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MEETING MINUTES 

Meeting Date and Time: June 10, 2020, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (EDT) 

Location:  Teleconference 

Agenda:

1. Checking in and Ombuds Supporting Ombuds (OSO) 

2. COFO Annual Conference update 

3. IOA Government Sector discussion – July 29th at Noon EST 

4. COFO Mentoring Program update 

5. Ombuds Day reminder – Ombuds Day is October 8th 

6. Discussion Topics: 

a. How offices with more than one member assure cohesiveness/being on the 

same page 

b. Supervision and the ombuds profession – Discussion of Wright/Miller January 

2020 article for the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association, An 

Initial Enquiry Towards a Model of Supervision and Support for Organizational 

Ombudsmen  

7. Announcements – Training opportunities, job postings, or really any office and 

ombudsman happenings you'd like to tell announce.  

Highlights: 

1. Checking in and OSO 

a. Space for discussion and supporting ombuds dealing with challenges of the 

continuing COVID‐19 epidemic, the planned phased reopening of government, and 

the global events relating to race and racism.  

b. Next Ombuds Supporting Ombuds (OSO) call on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 from 2 – 

3 pm EDT.  

2. COFO Annual Conference Update 

a. The COFO Annual Conference is scheduled for Friday, October 16, 2020 and will 

be 100% virtual.  

b. Additional volunteers are needed for the conference committee to serve as 

monitors and moderators for the planned discussions.   
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c. Volunteers are also needed to help select and engage speakers or presenters 

who are available to present within the virtual environment.   

d. Strategies to determine the best virtual environment that is compliant with 

government servers will be discussed soon. 

e. Another email seeking volunteers for the conference committee will be sent next 

week. 

3. IOA Government Sector discussion 

a. The IOA government sector discussion is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 

12 pm EDT/ 9am PDT.  

b. The virtual discussion will be led by COFO members, Tracey McNeil, Laurel Gordon, 

David Michael, and Jennifer Mahoney

c. A potential topic for this meeting is “Addressing Injustice”.  This topic will explore 

the larger societal context of racial injustice and how that affects our role as 

ombudsmen in our different agencies/organizations.

d. Other topics are in process and to be determined. 

4. COFO Mentoring Program update 

a. The COFO mentoring committee reviewed survey results from the first cohort and is 

considering potential changes to the program.   

b. Any feedback on recommended changes to the program can be emailed to anyone 

on the mentoring committee. 

c. A COFO conference session is being planned to share the survey results and changes 

to the program. 

d. COFO members are encouraged to participate in the next round of mentoring as a 

mentor or mentee.  

5. Ombuds Day reminder 

a. Thursday, October 8, 2020 is Ombuds Day.   

b. The website with additional information and the toolkit can be found at 

https://abaombudsday.wordpress.com/2018/09/07/ombuds‐day‐tool‐kit/

c. All activities will be virtual and outreach events will be coordinated with state 

proclamations to be obtained.   

d. Ken Skodacek is a COFO member and the chair for the ABA Ombuds Day committee. 

6. Discussion Topics 

a. Discussion of ensuring cohesiveness (being on the same page) of an ombudsman 

office with more than one member.  

i. This topic is timely based on the current situation where remote work has 

been required for many organizations. 

ii. Reflective practice or case review is one key to creating a cohesive work 

environment. 
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iii. Using reflective practice in real time, keeping a high level of communication 

helps a team learn each member’s work style and how best to work 

together.  It can also be a good learning/training tool. 

iv. As the team matures you may do less of real time reflective practice and 

more of a set meeting scheduled according to the team’s preference. 

v. Reflective practice also helps the team build resources and tackle emerging 

issues that allow the team to have a greater reach within the organization. 

vi. Allow shared calendars that are only open to team members and no one 

else.   

vii. Shared calendars can be a tool to assist in caseload share but be careful not 

to use inquirer names on shared calendars. Use the private feature for your 

personal schedule.  

viii. Build policies and procedures to establish consistency of best work practices 

and to allow for mirroring of basis work techniques with team members.   

ix. Revisit best work practices with the team on a routine basis that could be 

annually, biannual, or whatever works for the team. 

x. Be open to different work approaches from different team members and 

discuss differences openly within the team. 

