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Organizational Ombuds Team

MWI’s Organizational Ombuds service provides organizations (companies, universities, membership organizations, and other organizations) with a designated ombuds team that provides independent, informal, confidential, and impartial assistance to visitors. An ombuds:

  • Is available to all visitors to discuss, address, and resolve a variety of problems and issues
  • Connects visitors to resources to better understand policies, guidelines, and organizational structure
  • Acts as a confidential and informal resource to resolve concerns
  • Maintains strict confidentiality (except where there is a serious threat of harm)
  • Provides anonymized feedback and reports to leadership to help the organization address and resolve systemic issues

What makes MWI’s Organizational Ombuds Service Unique

  • Provides choice and diversity: MWI provides organizations with at least two ombuds for visitors to choose from. Giving visitors a choice of who to contact leverages the benefits of diversity by offering ombuds a variety of professional backgrounds, genders, races, ages, locations and more, which decreases barriers and increases the likelihood that a visitor will reach out to an ombuds.
  • Cost-efficient: Even though the organization has the benefit of working with two outsourced ombuds, the cost is often less than hiring an in-house full-time ombuds, since there are no costs for things like benefits, healthcare, and it does not incur other expenses such as a designated office space.
  • Perception of greater independence: Due to the fact that MWI ombuds are not employees of the organization, external ombuds are perceived as being more independent, which impacts visitor comfort, usage, and trust in the function.

Meet the Ombuds Team

  • Sana Manjeshwar
    Sana Manjeshwar
  • Jason Karim-Baker
    Jason Karim-Baker
  • Jamel Harling
    Jamel Harling
  • Fhanysha Gaddis
    Fhanysha Gaddis
  • Sigal Shoham
    Sigal Shoham
  • Chris Vermillion
    Chris Vermillion
  • Bathabile Mthombeni
    Bathabile Mthombeni
  • Jan Gałkowski
    Jan Gałkowski
  • Ralph Johnson
    Ralph Johnson
  • Brent Epperson
    Brent Epperson
  • Maureen Brodie
    Maureen Brodie
  • Keiko Suzuki
    Keiko Suzuki
  • Charmhee Kim
    Charmhee Kim
  • Bina Patel
    Bina Patel
  • Alnoor Maherali
    Alnoor Maherali
  • Nnena Odim
    Nnena Odim
  • Derrick Johnson
    Derrick Johnson
  • Ellen Reardon
    Ellen Reardon
  • Lexi Wolfe
    Lexi Wolfe
  • Chuck Doran
    Chuck Doran
  • Scott Deyo
    Scott Deyo
  • LaCrisia Gilbert
    LaCrisia Gilbert
  • Michael Stephens
    Michael Stephens
  • Birthe Reimers
    Birthe Reimers
  • Billy Struemke
    Billy Struemke
  • Josh Hoch
    Josh Hoch
  • Jen G. Sims
    Jen G. Sims
  • Jacqueline Villafañe
    Jacqueline Villafañe
  • Willem Kweens
    Willem Kweens
  • Tera Bisbee
    Tera Bisbee
  • Leslie Nelson-Kellogg
    Leslie Nelson-Kellogg
Sana Manjeshwar

Organizational Ombuds
ombuds@mwi.org

 


Sana Manheshwar is an experienced organizational ombuds with MWI and former leader of Chevron’s Global Office of Ombuds. At Chevron, she held several leadership roles, including representing the company in the International Ombuds Association (IOA), serving as Global Talent Chair of the Asia Society of New York, and contributing to the Business Roundtable Multiple Pathways Project. Sana began her ombuds career in 2011 as the company ombuds at AllianceBernstein in New York and previously worked as a labor and employment attorney and human resources manager. She holds a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Industrial Relations from McGill University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law with a focus on Alternative Dispute Resolution. Having studied, worked, and lived across major cities worldwide, she brings a global perspective informed by experience in industries including manufacturing, law, healthcare, government, unions, and financial services.

