Distinguished Emeritus Membership Award

Recognizing Deserving Retired Members

Each year the IOA Board of Directors solicits nominations for the honor of Distinguished Emeritus membership status in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service to the organization and profession. This award is only presented once a year at the IOA Annual Meeting and the recipients receive complimentary, non-transferable, life-long membership to IOA.

Nominators and nominees must both be IOA members in order to participate.

Nominate Someone for the IOA Distinguished Emeritus Award

Please help IOA recognize deserving fellow ombuds for their accomplishments and contributions to our field by submitting a nomination for an IOA Distinguished Emeritus Member.

Before completing the form please read the following:
As the nominator, you are also responsible for collecting the nominee’s Curriculum Vitae, record of service, and three letters of support from IOA members. One letter may come from you. All documents must be submitted as one large file. Please use this file naming convention for your document: NomineeFirstName_LastName_Emeritus_Nomination_2025.

The Distinguished Emeritus Award criteria are as follows. Your nominee must meet at least one of these criteria and be a retired professional:

1.  An outstanding record of service to the IOA or its predecessor organizations (TOA, UCOA, COA) either as an elected official or through other voluntary services to the organization on task forces, committees, or as an advocate of the organizational ombuds profession or the public.
2. Demonstration of innovative service contributions that have advanced the organizational ombuds profession through administrative or committee work outside of IOA or its predecessor organizations, or other efforts, including publications, public speaking, testimony, and/or instruction.
3. Evidence of a leadership role in one or more activities that has positively impacted the organizational ombuds profession.

All nominations will be reviewed by our Nominating Committee and will be selected in advance of the annual conference.

The nomination window has closed. Thank you to all who submitted their nominations! Recipients will be announced at the IOA Virtual Annual Meeting.  

Past Recipients