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COFO MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES

Meeting Date/Time: August 9, 2023, 1:30-3:00pm (EST)

Location: Video/telephone

Agenda: 

1. COFO September meeting moved one week back to September 20th

2. COFO Charter – update on proposed amendment/rewrite

3. COFO Annual Conference – October 13, 2023 at USPTO in Alexandria, VA

4. USOA Annual Conference – September 13-15 in Atlanta

5. IOA September Symposium

6. Ombuds Day 2023 – October 12

7. Voluntary Leave Transfer Initiative reminder

8. Next Ombuds Supporting Ombuds (OSO) meeting 8/23

9. Announcements – Training opportunities, job openings, or really any office and ombuds 

happenings you'd like to tell the world about

10. General Questions - Space for new and emerging practitioners and programs to ask questions 

and get feedback from the COFO community in a short discussion format

11. Discussion Topic

o Pronouns – One COFO member reports that in their office they have shied away from 

displaying their pronouns for neutrality reasons, because their display can be seen as a 

political statement. This member reports that their agency has employees around the 

country and sometimes an employee (particularly from a red state) will be upset with 

someone from the DC headquarters who displays their pronouns. How do each of you 

handle this issue – do you display your pronouns in your email signature? Introduce 

yourself with them before presentations? Why or why not? Let’s discuss. 

Highlights:

1. COFO September Meeting

o Want to avoid potential scheduling conflicts as much as possible and, given the USOA 

Annual Conference the week of September 11th, we’ve moved the September COFO 

membership meeting to September 20th at the same time of day, 1:30pm ET. 

2. COFO Charter

o Proposed changes to the Charter will be sent out to COFO membership soon. ExComm 

just finishing up some last comments and suggestions. 

o Charter was last updated 10 years ago, so it’s a good time to update it given how much 

COFO and the ombuds field as a whole have developed in that time. 

o We’ll also set aside some time to discuss those changes as a group. 
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3. COFO Annual Conference

o Has been virtual for three years but will be back in person this year, but if people can’t 

make it there will be a virtual attendance option.

o As always, a free event and full day of programming open to anyone with an interest in 

ombuds practice and a particular focus on federal ombuds. 

o More information and announcements related to the conference will likely come in 

September when registration opens. 

4. USOA Annual Conference 

o Being held in Atlanta.

o There is a government sector chapter that will also be meeting as a smaller group during 

the conference. 

5. IOA September Symposium

o DEIA focused mini event for internally facing ombuds, will be spread over two days.

6. Ombuds Day 2023 

o October 13, the day after the COFO conference. 

o Programming is still being put together but more information will be available soon.

o Proclamation requesting process is going on for Ombuds Day with requesting sessions 

being held this week, and there is still time to participate if anyone is interested. 

7. Voluntary Leave Transfer Initiative reminder

o Connects ombuds who need leave with ombuds from around the federal government 

who have leave to donate. Helps to avoid awkward scenario where ombuds ask for or 

donate leave to others in their agency. 

o Contact COFO if you’ve qualified for leave transfer and would like to get leave from 

other ombuds. 

8. Next Ombuds Supporting Ombuds (OSO) Meeting – 8/23

o Scheduled for 2-3pm. 

o Safe space to discuss personal and professional topics that impact us. 

9. Announcements -Training opportunities, job openings, or really any office and ombudsman 

happenings you'd like to tell the world about

o Retirement announcement.

o FBI ombuds position is open but closes tomorrow for those who are interested.

o DOE ombuds position was only open for 12 hours and has now been reposted with 

longer application window for anyone who is interested and would still like to apply. 

o Associate ombuds at ATF is new to the group. 

o George Mason University is having a gathering for university ombuds in October. 

10. General Questions - Space for new and emerging practitioners and programs to ask questions 

and get feedback from the COFO community in a short discussion format.

o None

11. Discussion Topic: Pronouns – One COFO member reports that in their office they have shied 

away from displaying their pronouns for neutrality reasons, because their display can be seen as 

a political statement. This member reports that their agency has employees around the country 

and sometimes an employee (particularly from a red state) will be upset with someone from the 

DC headquarters who displays their pronouns. How do each of you handle this issue – do you 

display your pronouns in your email signature? Introduce yourself with them before 

presentations? Why or why not? Let’s discuss.

o Someone shared that its part of their office and organization’s culture and they do 

include their pronouns in email signatures.
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o Someone else mentioned that it largely depends on leadership and what they message 

about inclusivity generally or even the use of pronouns more specifically.

o Someone shared that it’s part of the organizational culture to use pronouns, internally 

and also among some external stakeholders, but this ombuds still doesn’t use pronouns 

in an attempt to be impartial in case certain stakeholders have an issue with it. 

o Someone feels that as a federal ombuds we should have a pulse on belonging and 

fairness. It goes beyond what is political and what isn’t, there are things in our day-today practice as ombuds where we can and should endorse normative practices. 

o Question asked about whether those who do and/or don’t use pronouns have received 

any types of reactions from their stakeholders.

• Someone who has their pronouns in their email signature has received 

pushback, mostly questions about why this person uses them, and the ombuds’ 

answer was “they are a part of my name” and also “it provides a level of 

comfort to those who find it important for their pronouns to be known.”

