Conference Ombuds Services

Ombuds Support Before, During, and After the Conference

Before the Conference

MWI partners with organizers to create a clear conference ombuds charter that defines the role of the ombuds, the scope of services, and how participants can access support. We provide introductory materials and language for your website, emails, and mobile app, ensuring participants know the ombuds is available and what to expect.

During the Conference

Our ombuds are available to all participants—on-site or virtually—for confidential, impartial, and informal conversations. Whether someone is experiencing a misunderstanding, a microaggression, a policy concern, or just needs to talk something through, the ombuds offers a safe space. We provide private meetings, respond promptly, and maintain a visible and supportive presence.

After the Conference

Following the event, MWI offers an anonymized summary to organizers. This summary identifies patterns or themes that emerged (without disclosing identities), providing valuable insight to help improve future events. This feedback supports transparency, learning, and stronger community engagement.

Conference Ombuds Team Members

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Charmhee Kim

Organizational Ombuds
charmhee-ombuds@mwi.org

 

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Charmhee Kim is an experienced ombuds and cross-cultural trainer with MWI. She was an ombuds for 15 years at McKinsey & Company, a global management consultancy, addressing workplace conflicts, career development concerns, and other challenges. She has been an active member of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) since 2007 and was trained in its Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Practice Course, which she later taught as faculty. Charmhee served on the IOA Board of Directors and co-chaired its Global Marketing Task Force. Prior to entering the ombuds profession, Charmhee worked as a management consultant, investment banker, and public affairs specialist with the United Nations. She holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an MA from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Charmhee is trilingual in English, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese.

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Stephanie Garner

Ombuds / Mediator / Coach
ombuds@mwi.org

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Stephanie Garner is a seasoned ombuds, mediator, and coach with over a decade of experience providing conflict resolution services in government and international organizations. She has served as an ombuds at the U.S. Department of Energy, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Inter-American Development Bank. She has also led large-scale Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs, serving as the coordinator for the World Bank’s Integrated Conflict Management System and later managing their Respectful Workplace Advisors Program, where she trained and coached a global network of over 300 ombuds-like volunteers.

Stephanie’s expertise includes leadership and conflict coaching, mediation, facilitation, and training on conflict resolution topics such as communication, negotiation, feedback, and de-escalation, among others. She specializes in helping individuals and organizations navigate complex workplace conflicts while upholding the principles of confidentiality, independence, informality, and impartiality. She has extensive experience working in diverse and multicultural environments, tailoring her approach to meet the unique needs of each setting. Stephanie holds an M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and a B.A. in International Relations from Elon University. She is a Certified Virginia Supreme Court Mediator and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation.

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Josh Hoch

Ombuds, Mediator, Director
617-895-4028 | jhoch@mwi.org

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Josh Hoch is an experienced ombuds, mediator, and instructor with MWI since 2001. He is the Director of Ombuds & Mediation Services, overseeing MWI’s Organizational Ombuds Panel and Conference Ombuds. Josh currently serves as an organizational ombuds for DAVIS Construction. He also manages and mentors a panel of mediators for the MBTA and Boston Public Schools, providing direct mediation and oversight of conflict resolution services and training. Josh partners with organizations to design and deliver conference ombuds services, ensuring that participants have an impartial and accessible resource during conferences, meetings, trade shows, and events. As MWI’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) liaison, he manages employment and higher education referrals for MWI mediators nationwide. In addition, he conducts advanced mediation training for clients, including the Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court. He is a member of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) and the East Coast Ombuds Group (ECOG). With more than 24 years of experience in conflict resolution, he helps individuals and organizations resolve conflicts and build healthier environments.

Schedule time with Josh.

