uc davis lean six sigma training session

Lean Community of Practice

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.

Community Goals

  1. Create a learning forum focused on developing Lean and continuous improvement skills
  2. Increase members' knowledge and competency in Lean and continuous improvement
  3. 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 thinkers and process improvement enthusiasts gathered to attend the first Lean Ambassadors Bench (LAB) in-person kick-off event. Lean Ambassadors from campus and Health came together with the shared goal of shaping the direction of the UC Davis Lean Community of Practice. During the half-day workshop, ambassadors engaged in:

  • 1,3, and 5-year goal setting for the Lean Community of Practice
  • ADKAR Change Management exercises
  • Analysis of current and future state related to process improvement
  • Case study of a recently completed Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Project

The work completed helps define strategies for the Lean Community of Practice and future outreach efforts to foster a culture of continuous improvement at UC Davis. LAB members meet monthly and are currently working on a Strategic Plan. Read more about the LAB in the Staff Voice section on "Lean Community of Practice".

  • Members of the Lean Ambassadors Bench (LAB)

  • Name Organization
    Aaron Etcheverry College of Letters and Sciences
    Alicia Webber Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology
    Amy Burns Finance, Operations and Administration, Facilities Management
    Bernadette Hill-Comeau Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation
    Christina J Corbett UC Davis Health, Operational Excellence
    Christine Herkenrath Finance, Operations and Administration, Budget and Institutional Analysis
    Erica Aichwalder Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation
    Jessica Kvichko UC Davis Health, Operational Excellence
    Krista Newberry UC Davis Health, Office of Medical Education
    Michelle Agnew Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation
    Naomi Rosario Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Client Services 
    Peter Blando Information and Education Technology, Project Management
    Priya Venkatesan Finance, Operations and Administration, Administrative Innovation & Technology - Office of Business Transformation
    Stacie Aguil Finance, Operations and Administration, Shared Services Organization - LOA Services 
  • LAB Open Office (virtual) Hours
  • Lean experts (Green and Black Belts) host a 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, discuss potential or in-process process improvement projects. 
  • LAB Monthly Huddle
  • The LAB meets monthly to discuss Lean strategy and outreach efforts. If you're interested in a deeper dive, join the Microsoft Teams Huddle. See details in the calendar of Lean Community of Practice Engagements.