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Dear Friends, Partners, and Members of the Baldrige Community,
2025 was a pivotal year for the Baldrige Foundation. It was a year defined not by small change, but by responsibility. This responsibility came in the form of stewarding a national framework, protecting its integrity, and preparing it for what comes next. We focused on the work required to strengthen our foundation, expand meaningful access to Baldrige principles, and ensure the Framework remains rigorous, trusted, and usable for decades to come.
At its core, our work this year centered on three outcomes:
- protecting the integrity of Baldrige as a national asset
- broadening who can access and use it
- making the path to excellence clearer and more scalable for organizations and communities
Strengthening National Stewardship
One of the most important developments of 2025 was advancing a historic public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce. This agreement lays the groundwork for the Baldrige Foundation to assume greater operational leadership, including responsibility for Baldrige Framework revisions, the Quest for Excellence® Conference, the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Ceremony.
This work was never about shifting roles for the sake of change. It was about continuity, trust, and long-term stewardship. The goal was to ensure that the Baldrige Framework and its associated programs are supported by a structure that is durable, agile, and capable of serving leaders across sectors. Another key opportunity that came with our memorandum of understanding was the reality that this move empowers the private sector to take the lead, in partnership with the government, to expand upon these important Baldrige-based tools.
To support this transition responsibly, we established the Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee. The committee exists to safeguard the rigor and integrity of the Framework, ensuring it remains non-prescriptive, grounded in systems thinking, and responsive to real organizational challenges. It is chaired by Denise Shields, whose experience spans nearly every dimension of the Baldrige ecosystem, and is supported by a group of seasoned practitioners and leaders with deep, real-world expertise. Together, they bring the credibility and perspective needed to guide the Framework’s ongoing development with care and discipline. The Baldrige Foundation would like to personally thank these leaders for their ongoing service and commitment to Baldrige and the way it can help support competitiveness across the country and the world. The full list of committee members can be found here.
This work strengthens confidence in Baldrige as a national and global resource and reinforces the trust placed in it by organizations, communities, and leaders across the country.
Leadership Development as a National Asset
With stewardship strengthened, we continued to invest in leadership development as a long-term national asset. In 2025, we made a deliberate shift away from one-off engagement and toward continuity and depth. We can't stress enough how critical this is!
The Baldrige Executive Fellows Program became central to this effort during the summer of 2025. Led by Dawn Bailey and supported by Harry Hertz and Bob Barnett, senior leaders from across sectors participated in a year-long experience grounded in the Baldrige Framework, systems leadership, and practical application. Fellows engaged in structured learning, peer exchange, and immersive sessions designed to translate performance excellence principles into everyday leadership practice. In June, Fellows convened in Fort Collins, Colorado, where they were hosted by The City of Fort Collins - Working Together to Build a Better Today!. We are also pleased to say that Donor Alliance and Elevations Credit Union came to speak to our Fellows to help create such a valuable experience to learn from past Baldrige Award recipients. In October, the Fellows gathered in Detroit, Michigan, hosted by Henry Ford Health, which was yet again an amazing experience. We thank all of our host sites throughout 2025 for your dedication to Baldrige. As the program continues to evolve, it remains a critical pipeline for leadership grounded in Baldrige values. The full list of current cohort members can be found here.
At the same time, we expanded leadership access through the public announcement of the National Leadership and Advisory Councils (NLAC). These monthly, virtual-based peer groups provide executives with a structured environment for deeper engagement with Baldrige-aligned leadership training throughout the year. Additional information about this important program can be found here. Later in the year, we launched the Intentional Leader Network for leaders seeking consistent, practical development that fits demanding schedules. Members now have two Baldrige-aligned leadership coaching opportunities each month through the Institute for Performance Excellence. Additional information about all of the Institute for Performance Excellence membership programs can be found here.