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Jason Karim-Baker

Organizational Ombuds
ombuds@mwi.org

 


Jason Karim-Baker has over 15 years of experience as a mediator, facilitator, trainer, and organizational ombuds in healthcare, higher education, and the federal government. He has supported thousands of people through conflict coaching, mediation, and team interventions, helping them address challenges productively and strengthen resilience. Jason has ombuds experience with the U.S. Department of the Interior, UC Davis Health, and the National Institutes of Health. Earlier in his career, he worked as a medical ethicist, guiding clinicians, patients, and families through complex conversations about care and values. Jason holds an M.A. in the History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine and is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP). He draws on his expertise to help professionals navigate high-stakes issues with clarity and compassion while fostering trust and collaboration.

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Jamel Harling

Organizational Ombuds

ombuds@mwi.org


Jamel Harling brings twenty-five years of leadership experience to her work as an Organizational Ombuds and ADR professional. She has served twelve years as a senior executive; seven as an in-house Ombuds servicing over 15,000 employees, including high-profile clientele. She also established and currently leads the Alternative Dispute Resolution program for a U.S. Intelligence Community agency, where she created a Mediator Corps to address workplace conflicts effectively. Ms. Harling is also an enterprise leader of Ombuds from nineteen different entities serving a workforce of over one hundred thousand employees.

As the founder of the Intelligence Community Ombuds Forum, she collaborates with fellow Ombuds to address matters of common concern within the scope of Ombuds operating within the U.S. Intelligence Community. Ms. Harling is also a certified federal workplace mediator, senior advisor to leadership teams, and an International Coaching Federation-certified executive and leadership coach. She earned certificates in Conflict Resolution from eCornell and Strategic Decision and Risk Management from Stanford University’s professional development center. She has a passion for excellence and helps organizations improve efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity by helping parties in conflict move from conflict to resolution in a timely, mutually beneficial, and prudent manner.

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Fhanysha Gaddis

Organizational Ombuds

fhanysha-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Fhanysha Clark Gaddis, Esq., MPP, ADR (cert.) is an experienced organizational ombuds who has established and led multiple ombuds offices across NGOs, law firms, non-profits, and school districts since June 2018. She has worked both in-house and contractually, providing conflict resolution, governance support, and policy development to help organizations navigate disputes effectively. As the inaugural District Ombudsman for Stockton Unified School District, she built the Alternative Dispute Resolution Department, overseeing mediation and compliance efforts for over 40,000 students, parents, and 6,000 employees. Beyond education, she has advised law firms and NGOs on workplace culture, labor relations, and dispute mitigation, as well as faith-based organizations, helping churches address governance challenges and community tensions. Before COVID-19, her work was exclusively in-person, but she now seamlessly integrates virtual ombuds services, expanding access to conflict resolution across global organizations. Her ability to connect with stakeholders worldwide at the click of a button has strengthened the reach and efficiency of her mediation work, while her in-person experience ensures deep trust-building and nuanced communication in sensitive disputes. With a proactive, mission-driven approach, she continues to help organizations foster collaborative, transparent, and resilient environments.

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Sigal Shoham

Organizational Ombuds
ombuds@mwi.org

 


Sigal Shoham has over 20 years of experience in conflict resolution and facilitating collaborative processes. As an organizational ombuds in the public sector, she has provided conflict coaching for over 2000 individuals including senior executives and staff at all levels, helping them handle challenges productively. Sigal draws upon a Masters in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University as well as thousands of hours of professional ADR practice to improve relationships and outcomes through mediation, facilitation, and team building. Sigal has been a certified mediator for the San Francisco Small Claims Court, Community Boards, and the Office of Citizens Complaints. She tactfully elevates systemic organizational issues so that organizations can better achieve their mission. Sigal is a dynamic facilitator and trainer who offers wisdom and warmth when supporting individuals and teams in overcoming the most complex challenges.

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Chris Vermillion

Organizational Ombuds
ombuds@mwi.org

 


Chris Vermillion is an experienced ombuds, mediator, and conflict management practitioner. He has served as an organizational ombuds at several federal agencies, as well as at Georgia State University, and also served on the executive committee of the Coalition of Federal Ombuds. He is an active member of the International Ombuds Association and has earned its certified organizational ombuds practitioner (CO-OP) designation. Chris has facilitated hundreds of mediations at federal agencies, universities, courts, and community mediation centers. Other experience includes serving as a Training Director for a community dispute resolution center, teaching conflict resolution at the college level, and providing conflict resolution services to public schools in New York City for several years. Chris has also facilitated intercultural dialogue for several organizations and provided DEI training sessions to large international corporations. His education includes a law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a Master’s in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University.

