Excellence in Tennessee Conference and Awards Banquet 

Website | Baldrige Award Winner Profile

Lee Butler, a Michigan native, has lived in New Mexico most of his life. A 1976 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University, he started his career at Spartan Technology. Lee then worked at Honeywell Defense Avionics for 20 years where he gained his experience in Finance, Manufacturing, Program Management, Customer Advocacy and Quality Management. In 1995, Lee was instrumental in Honeywell earning the first Zia Award (Baldrige based) ever awarded in the State of New Mexico. 

In 2001, Lee started his new career with Don Chalmers Ford where his focus was on continued customer loyalty while instituting a high performance quality management system based on the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.  In 2016, after a 15-year journey, they were awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. 

Wednesday Opening Keynote Driving Forward with Systematic Leadership

Breakout B3 Building Lifelong Friendships… One Customer at a Time

Breakout D2 Operations: Increasing the Probability of Success with a Systems & Process Focus

Chris Beaulieu is the Executive Director of Global Operations for Cummins Business Services, a position she has held since December 2014.  Prior to that she has held a variety of roles at Cummins including quality champion and Six Sigma master black belt during her career of over 27 years.  

As leader of global operations, Chris has worked with her team to bring value stream mapping, operations and quality excellence from her plant operations experience to the office environment. Responsibilities include delivery of shared services from IT, HR and Accounting to the 55,000+ employees globally at Cummins.  She has served on the TNCPE board of examiners and currently serves as a member on the Board of Directors and chairs the Finance and Long Range Planning Committee.  

Chris has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Tennessee Tech University.  

Breakout A3: From the Shop Floor to the Board Room: Value Stream Transformation

 

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In 2016-17, his seventh season in Smashville, Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena President & Chief Executive Officer and Alternate Governor Sean Henry proudly watched the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena complete their most successful season to date. Led by the passion and dedication of the greatest staff in all of sports, the franchise sold out all regular and playoff home games and the Western Conference Champion Predators made it to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. As the season ended, it was estimated that during the four rounds, close to $2.7 million was generated for the city through ticket, merchandise and concessions sales taxes; the overall economic impact from a record 11 home playoff games was over $50 million. 

Beyond the tangible financial impact on the community, the excitement and enthusiasm generated within Smashville leading up to and throughout the Stanley Cup, was truly immeasurable. What Henry, and the entire organization, is extremely proud of though is the impact the Nashville Predators Foundation made during this time.  Over the four playoff rounds, the Nashville Predators Foundation collectively raised $200,000 which included Auctions, Smash Car and game night sales.  By leveraging Smashville’s passion and support for the team, the Preds enter their 20^th season after once again setting a franchise high in contributions and entities touched by the Foundation.

The Nashville Predators experienced their first glimpse into the power the team held to make a significant impact in the local economy during the 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend. The city of Nashville, its businesses and residents came together to create an incredible, unforgettable weekend celebration of concerts and activities that saw almost 60,000 attendees. Over $20 million in economic impact was estimated during the showcase, with over 5,000 hotel rooms occupied. As the most watched and highest rated All-Star Game in NBC’s history, it was also the most successful and interactive All-Star Celebration in League history.

Economic impact is a tangible example of the strong public-private partnership the Nashville Predators have with the Nashville Metro Government. In Ford Ice Center’s second year, the venue once again consistently capped out ice usage, reminding the Smashville community of the need for ice. After seeing this need, a recent development was born; the One Bellevue Place ice rink, which will break ground in 2017. This rink was created through the need for more ice in Middle Tennessee and the passion our community has to grow the sport of hockey, made possible through the dedication Metro has to the sports community and how it positively impacts families all across the region. 

During the summer of 2017, Henry and his talented and revolutionary operations team led Bridgestone Arena through another wave of multi-million-dollar upgrades including a new locker room, a luxury media and crew catering space, the addition of another premium seat location and enhancements in concession areas and restrooms. In his seven years with the Predators and Bridgestone Arena, Henry has overseen more than $60 million in upgrades, improvements and renovations – all a part of the organization’s plan to make the Bridgestone Arena experience for every guest, player, performer, musician, fan and employee that walks through its doors the best it possibly can be.

For Henry, on par with every seat filled, every renovation finished and every ticket sold, is the organization’s commitment to the city of Nashville through the Nashville Predators Foundation and the Nashville Predators Youth Hockey programs. The Foundation’s grants and programs funded more than $1 million in programs and donations to over 400 local organization in the 2016-17 season and the organization’s Hearts of Gold program infused the area with more than 6,000 community service hours donated by employees, players and staff, all of which create a special workplace environment while also changing lives throughout Middle Tennessee. Henry played a vital role in the organization’s decision to commit $500,000 over the course of five years to AMEND, an innovative YWCA primary prevention initiative dedicated to ending violence against women and girls in our community. Starting in the 2016-17 season, the Nashville Predators contributed $100,000 to their commitment.  

Henry was born a Nashvillian, although it took him 42 years to get here. Before leading his favorite staff in Smashville, he served for 11 years as the Executive Vice President and COO of the Tampa Bay Lightning, two years as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Unity Motion and 14 years with Volume Services Inc., where he worked with the Detroit Pistons, St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins.

Though much of his time is spent moving the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena towards its ONE GOAL alongside tireless and passionate Smashville employees, Henry is grateful for each day he has the opportunity to serve on the boards of the Nashville Predators Foundation, YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Nashville Downtown Partnership, Nashville Sports Council, Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and stay involved (along with his wife) in his children’s schools, sports teams and clubs. 

