IAIABC Ombuds Training 2023

Established by the IAIABC Dispute Resolution Committee, this Ombuds Training provides a unique opportunity for IAIABC members and non-members to learn what ombuds do across jurisdictions and leave with applicable insights and expertise you can take back to your organization. Many skills that ombuds use are universal, so whether you are an ombud yourself, work with ombuds, or are just interested in what they do, this training is sure to be impactful. 

The standard registration rate of $80 per person is available July 1 through August 8. 

Speakers

We are pleased to have experience and knowledgeable speakers facilitate this program:

Lori D’Angelo

Ombudsman, Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission

Chair of the Dispute Resolution Ombuds Subcommittee

Lorraine D’Angelo joined the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission in January, 2021.  She is the first Ombudsman after the General Assembly created the position to improve outreach to interested stakeholders.  Ms. D’Angelo practiced law for over twenty years, handling                                                     both administrative law and workers’ compensation cases.                                                     She obtained a broad range of professional experience                                                             representing employers, insurers, and injured workers in                                                         workers’ compensation claims.

Amanda Halla

Ombudsperson, Jane Austen Society of North America

Amanda Halla is the Ombudsperson for the 5,000 member Jane Austen Society of North America. She holds a Master of Arts in Intercultural Relations, with a concentration in crisis conflict resolution. One of her prior jobs was working                                                                with law enforcement in Tucson, Arizona as a National                                                              Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) certified Crisis                                                          Interventionist. Her on-scene field work included death                                                            notifications, crisis interventions with crime victims and                                                            witnesses, natural disaster victims, mental health welfare                                                        checks with police, next day group crisis interventions and                                                      phone follow-ups with witnesses of mass casualty scenes.

Jay Hicks

Ombudsman Attorney, Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation

Jay is a licensed attorney in Tennessee and after law school he began work as a plaintiffs’ attorney. His practice concentrated primarily on representing injured employees in workers’ compensation disputes. Jay began working as mediator for the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in August of 2015 and became the Bureau’s                                                     first ombudsman attorney in August of 2017.

Samuel Castillo

Ombudsman Bureau Chief, New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration

Samuel Castillo began working as the WCA’s Ombudsman Bureau Chief on January 10, 2022, and comes to the agency with over 25 years of management experience. He has worked with the Governor’s Commission on Disability and                   in human resources, at a nonprofit.  Born and raised in                           southern New Mexico, he is bilingual in Spanish. Through it                 all, he seeks to serve, and he looks forward to continuing                       that work by providing the workers’ compensation                                   community with ready access to helpful information. 

John Amoroso

Associate Ombudsman, Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission

John has spent most of his career in education and academia. He has worked for various other state agencies and spent a significant amount of time in public service. John has been with the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission for less than two years.   

Caitlin Breitbach

Small Business Ombudsman, Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division

Caitlin has worked as the Assistant Small Business Ombudsman for Workers Compensation since 2019. In addition to working as an ombudsman, she is also part time with the Preferred Worker Program.  Prior to her                                                                           appointment, Caitlin worked at the Building Codes Division                                                   as a policy analyst and training coordinator, and at the                                                             Department of Administrative Services as a policy analyst                                                       specializing in performance metrics. She has a Bachelor’s                                                         degree in business administration with a minor in human                                                       resources, and a Master’s degree in organizational                                                                       leadership.

Barbra Anderson

Ombuds for Oregon Workers,  Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division

Barbra was named the new Ombuds for Oregon Workers in January 2023. Prior to this new role, she spent 23 years in various positions throughout the Workers’ Compensation Division including: office specialist in the Investigations and                                                  Managed Care Organization Program; Reimbursement                                                              Specialist in Self-insurance, Registration, and                                                                                Reimbursements (SIRR); and ultimately moving into                                                                  managing that same unit. She held other management                                                            positions over the next few years including Field Audit                                                              Manager, Employer Compliance Manager, and Employment                                                    Services Team (EST) Manager.