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Bathabile Mthombeni

Organizational Ombuds
bathabile-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Bathabile K.S. Mthombeni is an experienced ombuds, mediator, consultant, and coach. She discovered the thrill of Alternative Dispute Resolution as a law student in 2004. In 2006, she accepted her first ombuds position and has been the University Ombudsman for Binghamton University since 2015. Bathabile provides DEIB policy development and implementation services to schools and other organizations. She also provides leadership coaching, facilitation, and racial intelligence and racial mindset coaching, training, and dialogue facilitation services to leadership teams and DEIB committees. In addition to her ombuds and other work, Bathabile is a skilled teacher and workshop facilitator. She has taught classes in negotiation, ombuds practice, and conflict management and dispute resolution at Binghamton University, Columbia University, and John Jay College. Bathabile earned her A.B. in Sociology, cum laude, from Princeton University, her J.D. from Columbia Law School, and her coaching certificate and M.S. in Leadership and Organizational Development from the Naveen Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. She takes great joy in her work and finds her greatest satisfaction when she is helping her ombuds visitors and clients learn how to communicate better, resolve their differences, and find the highest expression of their best selves.

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Jan Gałkowski

Organizational Ombuds
jan-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Jan Gałkowski is an ombuds sociologist (M.A., Ph.D.) and an ethicist (M.A. in Applied Ethics). He teaches social theory and social and research ethics at the Institute of Sociology, University of Rzeszów, Poland. He is also a court-appointed mediator and an academic mediator specializing in employee mediation. In 2021-2022, he was the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment and was responsible, among others, for the resolution of conflicts in situations related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and for creating university policies and procedures to develop a healthy work and study culture. In 2022, he was appointed the first academic ombudsperson at the University of Rzeszów. He is a member of the International Ombuds Association (IOA), the European Network of Ombudsmen in Higher Education (ENOHE), the Anti-discrimination Education Society (TEA), as well as co-founder and member of the board of the Academic Network for Equality and Security (ASBiR). Jan is also a trainer specializing in discrimination, GBV, employee rights, gender equality plans (GEPs), safety and equality in the workplace, inclusive language, listening and communication skills, and the rights of gender-diverse persons. He has spoken at ENOHE conferences and other events. He earned his Master’s at KU Leuven and a Doctorate at The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.

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Ralph Johnson

Organizational Ombuds
ralph-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Ralph Johnson is an experienced Ombuds and trainer with MWI. He served as the America Ombuds for 10 years at McKinsey & Company, a global management consultancy, where he helped colleagues address workplace conflicts, including claims of harassment and/or discrimination, career advancement, and personal challenges. He was an active member of the International Ombuds Association and served as a core faculty member for the Foundations of Organizational Ombuds Practice course. Ralph began his career at General Motors, where he worked as an engineer, manufacturing foreman, and general foreman. He managed several machining and final assembly departments with 44 hourly (UAW) employees under his supervision. He spent most of his career at McKinsey where he was a management consultant, left the firm for three years to head the Cuyahoga (Cleveland) County Welfare Reform Department, then returned to be people leader for McKinsey’s Operations Practice and people/administrative leader for McKinsey’s Social Sector Office, executive coach in McKinsey’s Black Executive Leadership Program, and senior member of the global McKinsey Black Network. After a 26-year career at McKinsey, he recently served two years as CEO of Breakthrough Public Schools, a network of public charter schools educating over 3,000 elementary students in Cleveland. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, a BS in Industrial Engineering from Kettering University, and a BS in Business Administration from Aquinas College.

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Brent Epperson

Organizational Ombuds
brent-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Brent Epperson, MPA, PhD, is an ombuds with MWI. A practicing ombuds for 10 years in North America and Europe, Brent is passionate about good governance and developing healthy workplace cultures. An Assistant Professor of Conflict Studies at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, Brent teaches and publishes in the areas of ombuds practice, mediation, good governance (health and higher education sectors), issue framing, and policy development to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Brent has ombuds experience in the higher education, financial, and health care industries. He completed his Master of Public Administration at the University of Montana (U.S.), his PhD at the University of Alberta (Canada), and his postdoctoral work at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS, France). A Board Member of the European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education (ENOHE), Associate Member of the Association of Canadian College and University Ombuds (ACCUO), and Member of the International Ombuds Association (IOA), he is active in the global ombuds community and committed to expanding ombuds practice to help organizations create more effective conflict management systems. He is fully bilingual in English and French.