One of the key programs that we launched was our Baldrige Performance Excellence Champion Certification. What we love about this program is its ability to align strategy with performance excellence. This is a key challenge many leaders recognize but struggle to implement effectively. The Baldrige Performance Excellence Champion Certification Program empowers senior leaders, strategy professionals, and performance excellence champions to integrate strategic management systems with the Baldrige Excellence Framework. Additional information about this program can be found here.
Taken together, these programs form the foundation for a connected leadership ecosystem. A leadership ecosystem that we are designing to support leaders at different stages, rather than offering disconnected experiences.
Supporting and Convening the Baldrige Community
Leadership development is strengthened when leaders learn together. In 2025, the Quest for Excellence® Conference once again served as the cornerstone of our convening work. Leaders from business, government, education, health care, manufacturing, community, and the nonprofit sector came together to learn from Baldrige-based organizations, reflect on shared challenges, and engage in forward-looking dialogue.
For those of you who have not yet been, Quest is more than a celebration of excellence. It is a working forum where leaders examine what it takes to sustain high performance in challenging environments. The conference also included the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Ceremony, where the prior year’s award recipients were formally honored for their achievements. The Baldrige Foundation is proud to host these events in 2025. The 2024 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipients were:
- Freese and Nichols
- Alamo Colleges District
- Chickasaw Nation Health Department of The Chickasaw Nation
- City of Henderson
Beyond Quest, the Foundation hosted and supported webinars and learning opportunities throughout the year. These sessions reinforced a simple truth: excellence is sustained through ongoing conversation, shared learning, and trusted networks. Each event was intentionally designed to help leaders connect strategy to execution.
We also spent time meeting with organizations and community leaders across the world, helping to support and promote their excellence efforts. Early in 2025, the Foundation spent time with the City of Henderson, a 2024 recipient of the Baldrige Award. Their story is amazing, and while their organization has so many important leaders, I wanted to shout out Mayor Michelle Romero and Polly Walker MBA MPA LSSBB. Their commitment to excellence for the City of Henderson permeates through all that they do. The City of Henderson stands as a national example of how Baldrige helps cities align leadership, strategy, and execution to better serve their communities.
This year also marked a meaningful step in the international engagement efforts of the Baldrige Foundation. We had the opportunity to meet in Washington, D.C., with a delegation from Romania, including U.S. Ambassador to Romania Adrian Zuckerman, Marius Bostan, Steven Hoisington, and many other leaders from the Romanian business community. The importance of Baldrige is felt around the world. We discussed how the Institute for Performance Excellence and Baldrige could support organizations globally that are adopting Baldrige principles, underscoring the importance of a global landscape where the Baldrige Framework is the world’s most trusted standard for organizational performance excellence and leadership.
Expanding Access Through Tools and Infrastructure
Access was a defining theme of 2025. We took concrete steps to ensure organizations can engage with Baldrige not only through awards and conferences, but through practical tools that support everyday decision-making.
Through the philanthropic leadership of Mid-America Transplant, the Institute for Performance Excellence launched a first-of-its-kind digital portal for leaders across the organ procurement community. Organ Procurement Organizations have long utilized Baldrige, and this partnership provides a powerful, tailored way to deliver Baldrige-aligned tools and resources nationwide. Thank you, Mid-America Transplant, for your visionary leadership!
In a similar manner, we supported the QTF Regional Program for Performance Excellence by providing expanded access to the Institute for Performance Excellence’s tools and resources. This partnership equips QTF with additional technologies and a customizable infrastructure from the Institute for Performance Excellence to better support organizations across the many states it serves.
We also introduced new digital assessment and benchmarking capabilities, including the U.S. and Global Quality Benchmarking Initiative, to help leaders better understand organizational performance, identify priorities, and track progress over time. We invite organizations to participate in this important initiative. In addition, our team developed eight AI-driven organizational assessment tools available to Institute members, designed to meet organizations where they are on their maturity journey and provide practical insight without added complexity. Both of these programs were made possible through the donation of time and talent from Jordan Johnson Inc. and Beyond Feedback.
