Donna Louden — NREL Ombuds

Donna Louden has served as NREL’s organizational ombuds since 2013, providing employees a confidential, impartial, and informal resource for navigating work-related concerns and conflicts.

A recognized expert in interpersonal and organizational conflict management with more than 20 years of experience, Louden has extensive experience facilitating effective communication and problem-solving and is a sought-after mediator and conflict coach.

Prior to joining NREL, she was the associate director of the Ombuds Office at the University of Colorado Boulder and an ombuds at the University of California, Irvine.

In addition to her work as an ombuds, Louden is an accomplished trainer for the International Ombuds Association (IOA). In this role, she co-designed the IOA's Foundation of Organizational Ombuds Practice curriculum; spearheaded the development of a virtual training program that significantly expanded IOA's reach; and taught professional skills, ethics, and best practices to hundreds of ombuds around the globe. She currently oversees IOA's Foundations training program.

Louden holds a master's degree in interpersonal communication with a focus on conflict from California State University, Fullerton, and a bachelor's degree from Loyola Marymount University.