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Maureen Brodie

Organizational Ombuds
maureen-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Maureen Brodie is an organizational ombuds with MWI. She has particular expertise in understanding the culture and addressing challenging dynamics in a healthcare environment, having worked at UC San Francisco from 2010-2024 as an organizational ombuds. As a clinician-trained ombuds with a background in communication, Maureen has a unique perspective and appreciation for the increasing demands in the ever-changing landscape of healthcare delivery. She is an active member of the International Ombuds Association and a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP), adhering to the Standards of Practice in the field. While providing services in an impartial manner, Maureen is an advocate for respect, fairness, and inclusion for all members of an organization. Prior to her work at UC San Francisco, Maureen served as the Senior Mediator at UC Davis from 1996-2010, providing mediation training and services to campus and health system faculty, clinicians, trainees, and staff. Throughout her career as an ombuds, Maureen incorporates collaborative coaching and learning to normalize conflict with the goal to achieve productive, self-determined outcomes.

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Keiko Suzuki

Organizational Ombuds
keiko-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Keiko Suzuki is an Organizational Ombuds with MWI. She has extensive experience in human resource management, executive coaching, mediation, training, and consulting throughout her twenty-year career with JPMorgan, General Electric, and Estee Lauder Group of Companies in Tokyo and New York City. As a consultant, Keiko has experience with a broad spectrum of clients, including major Japanese and foreign finance, consumer goods, telecommunication, recruiting, and pharmaceutical companies. Keiko specializes in a range of organizational and management development solutions, including assessment, change strategy formation, leadership development, offsite meeting facilitation, performance management, and career development. Keiko works directly with senior managers in a coaching capacity, as well as engages in other training and development methods for improving communication, coaching skills, feedback, change management, and diversity & inclusion. Keiko completed the Ombuds Foundations Course with the International Ombuds Association in 2016. Since 2015, she has taught mediation at Kumamoto University and conflict coaching at the Hitotsubashi University Business School (ICS). Keiko is a trained and certified coach (ICF, GTCI Team Coach, NLP & Processwork), EAP counselor, and mediator. She is a practitioner of psychometric assessment instruments, including Situational Leadership, Team Management Profile, Strength Development Inventory, Lumina Spark, and Personnel Decisions International Assessment.

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Charmhee Kim

Organizational Ombuds
charmhee-ombuds@mwi.org


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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Bina Patel

Organizational Ombuds
bina-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Bina Patel is a highly skilled ombuds, facilitator, and conflict resolution practitioner with MWI. She earned her Doctorate in Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping Analysis from Nova Southeastern University. Bina is a member of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) and completed IOA’s Foundations of Organizational Ombuds Practice Course. She serves on IOA’s Board of Directors and actively participates as a co-chair/volunteer for the IOA Annual Conference. Bina serves as an instructor for IOA’s core course on Cultural Understanding. Bina has served as an Organizational Ombuds at the Department of Defense, the US Army, and other federal/private/non-profit entities, specifically in emergency response, conflict zones, and governmental and non-profit organizations. Bina’s experience and interests in conflict resolution extend to providing diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism trainings. Bina enjoys working with large complex systems, offering ombuds consultations, services, and conflict coaching opportunities. Bina is a speaker, researcher, and publisher. Bina holds a Master’s in International Business and a B.A. in Business Administration.

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Alnoor Maherali

Organizational Ombuds
alnoor-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Alnoor Maherali is a highly skilled diplomat, ombuds, facilitator, and CEDR and SIMI-accredited mediator. He offers 20 years of experience working in conflict zones, in the not-for-profit sector, and as a practitioner in the fields of diplomacy, mediation, human rights, and crisis management. His personal and professional travels have taken him to over 50 different countries, making him especially adept at navigating cultural, ethnic, and racial conflict and differences. Alnoor resides in New York City and mediates for MWI, Venn Mediation, the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services (UNOMS), and the New York Peace Institute (NYPI). He coaches and mentors the next generation of mediators at Harvard, Yale, and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Alnoor also provides training and coaching on negotiation, collaboration, and difficult conversations through MWI and Vantage Partners. His professional accomplishments include the negotiation of resolutions at the United Nations in Geneva and New York, sharing of best practices in disaster response and civil-military coordination with the Government of Brazil, and important roles in the resolution of two high-profile kidnapping cases in Afghanistan. Additionally, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to the community, volunteering with Hospice Care Ottawa for 12 years and serving on their Board of Directors for four. Alnoor has a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Mathematics from Queen’s University in Canada and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School in the US. He was trained by the International Ombuds Association in the Foundations of Organizational Ombuds Practice course.

