SDDOT Earns Performance Excellence Network (PEN) Excellence Award
The Performance Excellence Network (PEN), a regional Baldrige-based program serving South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota, recently recognized 18 recipients across multiple organizations with 2025 Performance Excellence Awards at the annual conference. The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) was one of the recipients; and the only organization to earn the Excellence Award designation – the highest recognition level awarded by PEN.
The PEN Performance Excellence Award is presented at five levels: Commitment, Engagement, Advancement, Achievement, and Excellence. The PEN Performance Awards are based on the Baldrige Framework and reflect a rigorous, independent evaluation of an organization’s leadership, strategy, customers, measurement and knowledge management, workforce, and operations. The process includes an in-depth review by trained examiners and detailed feedback to help organizations strengthen and improve results over time.
“This year’s recognition includes a rare Excellence-level Award, the highest level in the program, awarded for the first time since 2018,” said Amy Czechowicz, President and CEO of the Performance Excellence Network. “The South Dakota Department of Transportation has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to continuous process improvement and performance excellence throughout its journey and is very deserving of earning the Excellence Award honor.”
The PEN evaluation examines organizational processes in key areas including leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, workforce engagement, and operations. A key component of the process is employee involvement at all levels.
Joel Jundt, SDDOT Cabinet Secretary, accepted the award noting, “With staff working across divisions, regions, and programs, having a shared framework ensures our work connects to our strategic goals and that we operate as one coordinated organization. It also reinforces a culture of continuous improvement, where we are always evaluating how we can better serve the traveling public.”
Find additional remarks from Secretary Jundt here. Learn more about PEN and the recognition awards at https://tinyurl.com/5dnmjrb6.
The true value of participating in PEN:
The value of the PEN assessment process goes far beyond recognition. For SDDOT, participating in PEN is an opportunity to step back, take an objective look at how we operate, and understand both where we excel and where we can grow. This outside perspective helps us focus our efforts on what truly matters and make data‑driven decisions that strengthen our organization.
PEN also helps bring our statewide teams into closer alignment. With staff working across divisions, regions, and programs, having a shared framework ensures that our work connects to our strategic goals and that we function as one coordinated organization. The process also reinforces a culture of continuous improvement.
One of the most meaningful parts of the assessment is the involvement of our employees. Staff at every level contribute insights, share their experiences, and help identify opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed. Their input not only strengthens the assessment but deepens ownership in shaping SDDOT’s future.
Ultimately, PEN helps us deliver safer, more reliable, and more efficient transportation services. It’s not about the award—it’s about continually getting better for the people of South Dakota.
