July 30, 2026

From Framework to Practice: Candidates Sought for the 2027 Baldrige Executive Fellows Program

byBaldrige Foundation

Business Executive hovering his finger over Leadership Development words.

Hands-On Leadership Development

Applications are now being accepted for the next cohort of the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, a one-year executive leadership development experience designed to foster meaningful dialogue on the principles of visionary leadership, strategic thinking, operational excellence, customer and workforce engagement, and organizational sustainability. The program is intended for executives and accomplished or rising senior leaders seeking to strengthen their leadership capabilities and organizational impact.

Join a Community of Visionary Leaders
Throughout the program, Fellows will participate in facilitated visits to Baldrige Award recipient organizations across the country. Each visit explores specific elements of the Baldrige Excellence Framework, providing an in-depth look at leadership challenges, innovative practices, and high-performing organizational systems.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes tours—that have ranged from manufacturing facilities and hospitals to hotels, innovation centers, and major municipal infrastructure projects—offer Fellows firsthand exposure to proven best practices and practical ideas they can adapt within their own organizations.

During the year-long experience, Fellows receive real-time coaching from experienced executives while building lasting relationships with senior leaders from Baldrige Award recipient organizations. In a confidential, peer-learning environment, participants openly exchange ideas, discuss leadership challenges across industries and sectors, and gain valuable perspectives to help address strategic opportunities and organizational challenges within their own organizations.

Learn More
Discover how the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program can help you elevate your leadership and advance your organization's performance. You can also hear directly from past participants by exploring interviews with Fellows alumni and learning how the experience has influenced their leadership journeys.

Information about the 2027–2028 application process, important program dates, tuition, and what is included is available online. The program begins in March 2027 at the 38th Quest for Excellence® Conference.

Share This Opportunity
Please share this announcement with executives and senior leaders who would benefit from an immersive leadership development experience and a unique peer-learning community.

Contact
For additional information, please contact Dawn Bailey.

Apply Today!

Alumni Listing
View current and alumni Baldrige Executive Fellows.
#BaldrigeFellow

Alumni Capstone Interviews
View interviews with former Fellows discussing their personal experiences and capstone projects.

Alumni Spotlight
Jo Ann Jenkins
CEO, AARP
Baldrige Executive Fellow, 2012
AARP’s CEO Talks about Leadership (and the Value of Baldrige)

Jo Ann Jenkins was recognized by Fortune magazine this year as one of the world’s greatest leaders. Undoubtedly, members of her cohort of Baldrige Executive Fellows who gained new insights from learning from and with Jenkins were pleased for her (and not surprised). As Jenkins shared recently, “My interactions with other Baldrige Fellows have consistently been enlightening, inspiring, and illuminating.” Read More

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Baldrige Excellence Framework

Overview: Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee

The Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee is a formally convened body of recognized experts, recipients, examiners, and sector representatives charged with maintaining the technical integrity, precision, and consistency of the Baldrige Excellence Framework as a globally recognized standard of excellence.

Operating under the authority of the Baldrige Foundation Board of Directors, and with the approval of the U.S. Department of Commerce, this Advisory Committee, guided by its Chair, ensures that the Framework continues to reflect the highest standards of systems thinking, organizational assessment, and performance excellence, which will allow organizations and communities to improve their performance, achieve results, and sustain excellence.

The Committee’s purpose is to:

Preserve and validate the technical accuracy of the Framework’s concepts, criteria, and structure.
Advise the Foundation on proposed revisions, updates, cross-sector adaptations, and the development of additional tools and resources.
Ensure consistency across versions and sectors, maintaining the Framework’s unity, integration, and interpretive reliability.
Provide expert recommendations regarding emerging practices, data requirements, and alignment with related industry-recognized standards.
Safeguard the integrity of the Baldrige model as a trusted national and global standard.
Partner with others in the Baldrige ecosystem to coordinate a relationship between the Baldrige Excellence Framework and the Baldrige Award Criteria that is based on consistency, logic, and harmony to benefit user groups such as Applicants.

Membership in the Committee represents a professional distinction and reflects deep expertise in applying, teaching, or advancing the Baldrige Excellence Framework. Members serve as the technical stewards of the nation’s standard for organizational excellence. The term of a committee member is one (1) year and is renewable by invitation only.

Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee Listing

Data Table
Role	Name	Title	Company
Chair	Denise Shields	Board Chair	California Council for Excellence
Officer / Ex-Officio	Josh Racette	President & CEO	Baldrige Foundation
Member	Dawn Bailey	Program Manager / Senior Technical Writer and Editor	Baldrige Executive Fellows Program / Forensic Building Science, Inc.
Member	Margot Hoffman	President & CEO / Board Chair	The Partnership for Excellence / Alliance for Performance Excellence
Member	Jan Johnson	President & CEO	Jordan Johnson, Inc.
Member	Cindy Milrany	Chief Strategy Officer/Chief Administrative Officer	Freese & Nichols
Member	Urvi Patel	Senior Director - Quality and Programs	American Health Care Association
Member	JoAnn Sternke	Founder	Leader Excellence
Committee Advisor	Bob Fangmeyer	Program Director	Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
Committee Advisor	Harry Hertz	Director Emeritus - retired	Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
Committee Advisor	Brian Lassiter	President & CEO	Alliance for Performance Excellence

We are Building a Legacy of Excellence

Help us provide inspiration to the thousands of organizations in manufacturing, health care, education, communities, and government that are using the Baldrige Framework to create jobs and strengthen the economy, increase the quality and access to health care, and improve K-12 and higher education as we navigate these challenging times.

Learn More