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Nnena Odim

Organizational Ombuds
nnena-ombuds@mwi.org


Nnena Odim is a mediator, ombuds, attorney, trainer, and consultant. She has been mediating since 1997, and has mediated disputes involving issues such as employment, housing, business, consumer, academic/higher education, and the full range of family/domestic relations (divorce, unmarried parents, elder care, adoption, etc.). Nnena has also designed and/or led conflict management trainings for several local and national businesses and agencies, including the Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts Housing Authority, Neighborhood Works, Coca-Cola, and Netflix. In addition to her mediation and conflict resolution training background, Nnena is trained by the International Ombuds Association and has served as an ombuds for CVS, the American Planning Association, and several local construction companies. After 25 years, Nnena has recently retired from Harvard Law School, where she was the Director and Senior Clinical Instructor of the Family/Domestic Violence Law Clinic at Harvard’s Legal Services Center. In addition to being an active practicing attorney in Massachusetts Family and Probate Courts, she provided experiential training to law students and taught them how to become effective and ethical attorneys.

Nnena has worked with the Harvard Mediation Program (HMP) and Harvard Program on Negotiation to provide trainings for students and community members, and to supervise Harvard Law School students in their mediation and negotiation studies. She served as a faculty and coach of mediation skills for trainings at Suffolk and Boston College Law Schools, MIT, and New England School of Law. Nnena has also served on numerous panels and speaking rosters for a variety of topics, including those on self-care and mental health for students and faculty, establishing boundaries in a professional setting, race and gender, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Nnena is a member of the HMP Advisory Board. In 2019, Nnena was honored by the Harvard Women’s Law Association International Committee. In 2015, she received the Harvard Law School Dean’s Award for Excellence, and in 2013, Nnena was a Top Women in the Law award recipient from Mass. Lawyers Weekly.

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Derrick Johnson

Organizational Ombuds
derrick-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Derrick Johnson is a member of MWI’s Ombuds Panel and has served as an ombuds at Florida State College at Jacksonville since 2018. Derrick has worked in the areas of education as a manager of student services and counseling in substance abuse, juvenile justice, and vocational rehabilitation for over 15 years. Derrick is an experienced service professional in the educational field who has partnered with students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration to offer superior quality services in assisting stakeholders with navigating their academic and social conflicts. After spending over a decade working in education and counseling background informs his work as an ombuds, namely, to assist visitors and help clients develop policies and processes that continue to build equality among program stakeholders. Derrick is completing a Doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in educational innovation at the University of South Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Georgia Southwestern State University and a master’s degree in education counseling from Albany State University in Georgia.

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Ellen Reardon

Organizational Ombuds
ellen-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Ellen Reardon is an experienced Organizational Ombuds, consultant, facilitator, and workshop presenter with expertise in communication skills, conflict resolution, and building resilience at work. Clinician-trained with a background in nursing, Ellen brings deep credibility and cultural fluency to her work, with a strong understanding of the complex dynamics of healthcare, research, and academic environments. She earned her Master’s degree in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University. Ellen has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare as both a clinician and manager. This foundation gives her a practical appreciation for the pace, hierarchy, and high stakes of patient- and mission-driven settings. She has worked as an Organizational Ombuds since 2007, supporting individuals and organizations through challenging workplace situations. Ellen is known for skilled, compassionate listening that helps people feel heard and think more clearly under pressure. She offers practical, actionable strategies for navigating difficult conversations and resolving conflict early. Ellen is an active member of the International Ombuds Association and adheres to the IOA Standards of Practice. Her approach incorporates collaborative coaching, education, and facilitated dialogue to support constructive, self-determined outcomes.

