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