The Conference Ombuds: An Independent and Confidential Resource for NPC26 Participants
Confidential. Independent. Impartial. Informal.
The term “ombuds” (pronounced “ahm–buhds”) comes from a Swedish term meaning “a person who has an ear to the people.”
The Conference Ombuds is an impartial, independent, off-the-record resource available on-site to hear concerns confidentially. The Ombuds can assist with identifying options and resources to address conflicts or issues such as harassment, discrimination, or any violation of NPC26’s Code of Conduct and Harassment Policy. This new resource is available to all attendees, staff, exhibitors, and anyone else participating in NPC26.
The Conference Ombuds will be available during NPC26 for individual, confidential consultations. Scheduled or walk-in consultations will be available on April 24-28, 2026. A detailed schedule will be published here soon.
The ombuds can be found in the Huntington Place Convention Center, in Room 252A.
You can use the form below to learn more or schedule an appointment with the ombuds.
FAQs
Please see this page for answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the ombuds resource.
NPC26 Resources
About the Ombuds
NPC26 conference attendees have access to the following ombuds:
Nnena Odim (nnena-ombuds@mwi.org) is an ombuds, mediator, and attorney who has worked with MWI since 2001. Her ombuds experience includes providing organizational ombuds services to higher education institutions, professional associations, and commercial construction management firms. Nnena also serves as a conference ombuds for large national and international professional associations and academic and research organizations with thousands of attendees. She conducts workshops and training programs on topics including collaborative communication, interactive listening, and mediation. Her ombuds work draws on her extensive mediation experience since 1997, spanning a variety of disputes, including employment, business, and domestic relations matters. In addition to her ombuds work, Nnena was the Director and Senior Clinical Instructor of the Family/Domestic Violence Law Clinic at The Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, where she provided experiential training to law students and taught them to become effective and ethical attorneys. Nnena has also worked with the Harvard Mediation Program and Harvard Program on Negotiation to provide training for students and community members, and to supervise Harvard Law School students in their mediation and negotiation studies. Nnena has served on numerous panels and presented on topics including ombuds, self-care and mental health for students and faculty, establishing boundaries in a professional setting, race and gender, and LGBTQ rights. Contact Nnena at nnena-ombuds@mwi.org or complete the confidential web form below.
Confidential Web Form
The NPC26 Conference Ombuds Charter for the NPC26 Conference was established under a charter approved by the Chief Financial and Member Engagement Officer. A copy of that charter is available here. The charter incorporates by reference the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) and requires that the NPC26 ombuds adhere to the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. The charter, as well as the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, contain important information about the ombuds and the manner in which the ombuds functions.