Strategic Alliance & Partnership Committee

Chair

Roy Baroff, MA, JD, CO-OP®
North Carolina State University
Faculty & Staff Ombuds 
IOA Board of Directors 

Committee Members

Sarah Espinosa
Arbitrator Mediator Ombuds
SME Dispute Resolution, LLC

Bryan Hanson
Ombudsperson
Graduate School at Virginia Tech

Dr. Robin Kimbrough, JD, MDIV
Chaplain, Special Advisor to the President on United Methodist Affairs, Director
Office of the Ombuds
Meharry Medical College

Bruce MacAllister
Ombuds
International Foundation for
Online Responsibility
Board Member
Liaison to ABA DR Section
Ombuds Legislative Subcommittee

Eliane Markoff
University Ombuds
Bentley University

Elizabeth Stone
University Ombuds
Gallaudet University

Julie Weber
Ombuds
Montgomery College

Katie Swanson
MDR and 
IOA Liaison to ABA DR Section Ombuds Day

To Join the Committee

IOA members interested in joining this committee please send an email to the committee co-chair Roy Baroff.

Committee Mission

Identify, develop, and—with Board approval—implement alliances and partnerships to promote and protect the ombuds profession. Seek organizations important to the ombuds role and, among other activities, participate as presenters/exhibitors, co-author articles, and co-present at educational efforts.

Current Projects

  • Developing an ongoing list of organizations for the Committee to consider as allies and partners
  • Working to build supportive connections with the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section and the Association for Conflict Resolution; exploring connections with the Emerging Ombuds Network
  • Created a matrix/rubric to connect with organizations including the following categories:
    • Influence Organizations: organizations that the IOA deems important for purposes of helping to build greater awareness of the organizational ombuds concept, e.g. National Association of College and University Attorneys 
      Goals:  Educate, inform, and recruit to support OO model
    • Shared Goal Organizations: organizations that share similar values and goals and may use some of the same tools, e.g. ABA DR Section Ombuds Committee, Association for Conflict Resolution, Emerging Ombuds Network  
      Goals: Form collaborations, leverage influence and awareness to expand audiences, incorporate successful ideas and approaches, share workload and planning efforts, expand brainpower and experience, and increase IOA membership
    • Regional Ombuds Organizations: regional- or program/sector-focused ombuds practice groups, e.g. Coalition of Federal Ombuds, European Ombuds Group     
      Goals: Provide support, gather information about sector and regional needs, challenges and opportunities, provide consistency in practice approaches and standards application
  • Supporting Ombuds Day activities with direct liaison to ABA DR Section Ombuds Committee Ombuds Day group