and Trademark 

Office 1

Bryon Jason Department of Health and Human 

Services National Institutes of Health 1

Day-Lewis Kimberley Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Center 1

Donnelly Wanda U.S. Department of State 1

Edwards Jose CIS 1

Gnatt Sheldon National Security Agency 1
UNCLASSIFIED

4

UNCLASSIFIED

Gordon Laurel Department of Justice US Marshals Service 1

Lenkel Lauren Department of Health and Human 

Services

Food and Drug 

Administration 1

Kamenshine Wendy Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau 1

Katherine Erica Department of Health and Human 

Services

Food and Drug 

Administration 1

Kith Sarah Department of Health and Human 

Services National Institutes of Health 1

LardWhiteford Sherry Health and Human Services Food and Drug 

Administration 1

Leone Joe National Security Agency 1

Levine Lisa Department of Justice 1

Manderson Katie State of Texas 1

Mateen Fatima CIS 1

McGuire Carrie Office of Government Information 

Services NARA 1

Merrix Celeste Department of Homeland Security 1

Michael David Department of Health and Human 

Services National Institutes of Health 1

Miller Rozmyn Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau 1

Murphy Martha Office of Government Information 

Services NARA 1

Patel Bina NGIC 1

Rowe Mary MIT 1

Skodacek Ken Health and Human Services Food and Drug 

Administration 1

Smith Tyler Department of Health and Human 

Services National Institutes of Health 1

Stukes Jock National Reconnaissance Office 1

Tudisco Becky U.S. Department of Treasury 1

Vermillion Chris Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security 

Administration 1

Walker Don Department of Defense US Army Medical Command 1

Wolfe Alexandria Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security 

Administration 1

Zeller Jessica Health and Hum8n Services Food and Drug 

Administration 1

Total 35