At the same time, we continued to expand individual and organizational membership pathways, extending access to education, assessments, and curated resources through the Institute for Performance Excellence. The Institute now offers:
- Individual Membership Program
- Intentional Leader Network
- Higher Education Membership Program
- Organizational Memberships (Silver, Gold, and Platinum)
- International Membership Program
These pathways reinforce a central idea: Baldrige is not a destination. It is a disciplined, ongoing pursuit of better performance. We believe that the Institute for Performance Excellence is the vehicle by which we will deliver these tools and resources to organizations and communities around the world. For those of you who know me personally, you have heard that last statement many times.
Governance, Leadership, and Continuity
Strong governance underpins everything we do. In 2025, the Board of Directors, chaired by Kay Eggleston, President of Dallas College - Richland Campus, provided steady oversight and supported the organization through a period of national transition and growth.
In April of 2025, we thanked Al Faber, President Emeritus of the Baldrige Foundation, as he entered into retirement after his many years of successful and important service.
I was appointed to the role of President and CEO on April 1st, 2025, and it has been an honor to serve. I am very excited about the direction of the Baldrige Foundation, our future capabilities, and the impact that Baldrige can have on the world. It is truly a remarkable opportunity, and I am blessed to work with an amazing team.
In the spring of 2025, we were proud to appoint Kevin Lee, President and CEO of Mid-America Transplant, to the Board of Directors. Kevin serves as Board Secretary and Chair of the President’s Council for Performance Excellence, one of our newest subcommittees. The Council brings together leaders from around the world to help advance the Baldrige mission and strengthen its reach and impact.
At the Quest for Excellence® Conference, we had our annual reception for Mac Baldrige Society members who also serve as Trustees of the Institute for Performance Excellence. Their ongoing support of the Baldrige Foundation and specifically the work that is driving the Institute for Performance Excellence is critical, and we thank them for that commitment. Additional information about the Mac Baldrige Society can be found here.
Throughout the year, ethical stewardship, transparency, and long-term sustainability guided our decisions. We once again achieved platinum transparency status from Guidestar and are committed to these efforts to help demonstrate accountability to our donors. This rating puts the Baldrige Foundation in the top 0.1% of charities nationally in terms of transparency.
In the second half of 2025, the Board launched a “Redefining Who We Are” initiative. Using a Baldrige lens, we revisited our purpose, values, vision, and mission in light of our expanded stewardship responsibilities under the new Department of Commerce agreement and the continued growth of the Institute for Performance Excellence. Core to our values is a focus on being better tomorrow than we are today! I am proud to share the result of our work here.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As I look back on 2025, it is clear that 2025 was a year of preparation and alignment. The work completed this year positions the Baldrige Foundation for greater impact in 2026 and beyond. We are especially focused on supporting economic development efforts across the country, efforts that strengthen organizations, improve leadership capability, reduce unemployment, and contribute to healthier local, state, and national economies. Baldrige has a role to play in that work, and we are committed to making its tools and principles accessible where they are needed most. For every business in every community, no matter its size or sector. This is our goal, and we will accomplish this goal with support from key partners across the world.
In 2026, we are excited to host the Quest for Excellence® Conference and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Ceremony. These leaders will be among the best in the world, and we cannot wait to learn from them. We invite you to join us at this inspiring event!
It is important to understand that excellence is not a moment. It is a discipline rooted in systems. In 2025, we invested in the systems, leaders, and infrastructure needed to sustain that discipline nationwide. I would especially like to thank Jerry Rees, COO of the Baldrige Foundation, for his contributions in these areas. In 2026, we will continue advancing our mission, grounded in our purpose, alongside partners who believe in using Baldrige to make a measurable difference.
Thank you for your leadership, your partnership, and your commitment to excellence. Your support has been inspiring, and we hope that all of you will join us in the Pledge for Excellence!
Sincerely,
President & CEO
Baldrige Foundation
