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.
Hello everyone! My name is Austin De Spirito. I am a Survey Specialist with the Survey Research Operations (SRO) unit, the data collection division of the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the University of Michigan. I began my career as a Data Curator at the Inter-university Consortium of Political and Social Science Research (ICPSR). I am currently engaged in data collection operations in support of a variety of social science research projects. I have been working at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) for nearly 2 years!I
Hello! My name is Devon Spies. I work in Michigan Medicine Human Resources where I am an HR Employment Specialist. I’ve been with Michigan Medicine for 5 years. I have my Bachelors and Masters degrees from Michigan State University which makes me a Double Spartan. Go Green! I have 3 cats and 1 dog at home and in my free time I enjoy running, photography, and rock hunting. I’m excited to be joining this team!
Hello! My name is Jennifer Peterson. I work at the School of Dentistry. I am the office manager in the Orthodontic clinic. I have been with the University for 20 years! I received a ISP/Bachelor of General Studies from Eastern Michigan University. I was born and raised in pure Michigan! I’m a “rock hound” and absolutely love everything about our shorelines! I have two beautiful children, 2 dogs (Kodi and Midge) and 2 cats (Echo and Ziggy)! I’m excited to see what this year brings as I am a new member of the Voice!
Greetings! I am Jessica Kohli and I work in University Unions as the Hotel Manager for the Inn at the Michigan League. I have been involved with VOS since 2017 when I was a member of the Ideal Work Experience team. Being on VOE has been the best experience of my career at UM. I love to network and learn about other people, what they do, and their day-to-day work experience. Enhancing the Employee experience is all about Listening, Gathering Info, and Making Progress. I am so happy to be on this team with all of you.
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 10 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 (they have to win sometime, right?), and baking yummy treats. This is my first year with VOICES and I am excited to be part of the EEE team, 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.
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!
Hello amazing team! I am Michelle Chatell and I work at the University of Michigan Police Department and manage our dispatch center. I am a sworn police officer and have spent my 30 year career in various police roles and leadership. I started my Voices journey in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion team 10 years ago and really enjoy the opportunity to engage with others to move the needle at the UofM. I have been a facilitator ever since and LOVE the EEE team!
Hi Everyone! My name is Reagan Spindler. 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 2 semesters away from getting my MBA and plan to take the SHRM-CP exam in December this year. On a more personal note: I am getting married in May of 2024 and have an English Bulldog named Hamilton (Ham). This is my first time being a part of VOICES and I am so excited to grow with this EEE team!