About the Board of Certification for CO-OP®

The Board of Certification for Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioners (Board of Certification) is the certifying body authorized to award the Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner® (CO-OP®) credential. The mission of the Board of Certification is:
- To identify the body of knowledge necessary to perform the organizational ombuds job;
- To establish the level of experience and other eligibility requirements for certification and re-certification;
- To encourage consistency of standards of practice for organizational ombuds practitioners;
- To identify to their peers and to the public those organizational ombuds who have voluntarily sought and obtained certification; and
- To promote the advancement of the organizational ombuds profession.
The Board of Certification is affiliated with the following organizations:
- International Ombuds Association (IOA). IOA is the premier organization serving the organizational ombuds profession. The certification program for organizational ombuds practitioners was developed under the auspices of IOA over the course of five years of planning, seeking feedback from members, and assessing the results of a market survey. Although the Board of Certification is, and for the foreseeable future is expected to remain, a division of IOA, the Bylaws of the Board of Certification provide that the Board of Certification, not IOA or any other organization, has the sole discretion to manage and make all decisions relating to certification matters. Certification does not require membership in IOA, participation in IOA training, or attendance at IOA conferences.
- Prometric. Prometric is the current testing service for the examination, successful completion of which is required for the CO-OP® certification credential. Prometric is an established, full-service international testing company serving the needs of licensing boards and credentialing agencies with a wide range of test development services and testing services at hundreds of testing centers. Before the Board of Certification was established, IOA worked with Prometric (Formerly SMT) to conduct a market survey and a job analysis, which became the basis for the certification examination. Prometric's testing products use the most appropriate psychometric and security techniques available.
Board Information & Policies
CO-OP® Board of Directors
President

Mollie Berg, CO-OP® National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Springfield, VA United States
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Secretary | Liaison to IOA Board

Suzanne Diviney, CO-OP® Pfizer Inc. New York, NY United States
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Treasurer
Dr. Amarah Khan, CO-OP® City of Seattle, Office of the Employee Ombud Seattle, WA United States
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Director
Kirsi Aulin, CO-OP® University of Colorado, Boulder Boulder, CO United States
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Director
Janet Martinez Stanford Law School Stanford, CA United States
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Director

Amy Brow, CO-OP® FDIC Chicago, IL United States
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Director

Allison Whaley, CO-OP®, JD, SHRM - CP Montgomery College Piedmont, South Carolina United States
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*Officers of the Board of Certification are chosen from among the Board of Directors.
Ethics Statement: The Board of Certification of Organizational Ombuds Practitioners®, (CO-OP®) is dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the organizational ombuds profession by awarding a certification credential to those meeting specific requirements. Based on the traditions and values of organizational ombuds practice, the CO-OP® Board of Directors, as well as all participants in the governance of the Board of Certification, including members of committees and task forces, promote and engage in ethical conduct in the performance of their Board duties and in exercising their Ombuds role.
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