The Enhance the Employee Experience (EEE) Network Team Shares best practices to help balance professional and personal life, and provides recommendations to support positive work culture including staff recognition, safety, and the impact of our varied work environments.
View the Member Profiles on this page to learn more.
The Enhance the Employee Experience team contributed to the Juneteenth proposal and explored succession planning best practices. It’s also currently developing a proposal to increase productivity for all Voices teams.
To learn more about the EEE team see their 2024 poster and the Cross-team Collaboration: Mentorship Project poster.
I currently work as a Financial Specialist with the Center for Academic Innovation. I’ve worked at the University since 2011 in various roles throughout the University. I attended Eastern Michigan University for my undergrad degree and Siena Heights University for my MBA. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my husband Jeff and daughter Maddy (14) and our many animals (2 dogs. 3 cats, and 4 chickens). We currently live in Milan but are looking to relocate soon to a more rural area. This will be my first year with Voices and I will be serving as one of the Core members of our team. I look forward to working on ways that we can enhance the employee experience for all of our colleagues.
I’m a Medical Assistant/Patient Service Associate with some Surgery Scheduling privileges in the Chelsea Multispecialty Clinic. I function as our office Preceptor which means I onboard all new hires for any of those roles in my clinic. I’m also our office SuperUser and Vital Voices Champion. Within the Chelsea Multispecialty Clinic, we specialize in General Surgery, Urology, Uro-Gyn, Pre-Op, and Vascular. I transferred here from the Brighton Specialty Center where I worked with many other specialties. I’ve been with Michigan Medicine since February 2022, though I’ve been in healthcare much longer. I also teach medical certification courses like phlebotomy and EKG at Jackson College where I graduated with my Medical Assisting degree. From there I completed my Bachelor of Health Administration from Siena Heights University. I’m from Jackson, MI and outside of work you can find me spending time with family, friends, or finding a local trail to hike with my dog Pumpkin. This is my second year on the Voices EEE team. Last year I was involved in the mentorship program subgroup. I’m passionate about employee growth and providing the resources to aid in that. I joined voices because I want to help enact meaningful change. More specifically, I care deeply about job satisfaction amongst staff. That’s why I chose EEE.
HI my name is Katie Hudson. I'm a medical assistant at the Ypsilanti Health Center. In my off time I spend most of it with my 5 grandbabies, which keeps me very busy. I also have a puppy, Little Miss Cardi D. This is my first year with VOICES and I'm looking forward to bringing some amazing ideas back to my co-workers. Lets go EEE team!!!
Hi! My name is Katie New. I am a pediatric nurse at Northville Health Center. I have been with Michigan Medicine for 11 years. I earned my BSN from Grand Valley State University and my MSN (with a focus in pediatric primary care health) from the University of Michigan. In my free time I enjoy playing with my dog (Dublin), spending time with family and friends, rooting for the Detroit Lions, and baking yummy treats. This is my second year with VOICES EEE, last year I was part of the Recognition team and presented at the annual meeting this past June. I am excited for this year and I know we will do AMAZING things!
Hello! My name is Kimberly Gauss. I am the Business Manager for the Utilities department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus. I have been with the University for 16 years. Prior to joining Utilities in 2015, I worked as the Assistant to the Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I hold a Bachelor of Arts from Lake Superior State University and a Master of Arts from Eastern Michigan University. I live with my boyfriend/domestic partner in Ferndale. We enjoy flower gardening, canoeing, travel, antique malls and spending time with our 3 cats - Luna, Fitz and Baxter. I am an avid crafter and enjoy creating collage art and junk journals. This is my second year serving on EEE. Last year, I worked on the Staff Mentorship project that cross-collaborated with members from Promoting Career Growth (PCG). This year, I am serving as the Advisor to the Core Team Members.
Linda L. Hart, here! Administrative Specialist with the University of Michigan’s Department of Radiology. I have the honor of 19 years of service at Michigan Medicine working in various capacities to include Administrative Sr. Assistant, Program Planner, Event Coordinator, Call-Schedule Lead, and as part of the Staff Onboarding/Training team for Radiology. My greatest joy at Michigan comes from over 17 years of service and memberships with the most incredible affinity groups at U of M such as the Women of Color Task Force (WCTF), Center for the Education of Women (CEW), Black Employee Association at the University of Michigan (BEAM), and with Voices of the Staff which is my longest standing affiliation. My forever goal is to create a more equitable, diverse, and safe space for all staff by identifying and working to eliminate race and gender biases. For this reason, I also serve as the staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion champion in my department believing that you must first be willing and then in a position to fight for the changes you hope to make. “…For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” - Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb” presented at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration
Greetings! My name is Matt Ferguson. Since arriving at U-M in 2018, I have served as a career coach for undergraduates in the Ross School of Business. I’ve worked in higher education for nearly 15 years in a variety of student-facing roles. I earned my bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State and a master’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In my free time, I walk my dog, Fin, settling in with a book or binging the most recent episodes of the Real Housewives.
Hello Everyone! I have been working at Michigan Medicine for 16.5 years. I am currently working in the Adult Pulmonary Function Lab, as a Pulmonary Function Technologist. I graduated from Eastern MIchigan University with a degree in Hotel Restaurant Management. I live in Downtown Chelsea with my husband and 4 kiddos. (Abygail 13, Milieya 11, Zoephya 10 and Sealye 6-they make my life complete! <3) We have 2 pups, 2 cats and 4 fish too! I also own a small photography business (I specialize in Newborn/Family Photography), I love to listen to audiobooks and watch Hallmark movies! Yes, I am busy! But I enjoy being part of new projects and I love to learn new things!
I am currently a Project Representative on the Data Use Agreement Team in the Office of Research & Sponsored Projects. I’ve been on the team just over two years now. I earned my BS in Business and an MBA from Cornerstone University. I have worked in research administration for the last 20 years at the Van Andel Research Institiute, Grand Valley State University and now UM. I enjoy working with faculty to pursue grant funds for their research projects. I enjoy learning from them about what they do and what they are passionate about. I currently serve on the Workplace Culture Committee in my department to bring staff together for social and cultural events and activities. This is my first year as part of VOICES and I am excited to work with others to enhance the employee experience!
I’m an Administrative Specialist in the Michigan Medicine Orthopaedic Surgery Department. I typically work in Mott Children’s Hospital. I’ve been at MM since 2019. I’m currently 1 semester away from getting my MBA. On a more personal note: I just got married in May 2024 down in Florida and have an English Bulldog named Hamilton (Ham). This is my first year being a facilitator (and 2nd year on EEE) and I am so excited to grow with this EEE team!