U.S. Executives Complete Year-long Baldrige Fellowship Program

The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is proud to announce the completion of the year-long Baldrige Executive Fellows Program by another cohort of 18 senior leaders of U.S. organizations in multiple sectors. As Baldrige Executive Fellows, these individuals explored all aspects of leadership through the lens of the Baldrige Excellence Framework, the world’s gold standard for performance excellence.

During five interactive sessions at the sites of Baldrige Award-recipient organizations and at the Baldrige Program’s Quest for Excellence® Conference, the executives explored how world-class organizations and their senior leaders achieve performance excellence and stimulate innovation. The Baldrige Fellows compared and contrasted leadership strategies from across sectors, and they sought solutions and best practices that helped them emerge with a broader perspective on role-model leadership characteristics; strategic planning; workforce and customer support and engagement; innovation; integration of processes, plans, resources, and goals; and knowledge and data management and measurement of the right things—all to achieve an organization’s desired results. In addition, between sessions, the Baldrige Fellows continued to work on their individual capstone projects, which addressed a strategic need within each of their organizations. During each session, they reported on progress and sought input and advice from Baldrige Award-recipient leaders, Baldrige Executive Fellows faculty, and one another.

The Baldrige Fellows began their journey meeting with senior leaders from Baldrige Award-winning organizations, including Lee Butler, director of performance excellence, Don Chalmers Ford; Diane Brockmeier, president and CEO, Mid-America Transplant; Margaret McGoldrick, president, Abington Jefferson Health; and Bob Barnett, retired president and CEO, Motorola Commercial, Government & Industrial Solutions Sector, who also offered his expertise, coaching, and facilitation as the Fellows’ “executive-in-residence.” The Baldrige Fellows also heard from Nick Macchione, director of the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and the 2018 Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award winner; Seth Mattison, founder and chief movement officer of FutureSight Labs; and senior leaders of the 2017 Baldrige Award recipients, as well as Baldrige Fellows alumni, including leaders from the United States Golf Association and Western Maryland Health System. 

From April 2018 through April 2019, in sessions focused on visionary leadership, operational intelligence, and leading for engagement, in addition to two Quest for Excellence conference meetings, the Baldrige Fellows toured the sites and interacted with the senior leaders of the following Baldrige Award recipients: Freese and Nichols, K&N Management, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, and the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. The Baldrige Fellows also had face-to-face opportunities to network and discuss strategies with senior leaders from Baldrige Award recipients: Adventist Health Castle; Bristol Tennessee Essential Services; Charleston Area Medical Center Health System; the City of Fort Collins; Elevations Credit Union; Hill Country Memorial; Guidehouse (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector Practice; Motorola Commercial, Government & Industrial Solutions Sector; Stellar Solutions; and Southcentral Foundation.

Throughout the program, the Baldrige Fellows developed a peer network of executives to tap into now and into the future as a way to continue to build the knowledge and capabilities necessary for ongoing organizational success. Annually, graduate Baldrige Fellows have the opportunity to meet at the Baldrige Quest for Excellence conference for networking and dinner.

Following is the 2018 cohort of Baldrige Executive Fellows:

• Kent Bishop, Chief Experience Officer, ProMedica
• Chuck Callahan, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Memorial Health System
• Travis Clegg, Chief Operating Officer, Straub Medical Center
• Jack Collins, Chief Executive Officer, VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System
• David Condoluci, Senior Vice President, Chief of Patient Safety and Quality Officer, Jefferson Health New Jersey
• Brian Erling, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Centura Health
• Ronald Fowler, Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities, Kansas University Medical Center
• Scott Frisch, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, AARP
• Laurel Leslie, Vice President, Research, American Board of Pediatrics
• Michele Martz, Vice President, Physician Enterprise, Western Maryland Health System
• Jatin Motiwal, Chief Operating Officer, Swedish Medical Group and Ambulatory Care Network
• Jim Miller, Vice President Operations, Vice President & General Manager, Light Industrial Businesses, Hypertherm Inc.
• Tim Heckler, Vice President, Treasury Division, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• Kerry Stacy, Chief Lending Officer, Del Norte Credit Union
• Erik Wangsness, President, Washington Adventist Hospital
• Wendy Watson, Regional Vice President, Ambulatory Care and Clinical Services, Kaiser Permanente
• David Zaas, President, Duke Raleigh Hospital
• Hasan Anwar Zia, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Patient Safety Officer, Sibley Memorial Hospital

These Baldrige Fellows join the ranks of other executives* who completed the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program:

• Jean Alexander, Chief Operating Officer, AARP Services
• Jon Basden, Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• Marty Basso, Regional Vice President, Finance/Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer, Sibley Memorial Hospital and Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Andrea Benin, Senior Vice President, Quality and Patient Safety, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
• De Lyle Bloomquist, President, Global Chemical Business, Tata Chemicals North America
• Cindy Bo, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, Nemours Children’s Health System, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
• Deborah Bowen, President/Chief Executive Officer, American College of Healthcare Executives
• Hollis Bradwell, Executive Vice President and Chief Enterprise Strategy and Innovation Officer, AARP
• Angela M. Brandt, Chief Operating Officer, ProMedica Physicians Group
• David Brucks, Executive Director, Functional Excellence, Seagate Technology LLC
• Helen Burstin, Chief Scientific Officer, The National Quality Forum
• Marcus Cano, Director of Program Execution, Sierra Providence Health Network, Tenet Healthcare Corporation
• Ruth Cardiello, Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management, Stamford Hospital
• Christine Carr, Vice President-General Manager, Griffith Foods Inc.
• Timothy Cavanagh, Principal Consultant, LeanForma LLC (formerly Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Process Innovation, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital)
• Connie Clemmons-Brown, Regional Vice President, Patient Care Services, Dignity Health
• Brian Condit, Vice President/Chief Medical Officer, Mountain States Health Alliance
• Jennifer Convery, Group President, North America, Griffith Laboratories
• Richard (Chip) Davis, President, Sibley Memorial Hospital
• David Deininger, Healthcare Facility Master Planning Consultant, 2dplanning
• Luckner Denord, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Quality Officer, Jessie Trice Community Health Center
• Antonio W. DePaolo, Executive Director of Lean Transformation, Sheppard Pratt Health System
• Mishaela Durán, Director, Aim for Independence Initiative Team Lead, ReImagine HHS, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
• Veronica Edwards, Owner and CEO, InGenesis
• Matthew Fenwick, Vice President, Strategy and Relationships, American Hospital Association
• Alison L. Ferren, Chief Information Officer, Abington Memorial Hospital
• Wayne Foraker, Continuous Process Improvement Manager, Scottsdale Lincoln Health Network (formerly Senior Director Institutional Assessment, University of Phoenix)
• Jay Fox, President, Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
• Dennis Franks, CEO, Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center
• Maureen Frye, Director, The Center for Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality, Abington Jefferson Health
• William Griffin, Vice President Marketing, North America, AGCO Corporation
• Brian Griffith, President, Griffith Laboratories Asia Pacific and Latin America
• Susan Gunderson, Chief Executive Officer, LifeSource
• Donald Haag, Vice President, Mid-West Area, Packaging Corporation of America
• Rob Hagans, Chief Financial Officer, AARP
• John Harris, Jr., Major General, Army National Guard
• Ziad Haydar, Vice President for Clinical Excellence and Physician Integration, Ascension Health
• Nathan Howard, President and Chief Executive Officer, Gift of Life Donor Program
• Jo Ann Jenkins, Chief Operating Officer, AARP
• Randon Jerris, Senior Managing Director, Public Services, United States Golf Association
• Debra Johnson, Vice President of Public Affairs and the Inside the Economy® Museum, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• Julie M. Kapp, Associate Professor, University of Missouri School of Medicine
• James Karstetter, Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, Western Maryland Health System
• Jeffrey Kaser, Vice President, Area General Manager Midwest Area, Packaging Corporation of America
• Kathleen Kearney, Vice President, Business Project and Process Leadership, John Deere Financial
• Sharon C. Kiely, Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Stamford Health System
• Steven J. Kravet, President, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
• Cynthia Lewin, Partner, Venable, LLP
• Ryan Lilly, Medical Center Director/CEO, VA Maine Healthcare System
• John McCarville, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain and IT, Griffith Labs Worldwide
• Michael McDermott, President and CEO, Mary Washington Healthcare
• Margaret McGoldrick, President, Abington Jefferson Health
• Sophia McIntyre, Chief of Clinical Quality and Physician Leadership Development, Hudson River Healthcare, Inc.
• James Metcalf, President and Chief Operating Officer, USG
• Alysha Metzger, Human Resources Director, Hill Country Memorial Hospital
• Joanne Miller, Vice President, Nursing and Patient Care Services, Chief Nursing Officer, Sibley Memorial Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Brad Mitchell, President, Global Logistics and Distribution, UPS
• Eric Moll, Chief Executive Officer, Mason General Hospital and Family of Clinics
• Timothy Mottet, Provost, Northwest Missouri State University
• Anu Mullick, Chief of Staff, Sibley Memorial Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine
• L. Elizabeth Mullikin, Regional Service Line Executive—Neuroscience, Sutter Health East Bay Region
• Meghan O. Patton, Vice President Human Resources/Chief Human Resource Officer, Abington Memorial Hospital
• Douglas Patten, Chief Medical Officer, Georgia Hospital Association
• Cynthia Pellegrini, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, March of Dimes Office of Government Affairs
• Monty Pooley, President North America Retail, Sara Lee Corp.
• Peter Pronovost, Senior Vice President, Patient Safety and Quality, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Kristen M. Pulio, Vice President, Revenue Management, Associate Vice President, Reimbursement, Adventist HealthCare
• James Rathmell, Chair, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Health Care; Leroy D. Vandam & Benjamin G. Covino Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
• Terry Reilly, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer, Abington Memorial Hospital
• Brent Reitz, President, Adventist Health Care Physical Health and Rehabilitation
• Rhonda Rubinstein, Vice President, Total Customer Experience and Quality, Enterprise Group, Hewlett Packard
• Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President, AARP Foundation
• Deb Sanford, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Eastern Maine Medical Center
• Steve Schloss, Chief People Officer, United States Golf Association
• Caroline LeGarde Shafa, Vice President, Clinical Operations, Sibley Memorial Hospital
• Patricia D. Shannon, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, AARP Foundation
• Eunmee Shim, VP, Business Development and Strategic Planning, Adventist HealthCare
• Jeff Sedlack, Medical Director for Surgical Services, Providence Alaska Medical Center; Associate Medical Director, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare
• Brett A. Simon, Director, Josie Robertson Surgery Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• John Smith, Global Product Director, Dow Chemical
• Erika Sockaci, Vice President, Health Services Administration, AltaMed Health Services Corporation
• Kirk Soileau, Chief Executive Officer, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center
• Susan Stuart, President and CEO, Center for Organ Recovery & Education
• Michael Suk, System Wide Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery, Geisinger Health System
• Courtney A. Thomas-Winterburg, Director, Allegany County Department of Social Services
• R. Kevin Turley, Vice President, Operations, Western Maryland Health System
• John Varley, Global Supply Chain, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
• Rajan Wadhawan, Chief Medical Officer/Director of Neonatology, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Florida Hospital for Children
• Barbara Wadsworth, Senior Vice President of Patient Services/Chief Nursing Officer, Main Line Health
• Michele J. Wall, Chief Operating Officer/Vice-President, Operations, American Board of Pediatrics
• Steffani H. Webb, Vice Chancellor for Administration, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Morgan Whitacre, Senior Vice President, Head of Originations, PHH Mortgage Division, PHH Corporation
• Michael Woronka, Chief Executive Officer, ActionEMS