• In the chat someone responded, “I share my pronouns and have not gotten 

questioned about it, but have received gratitude for sharing them.”

o In the chat someone wrote, “I have this website hyperlinked in my pronoun in my email 

signature: https://pronouns.org/how.”

o Someone asked in the chat, “May we also ask about the use of THEY in writing? I am 

using THEY in writing and find it puzzles people here and there.”

• Someone who doesn’t use they in writing suggested it’s because they have 

received pushback from white males who feel their gender was obvious and it’s 

insulting to them to be asked. 

• Someone responded in the chat, “I have been advised not to use they 

generically, but in response to pronouns or how they have asked to be 

addressed. But I agree with what’s been said, it could be a nice broad term.”

• Someone else mentioned they do use they because there’s no reason to gender 

someone who we don’t know. 

• An external ombuds office when referring to a consumer just refers to them as 

the consumer instead of using they or gendered terms. They also try to use the 

specific person’s name as much as possible so as to be genderless without using 

salutations. 

o Someone else in the chat shared, “To not label oneself is a privilege. Society does not 

give groups outside of a dominant group that option.”

o Someone uses their own policy of proactively asking people how they would like to be 

referred to. 

• Someone likened it to their complaint training when recalling that at times 

people need permission to complain.

o Someone who doesn’t use their pronouns says it would be very problematic in their 

agency because there are a wide range of cultures, some of which wouldn’t welcome 

conversations about gender or pronouns. They want to be respectful of all stakeholder 

preferences and therefore shy away from asking people their pronouns. 

• Someone responded that whether or not they agree, they respect that 

perspective and choice and particularly because of the general preference of 

ombuds to be neutral. 

o In the chat someone wrote, “What I hear from this wonderful conversation is the OO 

value for being and being perceived as respectful...”
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o Someone else mentioned that when hiring an Associate Ombuds they contemplated 

whether it should be an ombuds who identifies as a certain gender because people are 

already vulnerable when approaching the ombuds and may be more comfortable 

working with an ombuds who identifies as a certain gender. 

• Someone responded that they talk a lot about meeting people where they are, 

which sometimes is not the spaces that we are individually in, so being 

conscious of barriers we might create for people is helpful. 

o Someone feels the struggle and pull between being an effective ombuds by meeting 

people where they are in a situation or as a person, and meanwhile not agreeing with 

something that person is suggesting or is. For this person it comes down to tolerance

and they are working in an organization where it would be more counterproductive 

than productive to put their pronouns out there. 

o Someone else shared that they are in a law enforcement organization and feel that it 

would be polarizing and therefore do not use their pronouns. The conversation also 

makes them realize the other reason they don’t use pronouns is a fear of not being liked 

or accepted, but this conversation has enabled them to feel more comfortable and just 

now created a new email signature using their pronouns!

Attendees:

Last First Agency Call-In

Anderson Jeff DOE 1

Bedrossian Leona NIH 1

Belanus Nicole DC Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman 1

Bloch Brian DOI 1

Brown Andrea USPTO 1

Brown Sudie Federal Reserve 1

Crump-Wilson Karen N/A 1

Davis Ashley University of Washington 1

Doty Brenda Federal Maritime Commission 1

Footman Aaron USPTO 1

Garmon Felisa CFPB 1

Gartlan Jennifer N/A 1

Gayle Patrick N/A 1

Gordon Laurel US Marshals Service 1

Harley Jasmine National Credit Union Administration 1

Hartman Jessie OGIS 1

Hawkins Toni NIH 1

Hebron Eric DOJ 1

Hendrickson Caitlan FEMA 1
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Horvath Julia NASA 1

Johnson Stella N/A 1

Kamenshine Wendy CFPB 1

Katherine Erica FDA 1

Kinnavy Noreen USAGM 1

Knight Burlynda FDIC 1

Lawrence Steven DHS I&A 1

Lenkel Laurie FDA 1

Lopez Johnson Jennifer US Forest Service 1

Mahony Jennifer Boston Children’s Hospital 1

Manderson Katie VA 1

Manzines Rosamaria Prince William County Public Schools 1

Marcotte Dan FDIC 1

Maurer Bill Census 1

McGuire Carrie OGIS 1

Megee Christine DOD 1

Melançon Tom FMCS 1

Merrix Celeste FLETC 1

Miller Carla DOJ/ATF 1

Miller Ellen IOA 1

Milner Heather CFPB 1

Morey Chauntanette FBI 1

Nelson Annika EPA 1

Palosky Dania Federal Reserve 1

Patel Bina USPTO 1

Patno Ariel FDA 1

Porch Susanne Commerce/National Institute of Standards and Technology 

(NIST) 1

Reilly Kevin NASA 1

Robinson Belinda FBI 1

Rowe Mary MIT 1

Schauer Greta DHS 1

Skrzycki Lisa SEC 1

Smith Julie Census Bureau 1

Sotoudeh Paul USPTO 1
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Stergio Marcus Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs/DOL 1

Taylor Lelar VA 1

Thomson Ronnie Sandia National Laboratories 1

Thompson Patricia DC Department of Behavioral Health 1

Voloshin Victor NIH 1

Williams Kellyann GSA 1

Wolfe Lexi DOE 1

Younger Banks Tiffany SBA 1

Yuille Banford Deanna FDA 1

Yurgelan Christine N/A 1

Total 63