Pitch Day Updates | Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration

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Pitch Day Updates

Designed to create a structured, engaging forum where individuals or teams are empowered to present new ideas, Pitch Day provides an avenue for inspiration—giving ideas the potential to improve, transform, or add value to unit operations. Chosen submissions will be evaluated live and developed with the assistance of Spartan Excellence Champions. Pitch Day provides every EVPA employee the opportunity to develop new ideas and novel solutions to challenges in our everyday work.

When?
November 19, 2025
Submission deadline closed October 3, 2025

Selected Ideas

Below are the ideas, selected by the Operational Excellence Council, that will move forward to Pitch Day on November 19, 2025.

Theme	Ideas	Spartan Submitter	Unit
Procurement, Financial Efficiency	Apply data-driven early payment discount strategy Centralize enterprise licensing procurement strategy Incentivize on-campus spending, reduce off-campus purchases	Alexander Redfern Christine Carter William Grice	IPF IPF IPF
Performance Management	Change PDP “meets expectations” to “successful” Adopt scalable, real-time performance management platform Digitize annual reviews with e-signatures and workflows	Michelle Rutkowski Tim Hermen Randy Brown	IPF HR MSU IT
Wayfinding	Improve wayfinding tools to accessible entrances	Annette McLane	EVPA
Facilities Point of Contact	Assign facility managers by service volume	Stacy Nurenberg Kelly Feister	IPF IPF
Campus Communication	Create centralized, university event calendar Form group to coordinate a university event calendar with IT support	Leah Benson Stephanie O'Donnell	IPF DPPS
MSU Inquiries	Establish centralized email for general MSU requests	Kathy Dorshimer	IPF
Hiring Process	Speed hiring process by creating a departmental communications pipeline	Cole Govitz	DPPS
Time Tracking	Automate centralized time-off submission system Deploy SAP’s Time Off app with MSU policy and calendar sync Enable mobile time off tracking for IPF	Leah Benson Tim Hermen Matthew Bailey	IPF HR IPF
Asset Management	Pilot RFID program for asset tracking efficiency	Michelle Szidik	MSU IT
Employee Wellness	Launch MSU PayFlex, a payroll deduction program for campus perks Offer discounted, time-limited access to recreation facilities for RHS employees	Kevin Fowlks Danny Layne	MSU IT RHS

Implement Immediately

The following ideas were chosen by the Operational Excellence Council to move forward immediately within their units:

Idea	Spartan Submitter	Unit
Improve mailroom bin accessibility in Brody	Shana Burke	RHS
Improve back dock overcrowding and safety concerns at 1855 place	Anthony Burke	RHS
Launch Copilot learning sessions	Matt Stehouwer	MSU IT

FAQs

Who can participate? 

All MSU staff within the EVPA portfolio are encouraged to share ideas and participate—input is welcome from all levels, from leadership to front line.

What kinds of ideas are you looking for? 

An employee can submit anything that improves day to day unit operations—examples include ideas for reducing service times, eliminating duplicate efforts, integrating new technology, or simplifying processes.

What happens if my idea is selected?  

The EVPA Operational Excellence council will review and assess selected ideas to quickly validate them—once chosen for Pitch Day, submitters will have the opportunity to develop their idea into an optional live presentation for EVPA leadership during the event.

How will we stay informed about progress? 

Updates will be shared through emails, announcements, and Conversation with Vennie—covering milestones, completions, and key developments. Every idea will be followed up on.

What happens to chosen ideas? 

If an idea is chosen during Pitch Day, they will receive leadership support, resources, and funding to develop the idea into a formal project.

What are the evaluation criteria?

Evaluation criteria include:

Implementation Viability – Can the idea be implemented with available resources, time, and technology?
Innovation Impact – Does the idea have measurable benefits that can positively affect EVPA operations?
Innovation Value – What is the potential quantitative impact of the idea on cost savings, efficiency, or customer satisfaction?
Scalability and Sustainability – Is the idea scalable and sustainable over time?
Timing – Is the proposed timeline achievable?
Funding – Are the funding needs reasonable and aligned with available resources?

Who is the Operational Excellence Council?

Christine Carter (IPF)
Erin Carter (RHS)
Danielle Hook (HR)
Roushell Mignott-Nesbitt (EVPA EPMO)
Doug Monette (DPPS)
Kelly Pung (EVPA OpEx)
Scott Termeer (MSU IT)
Laura Young (Sustainability)

Who are the Pitch Day reviewers? (EVPA leadership)

Vennie Gore (EVPA Executive Sponsor)
Dan Bollman (IPF)
Rich Czarnecki (MSU IT)
Donna Donovan (HR)
Patricia Martinez (RHS)
Mike Yankowski (DPPS)

Julia Miller (MSU Innovation Center)