In April 2019, 18 U.S. executives who represent a ninth cohort, embarked on their year-long Baldrige Fellowship.

Since its inception in 2010, the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program has been nationally recognized with LEAD Awards as among the very best U.S. and global continuing-education programs in leadership development. The LEAD Awards, highlighted in Leadership Excellence Essentials magazine and presented by HR.com, recognize and honor corporations, educational institutions, and individuals that excel in offering top leadership initiatives and programs on a local to global scale. In 2018, the LEAD Awards ranked the federal Baldrige Performance Excellence Program’s training resources, including the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, first and fourth, respectively, as the best continuing-education programs with emphases on human resources and leadership/organizational development. The Baldrige Fellows  page has more information such as how to apply. 

In conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the private sector, the Baldrige Program manages the Baldrige Award, which was named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, and established by Congress in 1987. The Baldrige Award promotes innovation and excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements and results of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful performance strategies. The Baldrige Program also currently offers the 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework: A Systems Approach to Improving Your Organization’s Performance, which includes the regularly revised and world-emulated Criteria for Performance Excellence; Baldrige Excellence Builder, an entry-level version of the framework; Baldrige Cybersecurity Excellence Builder, a self-assessment tool to measure an organization’s cyber risk; and the Baldrige Collaborative Assessment and other assessment services and resources. Visit the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program to learn more about the Baldrige Excellence Framework and the Baldrige Award application process,  (301) 975-2036, or baldrige [at] nist.gov (baldrige[at]nist[dot]gov).

The Baldrige Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supports the Baldrige Program and its offerings through fundraising and advocacy, working to ensure the long-term financial growth and viability of the Baldrige Program and to support organizational performance excellence in the United States and throughout the world. To learn more and support the Foundation’s efforts, visit http://baldrigefoundation.org/.

*Organizations and titles listed were current at the time of the fellowship.