Graduating Cohort of Fellows Inspired by New Thinking on Leadership

Eighteen senior leaders recently joined more than 100 other executives as graduates of the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program. During the year-long leadership development program, the 2019 cohort of Baldrige Fellows 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 2019 cohort of Baldrige Fellows explored how world-class organizations and their senior leaders achieve performance excellence and stimulate innovation. These 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 2019 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. At the end of the program, capstone presentations showcased each Baldrige Fellow’s progress and next steps to benefit organizations.

Senior leaders from Baldrige Award-winning organizations who spoke with and helped guide the 2019 Baldrige Fellows  included Celeste Ford, board chair, Stellar Solutions; Gerry Agnes, president and CEO, Elevations Credit Union; and Bob Barnett, retired president and CEO, Motorola Commercial, Government & Industrial Solutions Sector. Barnett also offered his expertise, coaching, and facilitation as the Baldrige Fellows program’s “executive-in-residence.” The group also benefitted from interactions with JoAnn Sternke, retired superintendent of the Baldrige Award-winning Pewaukee School District and the 2019 Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award winner; Dennis Brouwer, CEO of the Brouwer Group, LLC; senior leaders of the 2018 Baldrige Award recipients; and several Baldrige Fellows alumni, including leaders from the Sheppard Pratt Health System and AARP Foundation. 

From April 2019 through March 2020, in sessions focused on visionary leadership, operational intelligence, and leading for engagement, in addition to a Quest for Excellence conference meeting, the Baldrige Fellows toured the sites and interacted with the senior leaders of the following Baldrige Award recipients: Mid-America Transplant; Freese & Nichols, Inc.; K&N Management; and the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown. The Baldrige Fellows also had face-to-face opportunities to network and discuss strategies with senior leaders from other Baldrige Award recipient organizations: Alamo Colleges District; Charleston Area Medical Center Health System; Donor Alliance, Inc.; Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC; Integrated Project Management Company, Inc.; Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center; SSM Health; and Tri County Tech. 

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 2019 cohort of Baldrige Executive Fellows:

• Martha Boudreau, Executive Vice President, AARP 
• William Byers, Chief Information Officer, UPMC Western Maryland 
• Mary Chatman, Senior Vice President, WellStar Health System; President, Kennestone Hospital and Windy Hill Hospital
• Jennifer Eden, Executive Director of Quality and Development, Tanana Chiefs Conference
• Tom Field, Associate Vice Chancellor for Organizational Improvement, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Sandy Goodman, President, CRGA Design
• Laura Hendricks-Jackson, Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer, Sibley Memorial Hospital - Johns Hopkins Health System
• Eileen Jaskuta, System Vice President Quality and Patient Safety, Main Line Health System
•  Anil Kotru, Director Pediatric Transplant, Geisinger Health System
• Brandy Oki, Chief Operating Officer, HAWAIIUSA Federal Credit Union
• Jill Ostrem, Senior Vice President, Hospital Operations, Jefferson Health
• Marilyn Powell, Vice Provost, Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, College of Management and Technology, Walden University
• Lindsay Radu, Continuum Care Administrator, Kaiser Permanente
• Meera Riner, Chief Operating Officer, Nexion Health Management, Inc.
• Brian Shepard, Chief Executive Officer, United Network for Organ Sharing
• Sanjeev Srinivasan, Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, Hypertherm
• Donny Trankler, Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• Alandra Washington, Director, Vice President Organizational Effectiveness and Transformation Lead, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Since its inception in 2010, the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program has been nationally recognized for being among the best U.S. and global continuing-education programs for leadership development.  Learn more, including how to apply.

In conjunction with NIST 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 Program 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 offers the 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework: Proven leadership and management practices for high performance, which includes the regularly revised and world-emulated Criteria for Performance Excellence.

The Baldrige Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supports the long-term financial growth and viability of the Baldrige Program and organizational performance excellence in the United States and throughout the world.

The 2019 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
• Kent Bishop, Chief Experience Officer, ProMedica
• 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
• Chuck Callahan, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Memorial Health System
• 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)
• Travis Clegg, Chief Operating Officer, Straub Medical Center
• Connie Clemmons-Brown, Regional Vice President, Patient Care Services, Dignity Health
• Jack Collins, Chief Executive Officer, VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System
• Brian Condit, Vice President/Chief Medical Officer, Mountain States Health Alliance 
• David Condoluci, Senior Vice President, Chief of Patient Safety and Quality Officer, Jefferson Health New Jersey
• 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
• Brian Erling, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Centura Health
• 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)
• Ronald Fowler, Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities, Kansas University Medical Center
• Jay Fox, President, Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
• Dennis Franks, CEO, Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center
• Scott Frisch, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, AARP
• 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
• Tim Heckler, Vice President, Treasury Division, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• 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
• Laurel Leslie, Vice President, Research, American Board of Pediatrics
• Cynthia Lewin, Partner, Venable, LLP
• Ryan Lilly, Medical Center Director/CEO, VA Maine Healthcare System 
• Michele Martz, Vice President, Physician Enterprise, Western Maryland Health System
• Sophia McIntyre, Chief of Clinical Quality and Physician Leadership Development, Hudson River Healthcare, Inc. 
• 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 
• 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
• Jim Miller, Vice President Operations, Vice President & General Manager, Light Industrial Businesses, Hypertherm Inc.
• Brad Mitchell, President, Global Logistics and Distribution, UPS
• Eric Moll, Chief Executive Officer, Mason General Hospital and Family of Clinics
• Jatin Motiwal, Chief Operating Officer, Swedish Medical Group and Ambulatory Care Network
• 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
• Douglas Patten, Chief Medical Officer, Georgia Hospital Association 
• Cynthia Pellegrini, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, March of Dimes Office of Government Affairs
• Peter Pronovost, Senior Vice President, Patient Safety and Quality, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Monty Pooley, President North America Retail, Sara Lee Corp.
• Meghan O. Patton, Vice President Human Resources/Chief Human Resource Officer, Abington Memorial Hospital
• 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
• Kerry Stacy, Chief Lending Officer, Del Norte Credit Union
• Susan Stuart, President and CEO, Center for Organ Recovery & Education
• Michael Suk, System Wide Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery, Geisinger Health System
• Courtney A. Thomas-Winterberg, 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
• Erik Wangsness, President, Washington Adventist Hospital
• Wendy Watson, Regional Vice President, Ambulatory Care and Clinical Services, Kaiser Permanente
• 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
• David Zaas, President, Duke Raleigh Hospital
• Hasan Anwar Zia, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Patient Safety Officer, Sibley Memorial Hospital
   

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