About Us

Ombuds Office

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Prevaux

Steven D. Prevaux, J.D.
USF Ombuds Officer   

 

 

Steve is a Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner®  (CO-OP®) and has completed training in Advanced Conflict Management with Kilmann Diagnostics. He is a Certified Trainer in Workplace Conflict Resolution through the Mediation Training Institute. Since 2021, he is also certified to coach, teach, measure, and improve psychological safety with “The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety™” solutions. 

Prior service includes:

  *  Vice President of the International Ombudsman Association (IOA)
  *  Chair of the IOA Nominations and Governance Committee 
  *  Dispute Resolution Section (Ombuds Committee) of the ABA
  *  Board of Directors of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators (FAPM)
  *  Florida Bar Board Certified Legal Specialist in Higher Education Law
  *  Board of Directors of National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)

Steve is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator as well as an Appellate Mediator.
In 2015, he completed the Fulbright International Education Administrators scholarship program in France and has served as Regional Peer Reviewer for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.  His prior work experience includes the University of Florida, the Florida Board of Regents of the State University System and private legal practice.  Steve earned his B.A. in International Relations and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and then attended the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he earned his J.D.

 

Lesko

Cheryl Lesko
USF Ombuds Office Administrator 

 


Cheryl joined the Ombuds Office in July 2018 and has earned a certification by the Mediation Training Institute in Resolving Workplace Conflict and in the Use of the Conflict Dynamics Profile Individual and 360 Assessment Instruments. 

Since joining USF in 2006, she has been providing executive administrative services in the SVP/Dean's Office of USF Health and earned a Paralegal Certificate in 2012.  From 2013-2017 she applied her paralegal skills by working concurrently with the USF Health Office of Clinical Research negotiating clinical research trial agreements. 

Cheryl combines her administrative and paralegal expertise to make the USF Ombuds Office a welcoming and safe place for Faculty, Staff and Administrators to voice concerns, work through conflict situations, and brainstorm for ideas to assist those seeking ways to constructively resolve workplace issues.