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Focus Areas

• Organizational Ombuds
• Conference Ombuds
• Workplace and Employment Mediation
• Mediation Training
• Advanced Mediation Training
• Lunch and Learn Workshops

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Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Director of Ombuds Services, MWI (September 2021 – present)
• Board of Directors, Chair of the Development Committee, North and South Rivers Watershed Association (October 2022 – Present)
• Member of the East Coast Ombuds Group (October 2021 – present)
• Member of the International Ombuds Association (September 2021 – present)
• Workplace & Employment Mediator, CLC Inc., Granite Bay, CA (June 2022 – present)
• World Mediators Alliance on Climate Change Green Pledge (July 2021 – present)
• Ombuds, Arapahoe Basin (October 2022 – October 2024)
• Ombuds, John Moriarty & Associates (March 2022 – August 2024)
• Ombuds, CVS Health Ombuds Team Member (March 2022 – December 2022)
• Designed and administered a court-approved Parent Education Program for the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department (2016 – 2021)
• Speaker, New England Association of Conflict Resolution (April 2021)
• Designed and supervised a mediation program at the Norfolk Probate and Family Court (September 2013 – 2020)
• Served on the Assistant Judicial Case Manager (AJCM) Transition Working Group for the Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court in 2019
• Served on the ADR Education Subcommittee for the Massachusetts Trial Court in 2019
• Received recognition for outstanding performance and lasting contributions to the MA AFCC Chapter
• Served for six years – Board of Directors, Massachusetts Oyster Project
• Served for seven years – Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Chapter of AFCC
• Past Member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
• Past Member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
• Past Member of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation
• Past Member of the New England Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution
• Served as Treasurer for an annual fundraiser for Jimmy Fund Clinic patients and their families, helping to raise over $500,000

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Lectures and ADR Trainings Conducted

Current

• Workshop Presenter, Navigating Difficult Conversations at Work, Lunch and Learn, (September 2025 – present)
• Workshop Presenter, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Lunch and Learn (September 2025 – present)
• Trainer, Conciliation Training for Attorneys, Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court (June 2023 – Present)
• Trainer, Mediation Training for Staff of the Probate and Family Court, Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court (June 2022 – present)
• Mediation Trainer for Staff of the Boston Municipal Court Department, Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court (June 2022 – present)
• Trainer, Harassment Prevention Mediation Training Program for Mediation Programs in the Juvenile Court Department, Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court (June 2022 – present)

Past

• Understanding the Ombuds Resource On-site at MWI client locations (October 2021 – June 2023)
• Presenter, Organizational Ombuds as a Profession, Things a Mediator Might Want to Know About This Unique Role, Rhode Island Mediators Association (April 2023)
• Presenter, Tools for Becoming a More Effective Mediator, Community Dispute Settlement Center (March 2023)
• Advanced Divorce Mediation Training Instructor at MWI (April 2005 – June 2022)
• Provided individual mentoring to mediators looking to increase their effectiveness as mediators (June 2003 – June 2022)
• Advanced Mediation Skill Building Trainer for a Community Mediation Program (January 2022)
• Facilitator, Implicit Bias Workshop (May 2021)
• Trainer, Basic Mediation Training Program for the Housing Court Department of the Massachusetts Trial Court (October 2021)
• Trainer, Advanced Dispute Resolution Training for Probation Officers of the Probate and Family Court (March & June 2021)
• Trainer, Juvenile Mediation Training, 2-day Advanced Mediation Training Program (March 2021)
• Presenter, Bringing Mediation Online: Lessons Learned So Far, Massachusetts Council for Family Mediation (February 2021)
• Trainer, Housing, and Eviction Mediation Training for five Massachusetts Community Mediation Centers (December 2020 – January 2021)
• Presenter, Mediating Cases Remotely (Online), Roundtable Event (November 2020)
• Designed and served as an instructor for an Advanced Dispute Resolution Training Program for Probation Officers of the Probate and Family Court. (May 2019 – June 2021)
• Norfolk Probate and Family Court Department, mediation program mentor and supervisor (2013 – 2020)
• AFCC’s 54th Annual Conference: Turning the Kaleidoscope of Family Conflict into a Prism of Harmony, Conference Presenter (May 2017)
• Community Dispute Settlement Center (CDSC), Housing Mediation Trainer (February 2017)
• International Academic Institute of Mediation, Conference Presenter, Divorce Mediation in the Courts, (September 2015)
• Advanced Refresher Mediation Skills Training Program, Presenter (2015 – 2016)
• New England Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution Biennial Regional Conference, Presenter, “I’m a Trained Mediator, Now What do I Do?” (June 2015)
• Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, Presenter, On-site mediation project in the Norfolk Probate and Family Court Department, (2014)
• Emerson College, Guest Speaker (2014 – 2016)
• New England Law | Boston, Ethical Standards, Presenter, (2005 – 2013)
• Liaison for Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Mediation Practicum (2001 – 2011)
• A Child’s Voice in Court: How to Get It, How to Interpret It and How to Use It, Panel Speaker, (2008)
• Coca-Cola Enterprise Inc., Trainer. Trained over 950 employees in dispute resolution and communication skills and educated over 1700 employees through briefings (Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, New York, Vermont) (2004 – 2006)
• Harvard Law School, Intern Fair, Cambridge, MA, Presenter, (2005)
• Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work, Guest Lecturer, Parent-Teen Mediation (2004)
• Boston University Law School, Court Connected ADR, Guest Speaker, (2003 – 2008)
• Hale and Dorr Legal Services Center, Divorce Mediation Presenter, (2003 – 2004)
• Newton and Lexington Community Education, Presenter: Divorce Information You Want to Know, (2003 – 2005)
• Germaine Lawrence, Family Communication Workshop, Facilitator, (2001 – 2005)
• Southern New England School of Law, Mediation Trainer and Coach (2001 – 2004)
• Northeastern University, undergraduate class, Guest Speaker (2001 – 2002)