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Lexi Wolfe

Organizational Ombuds

lexi-ombuds@mwi.org


Lexi Wolfe is an experienced conflict resolution and organizational Ombuds professional with over a decade of expertise helping individuals and teams navigate complex workplace dynamics and strengthen communication. Most recently, she served as an Associate Ombudsman at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from 2019- 2025 and concluded her tenure serving as the Acting Director. In this role, she provided Ombuds services such as raising systemic issues to top leadership and helping management teams navigate organizational challenges. Previously, she served as an Ombudsman Specialist at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), offering services to a diverse, geographically distributed workforce. Lexi played a key role in launching and managing the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Conflict Resolution Center, which provides confidential, neutral services to resolve workplace conflicts through mediation, facilitation, and coaching. She also served as a Community Relations Services Intern with the U.S. Department of Justice, helping de-escalate community-based conflicts involving multiple parties in New York and New Jersey. Before transitioning to conflict resolution, Lexi worked as a management consultant helping private sector and nonprofit clients develop strategic solutions to emerging business needs. Lexi holds a Master of Science in Negotiation & Conflict Resolution from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is certified as an Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP) from the International Ombuds Association (IOA) and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and has extensive experience designing and delivering conflict resolution and communication training.

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Chuck Doran

Outsourced Ombuds
chuck-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Chuck Doran is an experienced ombuds, mediator, and dispute resolution trainer. Chuck is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP) and a member of the International Ombudsman Association who completed ombuds training with the IOA in 1995. Chuck has served as an outsourced organizational ombuds for companies, universities, and other organizations since 1997. A mediator since 1992, he is a member of the CPR Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), MWI, the Harvard Mediation Program, and the United States Postal Service REDRESS I and REDRESS II Mediation Panels. In addition to his mediation work, Chuck works nationally and internationally as a dispute resolution trainer and consultant with corporate, governmental, and non-profit clients including Coca-Cola Enterprises, General Motors, Bose Corporation, and the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School. Chuck has served as a teaching assistant on multiple occasions with Professor Roger Fisher at Harvard Law School’s Program of Instruction for Lawyers Negotiation Workshop. In 1993, Chuck completed a Specialization in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Program on Negotiation and chaired two regional ADR Conferences in 1997 and 1999. Chuck served as a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution and was Chair of the Qualifications Subcommittee. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Advisory Group and is a past president of the Association for Conflict Resolution, New England Chapter. Chuck is also a Distinguished Fellow with the International Academy of Mediators (IAM) and a past president of IAM’s Board of Governors.

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Scott Deyo

Organizational Ombuds
scott-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Scott Deyo has nearly three decades of experience in academia, non-profit, and federal sectors as an ombuds, mediator, and trainer. He is an expert at helping organizations build and sustain community-centered cultures that focus on people, their interconnected journey together, and their ability to accomplish great things through collaboration and dialogue. For a decade, Scott was a certified mediator and mentor through the Virginia Supreme Court, and has retained his Certified Organizational Ombuds credential since March 2010. Scott has mediated over 250 employment-related disputes, and as an ombuds has helped nearly 5,000 people explore resolution options for nearly 20,000 workplace issues. As a champion for advancing the ombuds field, Scott served as Chair of the Coalition of Federal Ombuds, where he sparked the creation of seven new ombuds programs, and serves as Chair of the Board of Certification’s Professional Practices Committee, which upholds the highest levels of professional standards of certified ombuds. Scott has a master’s degree from George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and a bachelor’s in psychology (major) and music (minor) from James Madison University.

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LaCrisia Gilbert

Organizational Ombuds
cris-ombuds@mwi.org

 


LaCrisia “Cris” Gilbert, MDR, is a member of MWI’s ombuds panel and has served as both an organizational and advocate ombuds. Her ombuds career started in 2012 as an advocate ombuds in the State of Texas, where she advocated for residents in long-term care and assisted living facilities, working closely with regulatory and individual facilities and their administrations. Utilizing over 30 years in the ADR field as a mediator, facilitator (specializing in Faith-based organizations), professor, and trainer, Cris was instrumental in resolving conflicts at all levels, from family, civil court cases, to facility issues. Cris has served as an organizational ombudsman with a university, assisting faculty, staff, and students as well as training compliance investigators in mediation, conflict resolution, and DEI initiatives for the organization. She has also worked as a facilitator, assisting HR and Compliance with informal resolutions. She serves in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) on two campus initiatives (the President’s DEI Council and Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Council).

