The United States Ombudsman Association serves governmental ombudsman offices across the United States and member offices in Canada and other parts of the world. We welcome you to browse through the website and learn about our association, membership, activities, and services.

Come to Lexington, Kentucky for the 2008 USOA Conference September 29 - October 3, 2008! Hotel photo courtesy of The Crowne Plaza Campbell House and photo of majestic thoroughbreds grazing courtesy of the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau; and photographer Jeff Rogers.

From the Starting Gate To the Finish Line: Ombudsmen and the Race for Excellence

A race is generally thought of as a competition of speed, held at a specified time on a specified course. But dictionaries also define "race" as a "steady or rapid onward movement." USOA’s 29th Annual Conference has been designed to provide the tools and techniques to help you achieve onward movement towards excellence in ombudsmanship.

Whether you are a jockey or a trainer and whether you’re riding a mare, filly, gelding, or a colt, we guarantee great track conditions for your race to excellence. You will progress around the first turn to establish an office and learn investigative writing techniques. Down the back stretch, there are sessions on cross cultural awareness and you can close the gap on events in the legal world. You will pick up the pace on the home stretch by evaluating your operation and establishing performance measures. There is also a steward’s ethical analysis and at the wire, you’ll figure out how you placed via a session on surveys. Enter the winner’s circle with a superfecta of ombudsmen from various organizations and participate in USOA’s annual meeting.

This year’s conference will be headquartered at the historic The Crowne Plaza Campbell House in Lexington, Kentucky. A showcase of southern hospitality and the Horse Capital of the world, Lexington is surrounded by beautiful bluegrass and boasts a temperate climate as well as a wealth of activities and attractions. At the intersection of two interstates, Lexington is within a day’s drive of more than half of the United States. We hope you will join us for an exceptional conference in an exceptional setting.

Click Here to view and download the 2008 Registration Packet and Form.