xi. Stay connected on a case and personal level to ensure support is given when 

needed. 

xii. When choosing new team members try to get a voice in the selection and do 

not confuse cohesiveness with comfort.  Consider diversity and inclusion to 

allow for all types of points view and life experiences within an organization 

to be included. 

b.  Supervision and the ombuds profession – Discussion of Wright/Miller January 2020 

article for the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association, An Initial 

Enquiry Towards a Model of Supervision and Support for Organizational 

Ombudsmen.

i. Article was sent as PDF to members to allow for an informed discussion of 

the article.

ii. Brief synopsis of article – This article recommends a formalized view of 

ombudsman supervision to include a contract of the ongoing supervisory 

process throughout an ombudsman’s career.  

iii. Initially this article appears to helpful to new ombudsman but how to 

implement this type of function in a government environment is not clear.

iv. The word supervision appears to have a different meaning in the article than 

how it is widely viewed in the US.  

v. Supervision in the US is thought of as direct oversight and overseeing 

discussion making.  In the article it appears to describe something like a 

partnership or mentoring role for the supervisor.
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vi. The word supervisor could also be viewed as compromising the 

independence of the role of an ombudsman and the presumed neutrality of 

the position.

vii. Creation of a supervisory role may not be a good substitute for establishing a 

level of experience, training, basic standards of practice, and basic 

qualifications for the role of an ombudsman. 

viii. Confidentially could also be an issue relating to this supervisor model within 

a federal agency as an outside person/supervisor may be a person outside of 

organization. 

ix. Standards of practice within IOA state an ombudsman should have sole 

discretion over decisions which may be undermined by the supervisory 

model. 

x. Certification and mentoring may be a better way to establish creditably 

within the ombudsman profession if that is the reason for the model of 

supervision. 

7. Announcements 

a. Ombuds Supporting Ombuds (OSO) call on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 from 2 – 3 pm 

EDT.  
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Attendance 06/10/2020 

Last  First  Agency   Call‐In 

Barrar  Riley  CFPB  1 

Berg  Mollie   DOD / National Geospatial‐

Intelligence Agency (NGA) 

1 

Bookstein  Monique  FBI  1 

Bowles  Kelly  DOJ / USMS  1 

Carmouche  Colette  TSA  1 

Chlosta  Tina  FBI  1 

Coleman  Jean  SBA  1 

Doyle  Bill  US Secret Service  1 

Enriquez  Elisa  Los Alamos Laboratory (DOE)  1 

Garmon  Felisa  CFPB  1 

Gordon   Laurel  US Marshals Service  1 

Hartman  Jessie  NARA/ Office of Government 

Information Services (OGIS) 

1 

Huff  Kevin  FDIC  1 

Katherine  Erica  FDA  1 

Kelly  John   SBA  1 

Kinnavy   Noreen   Broadcasting Board of 

Governors  

1 

Levine  Lisa  DOJ / Executive Office of 

Immigration Review (EOIR) 

1 

Malone  Marcus  DOJ / USMS  1 

Maurer  Bill  Census  1 

McGuire  Carrie  NARA / Office of Government 

Information Services (OGIS) 

1 

McNeil  Tracey  SEC  1 

Michael  David   NIH  1 

Milner  Heather  CFPB  1 

Patel  Bina  FEMA  1 

Patno  Arielle  FDA / Center for Tobacco 

Products 

1 

Perez  Neida  Organization of American 

States (OAS) 

1 

Piziali  Jamie  EPA  1 
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Last  First  Agency   Call‐In 

Porch  Susanne  Commerce / National 

Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST) 

1 

Rowe  Mary  Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology (MIT) 

1 

Semo  Alina  NARA / OGIS  1 

Sotoudeh  Paul  USPTO  1 

Stergio  Marcus  Office of Federal Contract 

Compliance Programs / DOL 

1 

Todd  Julie  US Court of Appeals‐ 

Philadelphia 

1 

Vermillion  Chris  TSA  1 

Weber  Guy   DOD / NGA  1 

Wehagen  Stefanie  SBA  1 

Yuille 

Banford 

Deanna  DOD / Defense Human 

Resources Activity 

1 

Zajmi  Arben  CIS Ombudsman Office  1 

      Total  38