Registration for the 2021 COFO Annual Conference, “Rising Up With Resilience”, is now open! This year’s conference will be held virtually from 9 AM – 5 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, October 15^th, 2021, and you can register for it now at https://events.eventzilla.net/e/cofo-2021-annual-conference--rising.... As always, the conference is free and open to all. The agenda is primarily aimed at federal ombuds practitioners of all models, but includes information and sessions which may be of interest to ombuds and ADR practitioners anywhere, as well as those interested in other fields.

 Federal ombuds empower people and organizations to resolve their conflicts and get their concerns addressed, and in the last two years we have done so through some of the most challenging and difficult circumstances imaginable. As the pandemic continues and events at home and around the world increase stress for us, our communities, and our stakeholders, we rise up with resilience to meet the challenges others bring us.

 At the 2021 COFO Annual Conference, we will focus on how we can continue to rise – as a profession and a community – by remaining resilient and supporting each other. Along the way, we’ll also look at the ways we can better serve others and help them find their own resilience. The full schedule and agenda will be finalized shortly, but among the presenters and sessions are:

 ·        Douglas Noll: “How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less”

·        Oladeji Tiamiyu, Clinical Fellow at Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program: “Clinical Insights from a Decade Partnering with Ombuds”

·        Jeff Thompson, Adjunct Associate Research Scientist, Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division of the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University Medical Center and Detective, New York City Police Department: “Ombuds Resilience in 2021 and Beyond”

·        Jeff Anderson, Laurel Gordon, Lisa Levine, Chris Vermillion, and Lexi Wolfe: “Who Owns the Story? Re-examining the Role of Ombuds Working with Groups”

·        Elisa Enriquez: “Work From Home Survival Strategies”

 The conference will be held on the WebEx platform, so please make sure your email address is correct when you register. All registrants will receive the conference link via email 24-48 hours before the conference, so please make sure the email you use to register is correct so you don’t miss out!