Central Michigan University Athletics
Donor Spotlight: Nick Krzyzaniak
4/24/2020 3:14:00 PM | Chippewa Fund
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Nick Krzyzaniak always had the vision.
He used it as a catcher from 1984-86 on the Central Michigan baseball teams that captured three-consecutive Mid-American Conference championships. The catcher is to baseball what a quarterback is to football: His eyes, his decisions, weight heavily on the outcome of each pitch, each play, each game, each season.
He continued to use that vision throughout his professional life, eventually rising to the position of General Manager of the Danon Corp., overseeing the company and its subsidiaries while living and working in the likes of London, Montreal, New York, Dallas and Chicago.
He has also used that vision in continually meeting the needs of the athletics program, specifically baseball, at his alma mater. Among the many projects to which he has made significant financial contributions are the Cleveland Family Performance Development Center and the initiative to install field turf at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium
"Not everyone's going to be a pro baseball player for sure, but to help the athletes have an opportunity that I had is just incredible and they can make and do with it whatever they want," Krzyzaniak said. "That's why I try to help out."
Krzyzaniak captained the 1986 team and was a two-time Academic All-MAC selection. He backstopped some outstanding teams as the program flourished under coaches Dave Keilitz and then Dean Kreiner. Among those that Krzyzaniak played alongside was pitcher Kevin Tapani, who went on to a 13-year career in Major League Baseball.
There was no pro ball for Krzyzaniak -- "I will quote my GPA but not my batting average," he quipped – but there was a career in business that could be described as all-star, the seeds planted and cultivated on the ball field and in the classroom at CMU. He captained the 1986 team, CMU made the NCAA Tournament in each of his three letter-winning years, and the Chippewas compiled a .716 win percentage over those three seasons.
He graduated magna cum laude with a double major in business administration and political science.
"That was the biggest measure for me, winning championships and having good grades," he said. "That meant the world to me. The best part of the whole experience were the friends for life, the great coaches, the championships – the great memories."
He has returned to CMU many times over the years and was the commencement speaker in 2016, when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. He has also served as a judge for the CMU School of Business venture competition for upstart businesses and entrepreneurial programs.
Krzyzaniak retired from Danon in 2017 and then earned a master's in executive coaching from Columbia. He now runs his own executive coaching and consulting business in Thornwood, N.Y., pop. 3,759, about 45 minutes north of New York City.
In a way, he has come full circle, beginning with his hometown, Manchester (pop. 2,163), in southern Michigan and continuing to CMU, where he began to spread his wings on a flight that eventually would take him all over the globe.
"My graduating class in high school, I think we had 72 or 74 kids in it," he said. "My first class in Political Science 101 at Central, I think we had 300 in the hall. It was a big leap. For me at that time, it was such a step forward in building the foundation and the values of what I then applied later in life."
During Krzyzaniak's last visit to campus, he met baseball coach Jordan Bischel and addressed the 2019 team, which went on to win the MAC regular-season and tournament championships and make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"The message really was to appreciate the incredible traditions of Central Michigan and realize where you are," Krzyzaniak said. "You're with some of the best people you're going to meet in your lifetime. You're going to make friends for life. You've got great coaches, great facilities. Appreciate it, enjoy it, and really take in the whole experience. Don't cheat yourself. Enjoy the moment, live the moment because you'll have great memories for life."
He used it as a catcher from 1984-86 on the Central Michigan baseball teams that captured three-consecutive Mid-American Conference championships. The catcher is to baseball what a quarterback is to football: His eyes, his decisions, weight heavily on the outcome of each pitch, each play, each game, each season.
He continued to use that vision throughout his professional life, eventually rising to the position of General Manager of the Danon Corp., overseeing the company and its subsidiaries while living and working in the likes of London, Montreal, New York, Dallas and Chicago.
He has also used that vision in continually meeting the needs of the athletics program, specifically baseball, at his alma mater. Among the many projects to which he has made significant financial contributions are the Cleveland Family Performance Development Center and the initiative to install field turf at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium
"Not everyone's going to be a pro baseball player for sure, but to help the athletes have an opportunity that I had is just incredible and they can make and do with it whatever they want," Krzyzaniak said. "That's why I try to help out."
Krzyzaniak captained the 1986 team and was a two-time Academic All-MAC selection. He backstopped some outstanding teams as the program flourished under coaches Dave Keilitz and then Dean Kreiner. Among those that Krzyzaniak played alongside was pitcher Kevin Tapani, who went on to a 13-year career in Major League Baseball.
There was no pro ball for Krzyzaniak -- "I will quote my GPA but not my batting average," he quipped – but there was a career in business that could be described as all-star, the seeds planted and cultivated on the ball field and in the classroom at CMU. He captained the 1986 team, CMU made the NCAA Tournament in each of his three letter-winning years, and the Chippewas compiled a .716 win percentage over those three seasons.
He graduated magna cum laude with a double major in business administration and political science.
"That was the biggest measure for me, winning championships and having good grades," he said. "That meant the world to me. The best part of the whole experience were the friends for life, the great coaches, the championships – the great memories."
He has returned to CMU many times over the years and was the commencement speaker in 2016, when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. He has also served as a judge for the CMU School of Business venture competition for upstart businesses and entrepreneurial programs.
Krzyzaniak retired from Danon in 2017 and then earned a master's in executive coaching from Columbia. He now runs his own executive coaching and consulting business in Thornwood, N.Y., pop. 3,759, about 45 minutes north of New York City.
In a way, he has come full circle, beginning with his hometown, Manchester (pop. 2,163), in southern Michigan and continuing to CMU, where he began to spread his wings on a flight that eventually would take him all over the globe.
"My graduating class in high school, I think we had 72 or 74 kids in it," he said. "My first class in Political Science 101 at Central, I think we had 300 in the hall. It was a big leap. For me at that time, it was such a step forward in building the foundation and the values of what I then applied later in life."
During Krzyzaniak's last visit to campus, he met baseball coach Jordan Bischel and addressed the 2019 team, which went on to win the MAC regular-season and tournament championships and make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"The message really was to appreciate the incredible traditions of Central Michigan and realize where you are," Krzyzaniak said. "You're with some of the best people you're going to meet in your lifetime. You're going to make friends for life. You've got great coaches, great facilities. Appreciate it, enjoy it, and really take in the whole experience. Don't cheat yourself. Enjoy the moment, live the moment because you'll have great memories for life."
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