In 18 years with the U of M’s College of Science and Engineering, David Pappone has come to manage a $580 million-plus annual budget and direct a team of 80. Recently, he redesigned business processes, governance, and staffing structures while shepherding more than $400 million in critical capital infrastructure financing. He also has pioneered the use of AI to streamline administrative work. “Dave possesses a rare ability to translate high-level strategic blueprints into highly efficient daily operations,” says College of Science and Engineering dean Andrew Alleyne. “He is a premier example of an ethical servant-leader who systematically distills complex institutional crises down to their root causes, then executes effective solutions.”