About Ellen M. Miller

IOA Executive Director 

Contact Ellen: [email protected]

Ellen Miller is the Executive Director of the International Ombuds Association. An advocate for organizational ombuds, Ellen speaks, writes, and educates policymakers on issues impacting the field.
She is a collaborative, creative leader with more than 25 years of experience, including organizational management, program development, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning/positioning.

A trained mediator and facilitator, Ellen has a proven ability to develop and maintain strong, effective relationships to create sustainable solutions. Ellen is particularly recognized for her skills in assessing, prioritizing, and aligning organizational big-picture needs and working collaboratively to develop effective solutions.

Previously, Ellen served as Executive Director of the California Lawyers Foundation, and Associate Executive Director (Initiatives and External Relations) of the California Lawyers Association where she provided strategic direction and organizational development for a myriad of new programs and initiatives including DEI, access to justice, health and wellness, public education, and bar relations, and several foundational projects. Prior to joining CLF/CLA, she served as the Executive Director/CEO of the San Diego County Bar Association and as Section Director of the Section of Dispute Resolution at the American Bar Association.

An active volunteer herself, she is a past president of the National Association of Bar Executives and a member of the American Society of Association Executives. In her spare time, she loves to cook, travel, and play golf with her husband, and visit her daughter at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia, PA. She is based in the US in the Pacific Time Zone ( San Diego, California), although she was born and raised in Toronto, Canada.

IOA Videos

• Embracing Conflict: Organizational Ombuds As Strategic Allies for Organizations
• #GoodDayIOA Practice Survey
• #GoodDayIOA Practice & Compensation Survey
• #GoodDayIOA Announcing the DEIAB Framework
• #GoodDayIOA Ombuds Advocacy Discussion

Visit Our Youtube Channel for More #GoodDayIOA Videos

Articles

• A Workplace Culture Of Safety And Inclusion Modeled By Ted Lasso
• How Organizational Ombuds Can Help Increasingly Complex Organizations
• How Ombuds Can Impact The Well-Being Of Healthcare Workers

Independent Voice

• New Title IX Regulations Note that Organizational Ombuds May be Classified as Confidential Employees
• IOA Lobbying Update
• IOA Launches Book Publishing Program
• Message from the Executive Director
• Who Are Your Champions?
• US Title IX June 2022 Update
• Hear From the President & Executive Director | Parts One & Two
• Annual Reporting: Some Inspiration
• New IOA Resource for General Counsel and Program Designers
• IOA Executive Director's Yearly Recap
• IOA Advocacy Update - Press Release
• IOA Announces Our New Executive Director

Read more on the The Independent Voice Blog

Technical Assistance/Program Development

Our Executive Director is available to answer questions and provide technical assistance if you are interested in setting up an ombuds office for your organization or have questions about your office. For further information, she can be reached at [email protected].