Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recognition - Paul Steel

My Baldrige experience began as a member of the first Baldrige Board of Examiners in 1988 and continues today. I recently enjoyed the opportunity to repay in part my friend Dr. Curt Reimann who served as the founding Director ('Father') of the Baldrige Award for the invaluable confidence, support, and encouragement he gave me by inviting him to join me on a special high-profile Baldrige project in the Middle East as shown in this photo:

  2008 Dr. Curt Reimann First Baldrige Quality Award Director with Paul Steel, Lori Kirkland and Roy Bauer

I first met Dr. Curt Reimann when I participated as a member of the first Baldrige Board of Examiners in 1988. This 1988 photo shows our class on the doorsteps of the main entrance to NIST:

1988 Original Baldrige Board of Examiners with Dr. Curt Reimann and Paul Steel

A very special and pivotal moment in my career occurred in 1988 when I received my first Baldrige Examiner Certificate from Dr. Curt Reimann. My life as a consultant would never be the same:

1988 Dr. Curt Reimann, Baldrige Award Program Director and Paul Steel

One of the perks related to being an original 1988 Board of Examiners member was the invitation from President Ronald Reagan to join him at the White House for the award ceremony. Other perks included sitting next to Dr. Joseph Juran on the bus taking us to the White House and having Phillip Crosby come up to me to make small talk while waiting inside the White House for the festivities to begin. Dr. Armand Feigenbaum and Dr. W. Edwards Deming were there too but I had already worked with them for seven years by that time.

 1988 President Ronald Reagan White House Invitation to Paul Steel for first Baldrige Award Ceremony

The Baldrige Board of Examiners did not have many members in the early years. One advantage of this was that the Secretary of Commerce had time for individual photographs. In the case of Commerce Secretary Verity, he took the time to write a personal note on the photo with him before sending it to you. Click to enlarge the photograph and read his note:

1988 C. William Verity Jr., US Secretary of Commerce with Paul Steel

1989 Robert Mosbacher, US Secretary of Commerce and Paul Steel

It was not just the Secretary of Commerce who honored you individually in the early days but also top corporate executives. In 1988 and 1989, Robert Galvin of Motorola sent me a appreciation note:

1989 Robert W. Galvin, Motorola Chairman of the Board, letter of appreciation to Paul Steel

I first became a Baldrige Senior Examiner in 1989. This photo shows Dr. Curt Reimann presenting me with my 1991 Senior Examiner Certificate:

1991 Dr. Curt Reimann, Baldrige Award Program Director and Paul Steel

Serving as a Baldrige Examiner is all about volunteering your time to contribute to improvement in the competitiveness of your nation, state, region, or locality. It would have been easy to not serve as a founding member of the Washington State Quality Award (WSQA), because of the tremendous success I was enjoying internationally due to my national role, but I couldn't resist. I served as a Judge, Examiner trainer, and member of the Board of Directors for several years. However, the recognition I am most proud of was being selected by my WSQA colleagues as Volunteer of the Year in 1997. Note: Actually, it is Rene Ewing who most deserves the distinction of starting the WSQA.

1997 Washington State Quality Award (WSQA) Volunteer of the Year Award - Paul Steel

In the late nineties, the Baldrige Alumni Examiner Program was established. I was invited to participate in the pilot program and in 1998 I was welcomed by Dr. Harry Hertz when I arrived at NIST. Dr. Hertz has continued to show his appreciation for my Examiner services and makes me feel valued in many ways as he does for all Examiners:

1998   2007    2008     Dr. Harry Hertz, Baldrige Quality Award Program Director and Paul Steel

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