Washington, D.C. — The Baldrige Foundation today announced the establishment of the Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee, a formally convened advisory body responsible for maintaining the technical integrity, precision, and consistency of the Baldrige Excellence Framework®. Operating under the authority of the Baldrige Foundation Board of Directors, and as a part of a larger memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the Committee is composed of nationally recognized experts, Award recipients, examiners, and sector leaders who serve as technical stewards of the nation’s standard for organizational excellence.
The Committee is responsible for preserving the accuracy of the Framework’s concepts and structure; advising the Foundation on proposed revisions, updates, and cross-sector adaptations; ensuring consistency across versions and sectors; and providing expert recommendations on emerging practices, data requirements, and alignment with related national and international standards. In addition, the Committee will assist in strengthening the long-term coherence between the Baldrige Excellence Framework and the Baldrige Award Criteria to support applicants and all user groups across the ecosystem.
Denise Shields, current Chair of the Board of Directors for the California Council for Excellence, a long-standing leader in the Baldrige community, has been appointed Chair of the Committee. Members serve one-year renewable terms by invitation and represent deep professional distinction and expertise in applying, teaching, or advancing the Baldrige Excellence Framework.
“The Baldrige Excellence Framework® is one of the most trusted and enduring systems of organizational improvement in the United States,” said Josh Racette, President and CEO of the Baldrige Foundation. “As the Baldrige ecosystem enters a new era of private-sector leadership, it is essential that we preserve its technical rigor and protect the integrity of the model for future generations. The formation of the Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee ensures that we are building on the foundation laid since the Reagan Administration while strengthening America’s competitiveness today. This Committee will help safeguard the Framework as the national and global standard for organizational excellence.”
Denise Shields emphasized the importance of this work for the entire Baldrige community. “For decades, the Baldrige Excellence Framework® has helped organizations achieve clarity, consistency, and meaningful results. This Committee brings together some of the most experienced voices in the Baldrige community to ensure that the Framework remains technically sound, future-ready, and aligned with the needs of all sectors. I am honored to serve as Chair and to support the continued evolution of this globally respected standard.”
With the creation of the Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee, the Foundation is reinforcing its commitment to further developing and innovating America’s most trusted performance excellence framework and ensuring its continued relevance, rigor, and impact for organizations and communities across the country and around the world.
Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee Inaugural Roster
Chair
- Denise Shields (Board Chair / California Council for Excellence)
Officer / Ex-Officio
- Josh Racette (President & CEO / Baldrige Foundation)
Members
- Dawn Bailey (Program Director / Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, Senior Technical Writer and Editor / Forensic Building Science)
- Margot Hoffman (President & CEO / The Partnership for Excellence, Board Chair / Alliance for Performance Excellence)
- Jan Johnson (President & CEO / Jordan Johnson, Inc.)
- Cindy Milrany (Chief Strategy Officer/Chief Administrative Officer / Freese & Nichols)
- Urvi Patel (Senior Director-Quality and Programs / American Health Care Association)
- JoAnn Sternke (Founder / Leader Excellence)
Committee Advisors
- Bob Fangmeyer (Program Director / Baldrige Performance Excellence Program)
- Harry Hertz (Director Emeritus-Retired / Baldrige Performance Excellence Program)
- Brian Lassiter (President & CEO / Alliance for Performance Excellence)
To access the Baldrige Excellence Framework®, click here!
About the Baldrige Foundation
The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award exists to strengthen the competitiveness of organizations and improve community well-being through performance excellence. Guided by core values of visionary leadership, customer-focused excellence, valuing people, innovation, integrity, and partnership, the Foundation, through its Institute for Performance Excellence, equips leaders and organizations worldwide with knowledge, tools, recognition programs, and systems that drive improvement and results. Its long-term vision is a world where excellence is the expectation, and the Baldrige Excellence Framework® stands as the global standard for organizational performance excellence and leadership.
Media Contact:
Communications Office
Baldrige Foundation
