The IOA annual conference always provides a great opportunity to come together as ombuds to build community, advance our knowledge, and discuss the latest trends or issues we face as a profession. As we look back on the 2025 annual conference in Miami, three conference participants graciously shared reflections on their conference experience. Dawn Miller Sander (DMS), Assistant Ombuds at the American Red Cross; Geoffrey Adelsberg (GA), Associate Ombuds at Virginia Tech; and Natalie Grecu (NG), Faculty Ombuds for Utah Valley University responded to four questions that provided the framework for their reflection. Here are the highlights from their reflections:

Tell me a bit about yourself and your role as an ombuds

DMS: I have been an Ombuds with the American Red Cross for 4.5 years and I collaborate primarily with our external constituents, including blood donors, financial donors, disaster clients and others. In addition to collaborating with visitors I assist the Corporate Ombuds with outreach presentations, training programs and the annual report. Our outreach has created excellent partnerships with HR, Learning and Development, & the Office of General Counsel, while maintaining our independence.

Two of the training topics I have been exploring and creating content for include The Art of Positive Intent and Kindness integrated into Leadership Anchors. The Art of Positive Intent has been very well received at all levels of the workforce and Kindness will be rolled out later in April.

Prior to the Red Cross, I was a partner with the firm Conflict Transformation Associates, LLC for seven years. We provided services focusing on conflict transformation, including coaching, training, mediating and ombuds services. I was the mediator and the ombuds. We worked with a wide variety of for-profit, non-profit, and educational organizations.

GA: I began my work as an ombuds in early 2025, following my time as an associate professor of philosophy at Edgewood College, a small liberal arts college in Madison, Wisconsin. I’m now the inaugural associate ombuds at Virginia Tech, a large public university in Southwest Virginia. I work alongside Reese Ramos, the director of the Ombuds Office, and Bryan Hanson, the ombuds for the Graduate School.

I was drawn to this profession because I believe that addressing conflict can deepen the relationships and institutions that matter to us. As a philosopher, I’ve always been energized by meaningful conversations. What I love about being an ombuds is that it challenges me to listen deeply, stay present - with both visitors and institutional leaders - and ask thoughtful, generative questions.

NG: I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and the new Faculty Ombuds for Utah Valley University (UVU). Prior to grad school, I worked in client relations, marketing, and new business development in advertising. In 2011, I earned my MA in Organizational Communication from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and in 2015, I completed my PhD in Public Relations and Strategic Communication from Washington State University. I was an Assistant Professor of Communication at Missouri Southern State University for five years before starting at UVU. I’ve been teaching at UVU for the last 5 years. I’m currently an active faculty member and was hired for this pilot Faculty Ombuds position to assist with inter-faculty issues. The UVU Faculty Ombuds role was created so that faculty dealing with problems or conflicts have a safe place to go.

What were your hopes in attending IOA 2025?

DMS: As I planned my attendance at the IOA conference, my hopes included: (1) reconnecting with fellow ombuds that I have known for years; (2) attending sessions that would expand my knowledge and expertise; and (3) seeing sights in Miami. I was able to accomplish all three of my hopes/objectives.

GA: As a first-time attendee, I came to Miami hoping to learn more about the culture of the profession, connect with mentors, and deepen my practice by thinking through our core principles with a broad community of colleagues. I was seeking connection in a time of uncertainty.

NG: This was my first time attending the IOA conference, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but my hope was to network with other ombuds and continue my education in conflict resolution and communication facilitation.

What were some highlights of your experience at the conference?

DMS: The personal stories session was filled with wonderful presentations! They were enlightening, motivational, and emotional. The takeaway was – what is my story? I may present it at some point in the future.

I appreciated Henry Yampolsky’s session:  Restoring, Transforming, and Healing -High Emotions, Trauma, & Mindfulness in Ombuds/ADR Practice. I have been asked to work with a group of volunteers who were deployed at a particularly difficult disaster that lasted many days. The team is requesting trauma and grief recovery practices. I will be preparing and presenting this beyond the duties of my ombuds role, as I have experience in these practices. Henry’s work will assist me as I prepare the workshop.

As for seeing the sites, I took a ride on the double decker bus and saw the nine key spots in Miami, including Little Havana, art deco neighborhoods, and muraled walls. It was a great trip, I wish we could have spent time at each site. An idea for future IOA conferences is to include a field trip to learn more about the city we are visiting and bond with our colleagues, no matter where we are.

GA: The following sessions were highlights from my experience:

NG: This conference was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended in my 15-year academic career! Some of the highlights I experienced were meeting fellow ombuds from the virtual foundations training, networking with others, immediately feeling a sense of community, and attending fantastic, educational, and engaging sessions! I gained valuable insights and meaningful takeaways from each of the sessions I attended. The conference provided an incredibly supportive environment and opportunity to strengthen my knowledge and experience with ombuds best practices.

How did your experience impact your role as an ombuds?

DMS: As I consider myself empathetic and kind, I was pleased to find these traits/skills demonstrated by all the participants, session leaders, and the IOA team. We, as ombuds, are often engaged in sad, negative, or unrelenting situations of pain and/or misalignment and/or confusion. These challenging situations can drain us and cause us to be not as patient/understanding as we may want to be. I felt refreshed after the conference, ready to meet my visitors where they are and offer the listening they deserve. Refreshment of my expertise & skills happened at the conference and happens at our monthly regional Ombuds group meetings with the Mid-Atlantic Ombuds Network.

GA: I left the conference with a sense of the power of connection. I recognized how much we can learn from one another and how important our collective wisdom is.

The audience questions were especially rich for me. I left feeling more equipped for the challenges that arise in our practice. For example, in Mushegh Manukyan’s session on mental health in mediation, the discussion helped expand my vocabulary around accessibility. This will help me through those moments when mediation takes an unexpected turn, even after terms have been agreed upon.

The conference also expanded my perspective on what it means to be an ombuds. Being a university ombuds in the U.S. is just one context of many in a global profession. As someone interested in contributing research to our field, I left with a deeper sense of the range of perspectives I want to engage with and learn from to make meaningful contributions.

NG: This IOA conference experience has significantly impacted my ability to connect with my visitors and has helped me advance my ombuds skills. Since returning from the conference, I’ve already put several key takeaways into practice such as implementing the EASE Model, integrating the RESOLVE framework, and applying mindfulness techniques to my visitor interactions! These impactful sessions, among many others, have been instrumental in boosting my confidence as a new ombuds and enhancing how I support those I serve.

Beyond the engaging sessions and keynote speakers, the overall experience of the IOA conference played a key role in preparing me to develop and deliver my first non-identifying report to our Executive Committee. I’m especially grateful for the thoughtful research and insights shared by the speakers, which significantly enhanced the credibility of my report and strengthened the case for supporting this pilot Faculty Ombuds position at my university.