The Ombuds Team: An Independent and Confidential Resource for AEA Members

Independent. Impartial. Informal. Confidential.

The term “ombuds” (pronounced “ahm–buhds”) comes from a Swedish term meaning “a person who has an ear to the people.”

The American Economic Association Ombuds Team has three ombuds (Charmhee Kim, Nnena Odim, and Larry Hunt, see bios below) who are available to work with association members to surface and resolve work-related issues. The ombuds are an independent, impartial, informal, and confidential resource for the AEA members. The ombuds team supplements and does not replace the AEA’s formal channels.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Ombuds Team:

AEA Member Workshops

Workshops are designed to provide information, skill development, and tools, relating to conflict management and the ombuds team resource. Click the button above for more information and to register.

About the Ombuds Team:

The AEA members should contact one of the following ombuds below to discuss options for resolution.

Charmhee Kim (charmhee-ombuds@mwi.org and 845-213-6818) is an experienced ombuds and cross-cultural trainer with MWI. She served as an ombuds for 15 years at McKinsey & Company, a global management consultancy, addressing workplace conflicts including harassment and discrimination claims, career development concerns, and other challenges. She has been an active member of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) since 2007 and was trained in its Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Practice Course which she later taught as faculty. Charmhee served on the IOA Board of Directors and co-chaired its Global Marketing Task Force. Prior to entering the ombuds profession, Charmhee worked as a management consultant, investment banker, and public affairs specialist with the United Nations. She holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an MA from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Charmhee is trilingual in English, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese.

Nnena Odim ombuds Nnena Odim (nnena-ombuds@mwi.org and 617-898-0938) is a mediator, ombuds, attorney, trainer, and consultant. She has been mediating since 1997, and has mediated disputes involving issues such as employment, housing, business, consumer, academic/higher education, and domestic relations. Nnena has also designed and/or led conflict management trainings for several local and national businesses and agencies, including the Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts Housing Authority, Neighborhood Works, Coca-Cola, and Netflix. In addition to her mediation and conflict resolution training background, Nnena is trained by the International Ombuds Association and has served as an ombuds for CVS, American Planning Association, and several local construction companies. After 25 years, Nnena has recently retired from Harvard Law School, where she was the Director and Senior Clinical Instructor of the Family/Domestic Violence Law Clinic at Harvard’s Legal Services Center. In addition to being an active practicing attorney in Massachusetts Family and Probate Courts, she provided experiential training to law students and taught them how to become effective and ethical attorneys. Nnena has worked with the Harvard Mediation Program (HMP) and Harvard Program on Negotiation to provide trainings for students and community members, and to supervise Harvard Law School students in their mediation and negotiation studies. Nnena has also served on numerous panels and speaking rosters for a variety of topics, including those on self-care and mental health for students and faculty, establishing boundaries in a professional setting, race and gender, and LGBTQ+ rights. In 2019, Nnena was honored by the Harvard Women’s Law Association International Committee. In 2015, she received the Harvard Law School Dean’s Award for Excellence, and in 2013, Nnena was a Top Women in the Law award recipient from Mass. Lawyers Weekly.

Larry Hunt (larry-ombuds@mwi.org and 1-413-529-4035) is an ombuds with MWI and has worked as the Ombuds for Amherst College since 2019, following a career as HR Director for Smith College, Tufts University, and the J. Paul Getty Museum and Foundation. He has taught as an adjunct faculty member of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Management School. He regularly works with staff, faculty and administrators in conflict coaching, facilitating conversations, mediating disputes, giving referrals and providing upward feedback to effect positive organizational change. Larry has spent his career helping people navigate their way through conflict situations. He brings extensive experience and a strong theoretical background in analyzing and mediating disputes at the interpersonal and organizational level. Larry completed the graduate certificate program in Conflict and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and interned as a mediator in the court system. He was trained by the International Ombuds Association (IOA) in their Foundations of Organizational Ombuds Practice Course. He is an experienced executive and management coach and has consulted in this capacity and as a mediation and employee relations consultant for a wide variety of health care, education, and municipal organizations.

Contact

Email: Email any member of the Ombuds Team at the email addresses provided here – Charmhee at charmhee-ombuds@mwi.org, Nnena at nnena-ombuds@mwi.org, or Larry at larry-ombuds@mwi.org.
Confidential web form: If you have a concern and would like to raise it confidently, please feel free to fill out the web form below.
Phone: Please contact Charmhee at 845-213-6818, Nnena at 617-898-0938, or Larry at 1-413-529-4035 (direct and confidential phone and voicemail).

A member of the Ombuds Team will get back to you within one business day.

The AEA Ombuds Team was established under a charter approved by the American Economic Association President. 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 Ombuds Team 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 Team and the manner in which it functions.

Due to the independent, impartial, informal, and confidential nature of the ombuds function, communication with an ombuds team member does not constitute formal notice to the American Economic Association.