The Staff
TNCPE has a permanent team of executive and support staff based in Nashville. The staff’s role is to manage all TNCPE activities and coordinate the various groups of people integral to fulfilling TNCPE’s mission.
 |
Kathryn S. (Katie) Rawls is president and CEO of the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence. A passionate proponent of the quest for excellence in all areas of operation, Katie’s career has been marked by key leadership positions in higher education, public power and the professional service industry. She is widely recognized for her skills in developing teamwork and facilitating consensus. She has put these skills into play as vice president of economic development for the Tennessee Valley Authority, as chief of staff to the president of Fisk University and director of marketing for Atlanta-based Deloitte & Touche, among other notable career highlights. Katie graduated from Vanderbilt University. She holds a Master’s degree in special education from George Peabody College and an MBA in marketing from Georgia State University.
|
 |
Sue Alexander is the manager of administration for the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence and has been with the organization since moving to Nashville in 2000. She is responsible for day-to-day operations, including logistics for the annual Excellence Awards Banquet and Conference. In addition, she served on the 2001 Board of Examiners. Prior to joining TNCPE, Sue held similar positions with the JCPenney home office in Dallas, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and the YMCA of the Pike’s Peak Region in Colorado Springs, Colo. Sue earned a Bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky.
|
 |
Jim Ford provides Baldrige-based training, guidance and technical support to the Tennessee Division of Adult Education, adult education programs and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. In addition, he helps TNCPE improve its applicant/customer training processes, develops programming for the TNCPE/Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Three Star Program partnership and assists with examiner training.
Jim began teaching while he served in the US Air Force and Air National Guard (ANG), where he was an academic instructor. He taught at the ANG Professional Military Education Center, ANG Quality Center (teaching Total Quality Management courses), and the Air University. He served as the quality advisor for the 134th Air Refueling Wing in Knoxville. In addition, Jim worked as a federal and state criminal defense investigator for 17 years in New Jersey and developed national defense investigation training programs.
|
|
