September 1, 2026

Baldrige Foundation Welcomes New Chief Operating Officer and Director, Institute for Performance Excellence

byBaldrige Foundation

The Baldrige Foundation is pleased to welcome Paul McAllister and Angela Richardson to its leadership team, bringing new energy, expertise, and a shared commitment to advancing performance excellence.

Paul McAllister
Chief Operating Officer

Paul brings 39 years of leadership, organizational development, training, and operational experience to the Baldrige Foundation. A retired U.S. Army Colonel, he led complex organizations and programs focused on performance excellence, strategic planning, workforce development, and operational readiness.

For the last 13 years, he managed and executed more than 800 training events, coordinated efforts among diverse organizations and stakeholders, and advised senior leaders on strategy, organizational effectiveness, and continuous improvement.

He holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College and a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Rio Grande College.

McAllister is passionate about developing high-performing organizations, strengthening leaders, and helping organizations achieve sustainable excellence. Paul was on several Army Community of Excellence national winning organizations as champion for Category 1 (Strategic Planning) and 2 (Leadership).

Paul is replacing Jerry Rees, who has been the Chief Operating Officer for eleven years. Jerry will assume the role of Director of Finance.

Angela Richardson, CAE
Director, Institute for Performance Excellence

Angela is an association executive and strategist with more than 20 years of experience leading organizations, working with boards and senior executives, and turning strategy into action.

Her career spans association, corporate, and nonprofit environments, where she has served as an Executive Director, led executive communities for Fortune 1000 leaders, managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, and guided membership, revenue, governance, and program strategy.

She holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential.

Angela holds a Master of Science in Management, a Maser of Arts in Human Services from Liberty University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wheaton College.

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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.

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