Liz Hoffman Research Award

The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman (FCO) has established a memorial award to commemorate Liz Hoffman’s outstanding commitment to the ombudsman concept, her service to many ombudsman associations and her commitment to social justice. The award is given to the author of a research paper on ombudsman work in Canada.

The author of the chosen paper will receive $1000 and recognition by FCO at its Annual General Meeting.

Liz Hoffman was an amazing woman! Her interests encompassed an enormous range of social justice issues (and baseball, shopping, Indian food and the odd game of pool) but her greatest commitments were to public libraries, where she volunteered for more than twenty years becoming President of the Ontario Public Library Association, and to the ombudsman concept in Canada.

Liz had a long career in ombudsman work. Starting in the ‘70s, she was ombudsman at three universities – Carleton, the University of Toronto and Ryerson - and the Ontario College of Art. In 1999, she joined the National Defence/Canadian Forces Ombudsman’s Office where she worked until her death from melanoma at age 54 in January 2006.

A founding member and former President of the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons, Liz was a recipient of ACCUO’s Lars A. Mannerheim Distinguished Service Award. She was also a founding member and Board member of the Forum of Canadian Ombudsman. Liz had a vision that FCO could reach out to and meet the needs of everyone involved in ombudsman work in Canada, people in all sectors, big offices and small, investigators, intake staff, administrative staff – everyone. Her goal was to ensure that people doing the work felt part of the ombudsman world.

Liz would be touched and honoured that the Forum of Canadian Ombudsman has named this award for her. By encouraging research and writing about ombudsman, she would be thrilled to know that she is still making an important contribution.

To read more about Liz’s wonderful and amazing life, please visit the ACCUO website (www.uwo.ca/ombuds/accuoeng/history.htm).