August 5, 2026

A Fellowship of Leaders: The Lasting Impact of the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program

byBaldrige Foundation

Baldrige Executive Fellows Program Overview showing sketched cities in the background.

The Value of the Fellowship—Straight from Alumni

As recruiting begins for the next cohort of Baldrige Executive Fellows (approaching its 17th year!), we asked alumni about the value they received from the program.

Two of the biggest values cited were the camaraderie of the peer group of fellows and the Baldrige Award recipient organizations that the Fellows visited.

Transferable Principles Behind High-Performing Organizations.

Visiting high-performing organizations across industries and across the country offered invaluable insights into performance excellence. One of the program's most powerful takeaways is realizing that the principles behind exceptional organizations are remarkably transferable. Whether in health care, education, manufacturing, or the nonprofit sector, the highest-performing organizations share a deep commitment to their core values.

Peer Group of Impactful Leaders.

But the most lasting impact came from the fellowship cohort itself. Learning how Baldrige Executive Fellows leaders arrived at their roles, collaborating with them throughout the year, and watching the impact they've continued to make long after the program ended has been both inspiring and humbling.

Baldrige Executive Fellows Alumnus
Doug Patton
Associate Dean, Southwest Campus
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Baldrige Executive Fellow, 2012

How They Achieved Success.

The aspect of the program that impressed me the most was visiting all of those high-performing organizations and learning how they achieved that success. The cohort experience allowed me to see how different leaders with different challenges approached their capstone projects and how they achieved success.

How to Apply Baldrige Principles.

I learned so much about how to apply the Baldrige principles to quality improvement. My capstone project really helped the structure of the leadership be more disciplined and strategic in the way they went about change. I still apply Baldrige principles to the class I teach using the things I learned visiting those great institutions to how they approach their learning journeys. I am thankful for the opportunity given to me and use what I was taught to this day.

Baldrige Executive Fellows Alumnus
David Condoluci
Clinical Professor, Medical Education & Scholarship
Rowan University
Baldrige Executive Fellow, 2018

Learning from Leaders Across Sectors.

One of the things I enjoyed most was spending time with leaders from completely different industries. As health care leaders, we can become pretty insulated in how we think about problems because our world is so unique. It was refreshing to hear how people in manufacturing, education, government, and other sectors approached many of the same leadership challenges from a completely different perspective. I came away with far more ideas than I expected.

Baldrige Executive Fellows Alumnus
Neil Roy
Chief Medical Officer
Adventist Healthcare, Shady Grove Medical Center
Baldrige Executive Fellow, 2024

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