UC Davis Lean Community of Practice
The Lean Community of Practice works to expand the knowledge of Lean principles and practices and serves to support and promote a continuous improvement culture at UC Davis. By leveraging our collective knowledge, we want to build a broad and diverse network of practitioners interested in creating an agile, sustainable, and supportive infrastructure and a culture of continuous improvement at UC Davis.
Read more about establishing a Culture of Continuous Improvement at UC Davis
Community Goals
- Create a learning forum focused on developing Lean and continuous improvement skills
- Increase members' knowledge and competency in Lean and continuous improvement
- Increase campus community knowledge in Lean and continuous improvement
The Lean Community of Practice will serve as a forum to connect people, enable dialogue, stimulate learning, improve skills, share knowledge, generate new knowledge, and much more. Lean, at its core, is about practicing respect for people and continuous improvement every day, with everyone. Through the sharing of a common language and experiences, we strive to use this forum to share tips, best practices, resources, and institutional knowledge to align and support our organizational missions.
Membership will consist of Lean and Continuous Improvement enthusiasts who are willing to share their experiences and learn from other like-minded individuals. Members have varying levels of training and experience in Lean and continuous improvement.
Lean Ambassadors Bench
In August 2023, Lean enthusiasts and process improvement advocates from across UC Davis gathered for the inagural in-person kickoff of the Lean Ambassadors Bench (LAB). This half-day workshop launched a new chapter for the UC Davis Lean Community of Practice, bringing together Ambassadors from Davis and Sacramento campuses to share the future of continuous improvement efforts. During the session, participants engaged in activities including:
- Setting 1-, 3-, and 5-year goals for the Lean Community of Practice
- ADKAR Change Management exercises
- Analyzing current and future states related to process improvement
- Reviewing a completed Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Project case study
The ideas, insights, and strategies developed at this event laid the foundation for new initiatives to support a culture of Lean and continuous improvement at UC Davis. LAB members continue to meet monthly to implement these strategies and grow the community.
Celebrating Progress and Impact
The 2023-2024 LAB Cohort concluded its first year with a celebration of shared learning, collaboration, and accomplishments.
👉 Learn more about the end-of-year celebration here.
The 2024-2025 LAB Cohort played a key role in the first Continuous Improvement Showcase - a half-day celebration of efficiency, innovation, and process improvement in June 2025.
- Members of the Lean Ambassadors Bench (LAB) 2025-2026
Name Organization Aaron Etcheverry College of Letters and Sciences Alicia Webber Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation Amy Burns Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation Bernadette Hill-Comeau Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation Andrey Furmuzan Finance, Operations and Administration, Supply Chain Management Phillip Roell UC Davis Health Maura Mcloughlin Finance, Operations and Administration, Supply Chain Management Lisa A De Bartolo Finance, Operations and Administration Mayra Morales-Martinez Student Affairs Erica Aichwalder Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation Valerie Orick Finance, Operations and Administration Krista Newberry UC Davis Health, Office of Medical Education Michelle Agnew Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation John Dolan Continuing and Professional Education Jessica Elizabeth Kvichko UC Davis Health Naomi Rosario Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Client and Infrastructure Services Peter Blando Information and Education Technology, Project Management Priya Venkatesan Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation - LAB Open Office (virtual) Hours
- Lean experts (UC Davis Green and Black Belts) host a twice monthly virtual office hour. These office hours are true drop-in sessions, feel free to join anytime during the hour. Resources will be available to address questions about Lean Six Sigma, brainstorm process improvement opportunities, and discuss potential or in-process process improvement projects. See Events for schedule.
- Lean Insights Quarterly Newsletter
- Lean Insights newsletter, published quarterly and packed with insights and updates on continuous improvement at UC Davis. Read the Latest Lean Insights Newsletter.
Be sure to join our distribution list so you don't miss an edition of Lean Insights!