Toward A More Inclusive Future

Jul

Message from the IOA Executive Committee

Dear IOA Members,

We strongly encourage everyone’s participation in the upcoming Special Member Meeting on Thursday, 15 July to cast your vote on the proposed revisions to the IOA Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. All votes matter and count toward the required quorum (and your chance to win prizes!). If we do not meet quorum (approximately 250 votes), regardless of the votes cast, the Bylaws will fail.

We write to further clarify the reasons we support changes to the eligibility criteria for electing directors in the proposed Bylaws revision to Article IV. Under the current IOA Bylaws criteria, only 28% of current IOA members meet the eligibility criteria to run for a seat on the Board of Directors. We have listened to many IOA members who have called for a more inclusive organization, including the IOA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Task Force, urging greater diversity and inclusion among the organization’s leadership. If the proposed revisions pass, we estimate opening the opportunity for board service to 56% of current IOA members.

Like many organizations today, we believe that our decision-making and the governance of IOA will only be strengthened by new voices bringing greater diversity of individuals, roles, and perspectives. The proposed Bylaws revisions are responsive to concerns expressed that IOA leadership appears too exclusive and will ensure that all nominees who meet the eligibility criteria are advanced as candidates for voting by the full membership.

The Bylaw revisions make a number of improvements, including:

Adopting gender-neutral language throughout
Reflecting the name change: “International Ombuds Association”
Setting a consistent Board size of 15 Directors
Broadening eligibility criteria for Board service
Following best practices of establishing leadership succession
Requiring 2/3 “supermajority” for the Board of Directors to change the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
Increasing transparency of the nominations process with right of appeal
Updating quorum requirements
Read more

We understand that change can be uncomfortable for some. Yet, we strive for a more inclusive future, empowering members to serve and lead an even better IOA tomorrow. We believe that far more than 28% of our members are committed to promoting and protecting the status of our profession and our highly regarded Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. As ombuds colleagues, we may prefer consensus-thinking and in some circumstances, meeting a consensus is a wonderful ideal. Effective governance may not always be achieved, however, by consensus. We own the responsibility to lead the organization with due care, including keeping the Bylaws current. That is exactly what we hope to accomplish with your help.

Voting members, please vote by proxy online or you can participate during the virtual Special Member Meeting on Thursday, 15 July.

Vote by Proxy

Register for the Special Meeting

Respectfully,

IOA Executive Committee
Melanie Jagneaux, CO-OP®, President
Steve Prevaux, CO-OP®, Vice President
Ronnie Thomson, Secretary
Lee Twyman, Treasurer
Willem Kween, Assistant Treasurer

Join the Discussion

An online Discussion Circle has been made available in the members-only section of the IOA website. Several comments have already been posted and Board members are available to answer questions. Take a moment to review and share your thoughts.