Lean Liaisons

About the Role

The Lean Liaison is an integral role of a university wide effort to promote and support a Lean culture at Kent State University. A designated liaison from each division understands and communicates the value of Lean, serves as a connection to, and collaborates with the Lean Kent State Office.

  • Serve as primary contact for Lean initiatives in their division​
  • Help identify process improvement ideas and identify metrics​
  • Work with Lean Kent State Office to compile metrics​
  • Keep their leadership informed on projects ​
  • Coordinate Lean training for their division​
  • Coordinate the 30/60/90-day check-ins for their division’s projects​
     


Throughout Your Division

Communicate what Lean is all about and how it's making the university more efficient and effective through process improvement. Communications might include:

  • How Lean is being used throughout the division
  • Success stories and measurable results
  • Training Opportunities
  • Promoting and coordinating Lean training of division staff (Lean Practitioner)
  • Publicly recognize those individuals who are going beyond learning Lean and are using Lean to effect change and achieve results
     


With Your Division's Vice President and Senior Staff

  • Keep senior staff well-informed of Lean activities inside the division, and enterprise wide
  • Promote Lean training opportunities for staff development
  • Provide guidance to ensure that Lean projects align with division/university goals
  • Encourage leadership to recognize people who are putting Lean to work
     

With Other Lean Liaisons and Lean Leaders

  • Reach out to other liaisons with questions and calls for assistance
  • Respond to their requests for assistance by providing info, suggestions, and help
     

With Lean Practitioner Training

  • Coordinate teams for training
  • As part of the Lean Steering Committee ensure projects are actively being worked on and completed
  • Provide needed support, especially when newly trained colleagues are working on their initial projects
     

With Internal Division Projects

  • Guide the scoping process so that improvement projects are set up for success
  • Ensure that projects are facilitated by Lean trained staff
  • As projects unfold, answer questions relating to the improvement process, or find people who can
  • After events, follow up with teams and attend update meetings to ensure implementation and sustained results
     

With the Lean Office

  • Serve as the link between the Lean Office and division
  • Serve on the university wide Lean Steering Committee with the Lean Office and Lean Leaders
  • Know what's available from the Lean Office, and put those resources to use
  • As needed, contact the Lean Office for help with planning, prioritizing, and implementation of Lean projects
  • Submit key Lean-related division measures, which are used by the Lean Office to calculate university results
  • Be an active member of the Lean Community of Practice
     

Academic Affairs

Jennifer Abate
Jennifer Abate
Research and Evaluation, Project Manager
jabate1@kent.edu
330-672-3956

Athletics

 
Seat currently vacant

People, Culture and Belonging

 
Seat currently vacant

Enrollment Management

Jennifer McDonoughMichealle Gabrovsek
Jennifer McDonough
Senior Associate Vice President,
Enrollment Management Operations
jmcdono6@kent.edu
330-672-8566
Michealle Gabrovsek
Director, Technology Portfolio Management
mgabrovs@kent.edu
330-672-7374

Finance and Administration

 
Seat currently vacant

Institutional Advancement

Nicholas Starvaggi
Nicholas Starvaggi
Associate Director, Donor Agreements and Stewardship
nstarvag@kent.edu
330-672-1420

Research and Economic Development

Lori Burchard, MBA, CRA
Lori Burchard, MBA, CRA
Director
lburchar@kent.edu
330-672-7946

Student Affairs

 
Seat currently vacant

System Integration (Regional Campuses and College of Applied and Technical Studies)

 
​​​​​Seat currently vacant

Division of University Communications and Marketing

 
Seat currently vacant