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Administrative Assistant
Elizabeth began her career working at the University in the Office of Technology Transfer in September 2007, and transitioned to the Business Engagement Center in 2008. In 2011 she was promoted to her current role as an administrative assistant, where she provides assistance to BEC staff and helps to ensure an effective support structure for the office.
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Director
Nell works as a direct liaison between the business community and the University, identifying corporate partnership opportunities and matching University assets to industry needs.
Nell comes to the University from Senator Debbie Stabenow’s staff, where she acted as finance director. In that capacity Nell was responsible for the development, management, and execution of the overall fundraising strategy in Michigan and nationwide. She also built coalitions of regional community leaders interested in strategic economic development, and managed direct mail and online communications.
Nell earned her B.A. in history from the University of Michigan.
Associate Director
Amy Klinke is the Associate Director of Corporate Relations. Focusing on small business initiatives, she splits her time between the Business Engagement Center and the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering.
Amy joined the University in October of 2008 after serving as the Director of Community Development for the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. In addition to this role, Amy also worked directly for the Washtenaw County Administrator and Board of Commissioners, the Washtenaw Community Health Organization and the Mayor of Ann Arbor. Prior to moving to Ann Arbor in 2000, Amy conducted post graduate research in economic development in Zimbabwe.
She received a B.A. in political economy from Hillsdale College and a master's degree in social work with a concentration in economic and social development from Washington University in 1998.
Associate Director
Nick works as a direct liaison between the business community and the University, identifying corporate partnership opportunities and matching University assets to industry needs.
Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Nick served as the communications director for the Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for seven years where he supervised the creation of a diverse set of media relations, print, and interactive marketing campaigns.
Nick is an Ann Arbor native and received a M.B.A from Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business and a B.A. in communications from the University of Michigan.
Director
Umesh works as a direct liaison between the business community and the University. In this role, Umesh works closely with automotive, health care, and technology companies to match University assets to industry needs.
Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Umesh was a senior manager with Accenture where he managed business process and information technology change for a diverse group of global 500 clients. Prior to joining Accenture, he worked as a project engineer with Westinghouse Electric Corp.
Umesh received an M.B.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University.
Senior Director
Susan manages the University’s relationships with approximately 30 key companies that have interactions with multiple units on campus. She works closely with staff and faculty in the schools, colleges and research centers to match the interests and needs of external partners with the strengths of the University community.
Prior to moving to Michigan, Susan served as director of corporate relations for the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota for 11 years. She has also worked with student recruiting, admissions and advising, alumni relations and annual giving programs at the University of Minnesota.
Susan received an M.B.A. in marketing communications from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in social science and elementary education from Shimer College in Illinois.
Data Analyst
Elizabeth assists BEC staff with database support, data mining, and the daily maintenance of the CRM system.
Prior to joing the university, Elizabeth worked at CFI Group, where she was an associate consultant. Previous to CFI Group, she worked as a business analyst and inventory analyst for Borders Group.
Elizabeth is currently a student in the University of Michigan's School of Information Master's program and is a 2006 graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Senior Administrative Assistant
Christine Vladu joined the BEC in March of 2009, after working at the College of Engineering's Corporate and Government Relations Department since January 2006. Previous to that, she worked at the University of Michigan in Dearborn as a secretary in the Research and Sponsored Programs Department. She also served as the Institutional Review Board Administrator for the protection of Human Subjects in Research.
Prior to joining the University, Vladu worked for a nonprofit organization coordinating fundraising events and working with sponsors. In addition to her University work, Vladu volunteers for various nonprofit organizations throughout the year and serves as a volunteer child mentor.
Shannon oversees marketing and communications for the BEC, providing the communication tools that support matching University assets with industry needs.
Shannon comes to us most recently from the U-M Office of Reunions and Reunion Giving. Prior to that, she worked in corporate liaison roles at career services offices at the University of Michigan, and the University of Pittsburgh. Shannon received a B.A. in English and Psychology and an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Grand Valley State University.
Interim Executive Director
As interim executive director of the Business Engagement Center, Stella oversees the campus-wide strategy for corporate interactions at the University of Michigan. Stella works as a direct liaison between the business community and the University, identifying corporate partnership opportunities and matching University assets to industry needs.
Before joining the Business Engagement Center, Stella was the national sales director for CFI Group, a customer and employee satisfaction research and consulting firm. Prior to CFI, Stella worked for Nortel Networks. During her tenure in a variety of senior management roles in marketing, sales and customer satisfaction, she acted as a strategic university team leader, and served as corporate liaison to the University of Michigan.
Stella is an alumna of the University of Michigan, where she received a B.A. in general studies with a focus on business and communications. She is originally from Ann Arbor but spent many years in Tennessee and North Carolina.
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