Kathy Litwiller keeps the details moving and the door open

Kathy Litwiller comes to work with a list. By the end of the day, she may not have touched it. A canceled class, a student question or an unexpected facilities issue can change the plan. As the administrative office assistant for Central Michigan University’s Philip L. Kintzele School of Accounting, Litwiller keeps track of the details while making room for whatever needs attention next.

“I love having a million things going on at once,” she said.

Her ability to manage those moving pieces is one reason Litwiller received a 2026 CMU Staff Excellence Award. She is among 19 employees selected from a record 117 nominations submitted by colleagues across the university. Litwiller would rather talk about the work, the students and the people who help her do it.

She joined CMU in 2009, working first in Plant Engineering and Planning and later in Risk Management, and Environmental Health and Safety. She moved to the Philip L. Kintzele School of Accounting in May 2018. Before coming to CMU, she spent more than 16 years at Consumers Energy, including time in its customer call center and in governmental and regulatory affairs.

That experience has given her plenty of practice working with people and adjusting when plans change. Litwiller likes being organized—she says she lives by Post-it notes—but she also likes figuring out a new system or stepping into an unfamiliar task.

“You cannot be afraid of change,” she said. “Go with it. Because change is inevitable.”

In addition to supporting the school, Litwiller is a co-building coordinator for Grawn Hall. When colleagues have been away or positions have been vacant, she has helped cover work elsewhere, learning what she needed along the way. She sees that willingness to learn as part of doing the job well.

The School of Accounting office is also a place where students can stop in with a question or simply say hello. Litwiller and department chairperson Lori Olsen want them to feel welcome there. Litwiller helps students connect with the faculty or staff member who can answer their questions, and she makes time to listen. Chocolate is another reason some visit, she admits.

“Our door is always open,” she said. “I want them to feel like they’re welcome and they’ve got a place to stop and talk.”

Some keep in touch after graduation. She loves that they want to stay in contact. One alumnus sends Litwiller updates about his career and photos of Lake Michigan sunsets. She has even asked whether she can paint them.

Art is a significant part of Litwiller’s life outside CMU. She paints and serves as a co-president of a community arts center board and an art guild. Those roles bring more people, projects and opportunities to learn into an already full schedule. Litwiller is quick to credit the people working alongside her.

For students preparing for their own careers, she has advice drawn from years in offices: Ask questions. Take responsibility for mistakes. Learn from the people around you. She may not teach accounting, but she can help students understand how to work with others and find their way through a workplace.

“Learning never ends,” Litwiller said.

It is a principle she puts into practice daily, whether she is solving a problem for a colleague, helping a student find an answer or picking up a paintbrush after work. The Staff Excellence Award recognizes the skill and care behind that work—even if Litwiller would prefer to get back to her list.