Free Webinar: How a Conference Ombuds Strengthens Your Conferences, Meetings, and Events

Conference Ombuds
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Jai Calloway is a trusted conference ombuds and organizational ombudsperson known for creating safe, confidential, and inclusive spaces where attendees, volunteers, and leaders can surface concerns, navigate conflict, and fully engage in their event experience. She currently serves as Conference Ombuds for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (since 2022) and the Society for Research and Development (since 2025), and will return as Ombuds for their 2027 Biennial Meeting. In these roles, Jai partners with conference organizers to proactively support respectful conduct, address concerns in real time, and strengthen trust, belonging, and psychological safety across large, diverse gatherings.

With more than a decade of experience in conflict resolution and inclusion work, Jai brings a practical, people-centered approach grounded in impartiality, informality, and systems awareness. She previously served as an Organizational Ombuds for the Cambridge Innovation Center and as a Corporate Ombuds for Halliburton Oil Services.

Jai is an alumna of the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. She has held national leadership roles, including Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section and Chair of the International Ombuds Association’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Task Force. She also consults in organizational development, specializing in conflict resolution, engagement, and inclusive practices.

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Conference Ombuds
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Caitlan Hendrickson, a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner, serves as a dedicated conference ombuds for large, complex events, helping participants feel heard, respected, and supported throughout their conference experience. She has been the Conference Ombuds for WEFTEC since 2023. She will return in 2026, providing a confidential, informal resource for attendees, volunteers, and staff navigating concerns ranging from interpersonal conflict to inclusion, conduct, and communication challenges. Her presence offers both immediate support and a proactive partner to organizers seeking to create welcoming, psychologically safe spaces for all participants.

Caitlan brings nearly two decades of experience in Alternative Dispute Resolution and more than ten years directing ADR and ombuds programs in multicultural institutions. Her approach blends restorative practices, trauma-informed care, and cross-cultural communication, enabling her to engage effectively with diverse communities and high-stakes environments. She is exceptionally skilled at meeting people where they are, listening deeply, surfacing options, and helping individuals and systems move forward constructively.

A Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner and member of the International Ombuds Association since 2011, Caitlan began her career as a mediator and restorative justice practitioner serving disadvantaged and marginalized communities. She holds a Master of Education in Human Relations, a graduate certificate in Adult Learning and Training, and is completing a doctorate in leadership. Fluent in Spanish, she provides services in both English and Spanish.

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