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Background and Education

• Director of Ombuds Services, MWI (September 2021 – Present)
• Director of Mediation Services, MWI, Boston, MA, (June 2001 – Present)
• Organizational Ombuds Training, IOA, (October 2021)
• Divorce Mediator, MWI, Boston, MA, (2001 – June 2022)
• Divorce Mediator, CLC Inc., Granite Bay, CA, (2004 – June 2022)
• Court & Divorce Mediator, Cambridge, MA, (2001 – 2012)
• Boston Municipal Court Mediator, Boston, MA, (2004 – 2007)
• Prisoner Disputes Mediator, Middlesex Multi-Door Courthouse, Cambridge, MA, (2003 – 2005)
• District Court Mediator, Middlesex Mediation Program, Lowell, MA, (2000 – 2001)
• Staff Member, Academy of Family Mediators, 2000
• B.A. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1998
• Mediation Training, L. Wing Mediation Consulting, 1996

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Nnena Odim

Ombuds and Conference Ombuds
617-895-4028 | nnena-ombuds@mwi.org

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Dispute Resolution Experience

Nnena Odim is an ombuds, mediator, attorney, trainer, and consultant with over 25 years of experience. She serves as a conference ombuds for clients, including the American Economic Association (AEA), American Planning Association (APA), and the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF). She also serves as an ombuds for DAVIS Construction, the American Economic Association, and Emerson College. Nnena’s role as an ombuds and conference ombuds highlights her expertise in conflict resolution, providing support, and fostering healthy environments for professionals during large-scale events.

Her extensive mediation experience since 1997 spans a variety of disputes, including employment, housing, business, and family/domestic relations matters. Nnena has designed and led conflict management trainings for organizations like the Boston Public Schools, Coca-Cola, and Netflix. She has been trained by the International Ombuds Association and has served as an ombuds for companies including CVS Health and John Moriarty and Associates.

Nnena recently retired from Harvard Law School, where she served as the Director and Senior Clinical Instructor of the Family/Domestic Violence Law Clinic. Nnena remains an active attorney and is committed to training future legal professionals. She has also collaborated with the Harvard Mediation Program and the Harvard Program on Negotiation, providing trainings and supervision to students.

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View additional conference ombuds team members.

Organizational Ombuds – Year-Round

Conference and organizational ombuds provide an impartial, confidential, informal, and independent resource for companies, organizations, colleges and universities, conferences, and annual meetings.

Another option to consider is having MWI provide organizational ombuds services throughout the year to your organization. Members benefit by having access to ombuds services when needed. MWI provides leadership with a summary of activity and identifies systematic trends or issues the organization could address to improve its climate beyond individual conferences. Employees with an ombuds team resource often feel more valued, heard, and appreciated.

For More Information

For more information, contact MWI’s Director of Ombuds, Josh Hoch, at jhoch@mwi.org, 617-895-4028, or schedule a time to speak with Josh.