G. Michael Kilpatrick has been named director of MSU Denver’s newly established Ombuds Office. As the institution’s ombuds officer, Kilpatrick will be responsible for helping to resolve and educate the University community about workplace conflicts, grievances and complaints.

“Michael Kilpatrick is a seasoned ombuds officer who has built ombuds offices from the ground up as well as led small and large offices throughout his career,” explains Myron Anderson, associate to the president for diversity, who will oversee the office. “He has experience as a non-attorney litigator in workers' compensation defense...Kilpatrick is a member of the International Ombudsman Association and one of 87Certified Organization Ombudsman Practitionersworldwide.”

The position was created based on the 2010 employee climate survey and the input from employees and was included in the 2012-17 Strategic Plan, A Time of Transformation, under the strategic theme institutional culture. According to the plan, the purpose of the office is to facilitate “an anonymous process to hear issues and concerns of the faculty, staff and students in order to resolve conflicts individually and to achieve resolution at the lowest level.”

Kilpatrick, who will start his new position March 1, currently is the principal at Fiat Lux/Ombuds Service Group. A certified organization ombudsman practitioner, Kilpatrick has served in various ombuds/mediator/facilitator capacities since 1992, including Bridgepoint Education and subsidiaries and the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego.

He holds a master of science degree in negotiation/conflict resolution from Creighton University, a master of theology degree from the University of Oxford and a bachelor of science degree in laws from Western State University College of Law in San Diego.