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Michael Stephens

Organizational Ombuds
michael-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Michael Stephens is an experienced ombuds, mediator, and coach with the goal of helping foster good working relations and a more positive culture in the organizations he serves. Michael is a member of the International Ombudsman Association and has significant experience as an ombuds in both corporate and academic settings. Michael has a certification in Mediation from the Mediation Training Institute. Michael worked for many years as an Ombuds, as well as the manager of other Ombuds, at Merck, a multi-national pharmaceutical company. Prior to that, he had many years of experience in Human Resources roles at Merck and several other companies. After retiring from Merck, he has served as ombuds for Amherst College as well as Smith College. Michael is also an experienced facilitator and workshop leader, specializing in communications skills, conflict resolution, and change management. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Colorado and a Master’s in Business Administration from New York University.

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Birthe Reimers

Organizational Ombuds
birthe-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Birthe C. Reimers, Ph.D., is the 2023 recipient of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s William J. Kreidler Award for Distinguished Service to Expanding Knowledge in the Field of Conflict Resolution. Birthe is an Ombuds, mediator, coach, and published conflict scholar-practitioner with 18 years of experience in the field. Her most recent article in the JIOA was published in 2024. Birthe earned her Ph.D. in International Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University in 2015 and has been an Ombuds as well as a member of the International Ombuds Association since 2016. Since January 2018, she has been directing the Office of the Ombudsperson at Georgia State University, the largest public university in Georgia. In this role, Birthe serves as a confidential thought partner, conflict coach, and facilitator of challenging conversations for administrators, faculty, staff, students, their family members, and alumni across seven campuses. To support positive transformations at the university, she provides upward feedback to university leadership about systemic challenges as well as trends in the campus climate and organizational culture. Birthe also develops and facilitates conflict management-related workshops to empower and equip participants with key analytical and applied tools to engage in conflict constructively.

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Billy Struemke

Organizational Ombuds

ombuds@mwi.org


Billy Struemke is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP®) with over a decade of experience providing confidential, impartial, independent, and informal conflict resolution services. He currently serves as an organizational ombuds with MWI, a mediator, and is the College Ombuds for Montgomery College. Billy has worked with higher education institutions, private businesses, religious nonprofits, and court-connected programs to help individuals and organizations address conflict effectively. Billy holds an LL.M. in International Commercial Arbitration with an emphasis on Mediation from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and completed formal ombuds training with the International Ombuds Association.

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Josh Hoch

Outsourced Ombuds
josh-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Josh Hoch is an experienced ombuds, mediator, and instructor with MWI since 2001. He is the Director of Ombuds & Mediation Services, overseeing MWI’s Outsourced Ombuds Panel and Conference Ombuds. He has provided ombuds services for notable clients such as CVS Health, Arapahoe Basin, and John Moriarty & Associates. Josh collaborates with organizations seeking conference ombuds services and mediates a diverse range of case types. As MWI’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) liaison, he manages employment and higher education referrals for MWI mediators nationwide. Additionally, Josh conducts advanced mediation training for various 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 over 24 years at MWI, Josh brings a wealth of experience to his work in conflict resolution.

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Jen G. Sims

Organizational Ombuds
jen-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Jen G. Sims has provided conflict management and collaboration services as an external consultant and professional neutral to diverse organizations in different industries for more than 20 years. She has been a mediator both in Hawaii and Texas since 2005. She has also facilitated large, complex public policy issues. Previously, she was the Staff Ombuds Office for the University of Texas, where she founded this office and directed it for more than six years. She is an ombuds because she believes people want to do good work and be respected. Though conflicts are inevitable, they also offer opportunities for positive change, learning, and professional development. Before becoming an ombuds, she served in various administrative, teaching, and research roles for the Hawaii State Judiciary and the University of Hawaii. Her practice emphasizes informal methods to address situations that aren’t working well for visitors. Jen applies observation skills, deep listening, inquiry, sense-making, and assessment of patterns to uncover possible responses a visitor might consider. She tries to encourage taking multiple perspectives for a better understanding of the situation a visitor is dealing with.

