Awardees Represent Large and Small Business, Health Care, Education, Nonprofit, Cybersecurity,

Communities, and Government

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Al Faber, President and CEO of the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Inc., today announced the 2025 recipients of the Baldrige Foundation’s Leadership Awards. “As we celebrate the reimagination of the Baldrige Award initiated by the Department of Commerce and the National Institute for Standards and Technology,” said Faber, “we are excited to also recognize world-class leaders with the Foundation’s Leadership Awards.”

“We have four categories of leadership awards,” said Faber, “that recognize outstanding individuals, leaders, and supporters who embody Baldrige leadership and management values and principles, and who have provided outstanding service to the Baldrige community and beyond.”

E. David Spong Lifetime Achievement Award

The E. David Spong Lifetime Achievement award recognizes individuals who have performed truly extraordinary service that has changed the world, and inspired others to do the same. For 2025, the Foundation identified two recipients of the Spong Award’ The first is Jo Ann Jenkins, former Chief Executive Officer of AARP. “Jo Ann has presided over the largest, and one of the most well-known nonprofit organizations in the world,” said Faber. “She has proven how the application of Baldrige leadership and management principles can result in a substantial, positive impact on the lives of millions of people.

The second Lifetime Achievement award recipient for 2025 is Alan Mulally, former Executive Vice President of The Boeing Company, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, President of Boeing Defense and Space, Board Member of the Ford Motor Company, and President and CEO of the Ford Motor Company. “At Boeing and Ford, he created his "Working Together"© Leadership and Management System, which implements the Baldrige Framework,” said Faber. “He is a role-model and manufacturing icon who continues to inspire future generations of leaders at all levels.”

Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award

“The Hertz Leadership Award recognizes role-model leaders that challenge, encourage, and empower others to achieve performance excellence,” said Faber. The award is being presented this year to Brian R. Dieter, President and CEO of the 2019 Baldrige Award winning Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa. “Brian has long been committed to servant leadership through the application of the Baldrige Framework in everyday operations at Mary Greeley Medical Center. The impact Baldrige has had on the lives and health of Iowans continues to serve as an inspiration to others.”

Foundation Awards for Leadership Excellence

“The Foundation Awards for Leadership Excellence were established to recognize leaders who provide exceptional support to Baldrige and the Foundation’s mission, helping to sustain Baldrige into the future, and promoting the positive impact of Baldrige on organizational and community success,” continued Faber.

The Foundation presents the Awards for Leadership Excellence Business (Manufacturing, Service, Small Business), Nonprofit, Government, Health Care, Education, and Cybersecurity.

The award recipients for 2025 by sector are:

GOVERNMENT

• Paul F. Cambon, Director of Government Relations, Jones Walker LLP
• The Honorable Bill Hagerty, U.S. Senator from Tennessee
• The Honorable Chairman Hal Rogers, Member of Congress, Kentucky

CYBERSECURITY

• Chris DeRusha, Director of Global Policy Sector Compliance, Google
• Lisa Gallagher, National Security Advisor, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives 
• Edward J. Gaudet, CEO and Founder, Censinet
• John Kindervag, Creator of Zero Trust, Chief Evangelist at Illumio
• Nitin Natarajan, Deputy Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
• Jessica Wilkerson, Senior Cyber Policy Advisor and Medical Device Cybersecurity Team Lead, U.S. Food & Drug Administration

BUSINESS

• Craig Fairlee, CFO, Stellar Solutions, Inc.
• Sachin Kumar Garg, Strategy and Assurance Head (Airports) Chairman and Managing Director Office, Adani Group
• Tom Tribone, Founder and CEO, Franklin Park Infrastructure

NONPROFIT

• Kimberlee Humphrey, President and CEO, Association for Manufacturing Excellence
• Jan Johnson, President and CEO, Jordan Johnson, Inc.
• Dr. Mac McGuire, Former CEO, Quality Texas Foundation Regional Program
• Denise Shields, Founder and Principal, Shields Resource Group

EDUCATION

• Professor Mubarak Alkhatnai, Dean of Development and Quality, King Saud University
• Dr. Robert Garza, President, Alamo Colleges - Palo Alto College
• Dr. Brian R. Miller, Superintendent of Schools, Pine-Richland School District
• Dr. Adena Williams Loston, President, St. Philip’s College

HEALTH CARE

• David Navazio, President and CEO, Gentell, Inc., and Affiliated Companies
• John Polikandriotis, Ph.D., CEO, South Florida Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
• Quint Studer, Co-Founder, Healthcare Plus Solutions Group
• Eugene Woods, CEO, Advocate Health

COMMUNITY

• Angela Brandt, Chief Administrative Officer, ProMedica
• Brenda Grant, Former Performance Excellence Coach, UPMC Western Maryland, and Chief Strategy Officer, Charleston Area Medical Center Health System
• Javier Hernandez-Lichti, Retired Health Care Executive, Baptist Health South Florida
• Sandra Potthoff, Ph.D., Emerita Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, Retired Professor, University of South Florida
• Dr. Renee Rodriguez-Goodemote, Medical Director, Saratoga Community Health Center, Chairperson of Ambulatory Medicine Department, Faculty at Saratoga Hospital Family Medicine Residency

Dr. Curt Reimann Baldrige Scholarship

Understanding that the sustainability of Baldrige also requires an investment in future generations of Baldrige scholars and practitioners, the Foundation Board of Directors established the Dr. Curt Reimann Baldrige Scholarship to assist graduate students or recent graduates in attending Baldrige Examiner training. Upon completion, examiners help to promote awareness and use of the Baldrige Framework.

 The 2025 Dr. Curt Reimann Baldrige Scholarship recipients are:

• Dr. Emad Rahim, Kotouc Family Endowed Professor/Chair and Program Director, Bellevue University
• Samantha Tyler, DBA, Enrollment Director of Transformation, Adtalem Global Education – Walden University

The Foundation’s Leadership Awards will be presented during the Foundation Awards Ceremony held as part of the annual Quest for Excellence® conference in Baltimore, MD on April 1, 2025.

 For more information on these awards or the Quest for Excellence® conference, contact: Mark Wayda, 614-600-0432 or mwayda@baldrigefoundation.org