Commerce Secretary John Bryson Remarks at Baldrige Performance Excellence Awards Thank you, Debbie [Collard]. And thank you for your leadership of the Baldrige Foundation, which is crucial to supporting this important program.
I want to recognize a few people: Malcolm Hollensteiner, who is Malcolm Baldrige’s nephew is with us tonight. Thank you. From Congress, it’s an honor to have Congresswoman Kay Granger of Texas. I also see Debbie Dingell, wife of Congressman John Dingell. I also see staff from other Michigan Congressional offices who are here to support Henry Ford Health System. And I’m sure there are others. Welcome.
I want to thank a number of people: High-caliber volunteers are central to this program. This includes the Board of Overseers who provide policy guidance and the Panel of Judges who recommend award winners. It also includes the experts on the Board of Examiners. Thank you all.
I also want to thank Undersecretary Gallagher and everyone at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST does a great job coordinating all of the moving pieces that made this ceremony possible. Let’s give them a round of applause.
And of course, I want to congratulate the people whose hard work and dedication to excellence have brought us together. Let’s applaud all of the recipients of the 2010 and 2011 Baldrige National Quality Awards.
As you might know, Malcolm Baldrige was the 26th Secretary of Commerce. If you have ever been by the Secretary’s suite on the 5th floor of the Commerce Department, you can walk down the hall and see portraits of former Commerce Secretaries.
Most of them are stodgy men in navy or black suits. They’re all very serious-looking. I will probably end up having one like that myself. But you stop immediately when you come across the portrait of “Mac” Baldridge. Unlike the others, it’s a colorful collage of images. In one corner you can see his boot with a spur. Near the bottom you can see him in his cowboy hat.
And I thought to myself: "Only in America would you find something like this." So I wasn’t surprised to learn that keeping America number one was what Mac was all about. The 1980s–when he served as Secretary–was the first time that foreign companies were starting to give us some real competition. So, Mac pushed our government and our private sector to increase our commitment to quality, performance, and innovation.
Because of his unrelenting commitment to those ideals, Congress named these awards in his honor. I think that if Mac were here today, he’d be proud. This is our biggest ceremony since the program started in 1988. I’m pleased to now recognize 11 new Baldrige Award recipients.
When I call your organization’s name, please stand.
Thank you all for taking on the exciting challenge of competing for a Baldrige award. And again, congratulations on your awards.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