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Jacqueline Villafañe

Organizational Ombuds
jacqueline-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Jacqueline Villafañe, Psy.D., is an organizational ombuds with MWI and brings 20+ years of experience supporting leaders, teams, and organizations through complex conflict and change. She provides ombuds services grounded in neutrality, confidentiality, and practical options-building, helping visitors navigate concerns and identify constructive pathways forward. Jacqueline is a certified executive coach who partners with leaders to generate the insights that strengthen leadership effectiveness, sharpen communication, and reinforce accountability—driving meaningful impact in high-stakes environments. She designs and facilitates conversations and learning experiences for groups—from team reset sessions to cross-functional alignment and culture-building workshops. As a trained mediator and conflict resolution practitioner, she helps parties move from positions to interests and toward durable agreements when appropriate. She also brings deep organizational development expertise, including an organizational design certification that supports role clarity, operating model refinement, and healthier ways of working. Jacqueline is change management certified and applies structured approaches to improve adoption, reduce resistance, and sustain implementation. She administers and debriefs psychometric assessments to accelerate self-awareness, team effectiveness, and leadership development. Her work spans corporate, nonprofit, health, academic and government sectors, partnering across hierarchies and global boundaries to deliver measurable improvements in performance, engagement, and trust.

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Willem Kweens

Organizational Ombuds
willem-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Willem Kweens is an experienced ombuds, mediator, and coach with the goal of helping foster good working relations, facilitating a more positive culture, and being the early warning for the organizations he serves. Willem is an emeritus member of the International Ombuds Association, of which he has been a member since 2009, and where he also served a 4-year elected term to the International Ombuds Association (IOA) Board of Directors and the Executive and Finance Committee (2018–2022). When he completed the initial organizational ombuds training, he obtained the Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP®) designation in 2011. Willem has almost 13 years of experience as a corporate ombuds in Europe (East, Central, and Western Europe). Before becoming an Ombuds, he worked for more than 25 years in Finance, Human Resources, and as a Pension Fund Director at Mars Incorporated, based in the Netherlands.

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Tera Bisbee

Organizational Ombuds
tera-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Tera Bisbee is an experienced ombuds, mediator, facilitator, and trainer. She was the organizational Ombuds for seven years at Cal State University San Bernardino, where she provided services to students, faculty, staff, administrators, and anyone with a university-related concern. She has provided mediation, conflict interventions, and leadership development for higher education, corporations, and non-profit organizations. She also has a background in leadership coaching, specializing in coaching abrasive leaders to improve their interpersonal relationships and emotional intelligence skills. Tools she has employed to help individuals and organizations grow and increase their capabilities include 360 surveys based on leadership competencies and Leadership Effectiveness Training. She enjoys partnering with clients to create solutions, increase their competencies, and transform high-conflict or dysfunctional situations into healthy, effective, and productive ones. She has two Master’s degrees, employee and labor relations experience, and has taught management and HR courses for the University of Redlands. She also likes writing and maintaining a sense of humor.

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Leslie Nelson-Kellogg

Organizational Ombuds
leslie-ombuds@mwi.org

 


Leslie Nelson-Kellogg is an ombuds with MWI and brings over fifteen years of experience as a mediator, ombuds, and executive coach, specializing in startup technology companies, universities, and venture firms. Leslie provides dispute-resolution services to risk-sensitive technology companies. She guides decision-makers on the transformative power of outsourced ombuds offices as low-cost/high-return investments, fostering magnetic work cultures and creating a competitive advantage. Most recently, Microsoft recruited her to help build a Center of Excellence for resolving highly escalated employee concerns involving harassment and discrimination for over 170,000 employees worldwide. Additionally, Leslie is an active community, housing insecurity (EERP), and court system mediator. She serves as a mediation coach for the University of Washington and sits on the boards of the King County Dispute Resolution Center and the University of Washington Human Resources Certificate Program. Leslie holds a Master’s in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine Law School’s Straus Institute, Society for Human Resources PHR certification, and is an IOA CO-OP certified Ombuds.

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MWI Ombuds Practitioners adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of The International Ombuds Association (IOA).


Conference Ombuds Service  Organizational Ombuds Consulting


For More Information

For more information about MWI’s organizational ombuds services for your organization, please contact MWI’s Executive Director & Ombuds Chuck Doran at cdoran@mwi.org or 617-895-4026.

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