What Henry is most proud of, is the organization’s consistency in continuously making strides to reach its One Goal of becoming the number one sports and entertainment venue in the United States with its centerpiece as the Stanley Cup Champion Nashville Predators hockey team. As the organization grows, its fanbase and economic impact in the community grow alongside it. The Nashville Predators are proud to be recognized year after year by its outstanding venue, dedicated staff, tireless community outreach and city efforts, and envied workplace culture through international and national publications and awards. Henry is honored to work for a company that consistently sets pace and makes historic achievements while doing so.

Despite the numerous titles and accolades Henry has achieved in his professional career, his reigning Father of the Year Award is one that has no equal and one that would not be possible without the support of his wife of 26 years Tracey Manning (a.k.a. the Suburban Diva) or his four children – Steven, Matthew, Amy and Jessica. How Henry managed to win Father of the Year despite his constant attempts to recreate National Lampoon’s Vacation and repeated stories (all normally captured in the Diva’s writings), is perhaps his greatest achievement.  

Wednesday Luncheon Keynote The Culture of Teamwork 

Website | Baldrige Award Winner Profile

Leslie Blevins is the Customer Relations Representative at Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES) where she is responsible for company publications, marketing and advertising, as well as the organization’s quality and award program. She graduated from ETSU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and was a recipient of the Tri-Cities 40 Under Forty award in 2012. She is the President of the Rotary Club of Tri-Cities and serves as the Public Image Chair for Rotary District 7570. Leslie is a senior examiner with TNCPE and has eight years of experience with the program. Leslie received the TNCPE Champion of Excellence award in 2017. At BTES, Leslie is a member of the Baldrige Team that worked together with the entire organization to receive the TNCPE Excellence Award in 2012 and the National Baldrige Quality Award in 2017. Leslie and her husband, Jordan, have been together for 12 years and they have one son, Oakley.

Breakout D1 Baldrige Power! How an East Tennessee Utility Company Became a National Role Model

Website | Baldrige Award Winner Profile

Patricia A Skriba, MSEd Pattie joined Advocate Health Care in 1992 and currently is the VP of Business Excellence at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, a 300-bed acute care hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois. In her role Pattie oversees the Operations Improvement (LEAN) function and facilitates the integration of the Baldrige criteria into business operations. Pattie’s leadership played a key role in Advocate Good Samaritan’s recognition as a 2010 Malcolm Baldrige Award Recipient. Pattie holds a BA from Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL), an MSEd from Northern Illinois University. She is also an Illinois Baldrige Judge with Illinois Performance Excellence (ILPEx). Pattie is known for her energy, innovation, and results-orientation. She enjoys biking, travel and the out of doors.

Luncheon Keynote Creating a Different Future Through the Pursuit of Performance Excellence

Breakout A2 Becoming a More Process-Honoring Culture: The Road Less Traveled

 

Website | Baldrige Award Winner Profile

Michael Browder has served as CEO of Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES) since 1977. He earned a Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Organizational Culture: How Changes Impact Attitudes Toward Job Satisfaction, (Doctoral dissertation), a Master of Administrative Science degree from the University of Alabama Huntsville and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from Auburn University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in both Tennessee and Alabama. 

Under Browder’s leadership, BTES expanded their product offerings in 2005 to add cable and Internet services and again in 2006 to add telephone services. BTES now offers the fastest Internet available in the United States with 10 Gigabits of service available to its customers. Additionally, BTES received the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) Level 4 Excellence Award in 1994 and 2012.

Browder is the 2010 recipient of the TNCPE Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award and served on TNCPE’s Board of Directors from 1997-2009. He is also the 2013 recipient of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2015 Award of Honor from the ETSU National Alumni Association.

In addition to being a past chairman for the American Public Power Association (APPA), Browder served as a board member for nine years and was part of the Executive Director Search Committee that hired the previous CEO. Since 2003, he has served on the Nominations and Awards Committee which nominates all board members and officers of APPA. To honor his longtime commitment to the enhancement of the electric power industry, Browder has received several awards from APPA including the James D Donovan Individual Achievement Award, the Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award and the Alex Radin Distinguished Service Award. 

Browder works closely with the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association and is active on several committees. Most notable is the Rates and Contracts Committee, where he has been a Chair since 1990. The committee works closely with the Tennessee Valley Authority to keep electric rates low for the valley customers. He has served on their Board of Directors several times since 1989. 

Locally, Browder is very active in his community. He is a past Chairman of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and has served on various committees for the Chamber. He is a past Chairman of the Board for Bristol Regional Medical Center (Wellmont) and helped to bring to fruition a new $111 million hospital serving as the Chairman of the Building Committee from the design phase through moving into the new facility. Browder served on the United Way of Bristol Board of Directors from 1977 until 2008. He served two terms as President as well as on other committees. He led their annual campaign as Campaign Chairman in 1979 and later went on to receive their Outstanding Volunteer Award in 1991. He has served on several boards for local schools including Bristol Tennessee School System, East Tennessee State University, King University and Northeast State Community College. 

Browder has been a member of the Rotary Club of Bristol VA-TN since 1973. Offices he has held include President, Assistant Governor and District Membership Chairman. He is proud to have sponsored over 90 members into Rotary.

He and his wife, Linda, are very active in their church. Browder currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Deacons. He has previously served as Chairman of the Personnel Committee, Finance Committee and Pipe Organ Design, Fundraising and Purchasing Committee, as well as the Board of Administration. He has also been a Sunday School Teacher. Together he and Linda have three children and six grandchildren. 

Breakout D1 Baldrige Power! How an East Tennessee Utility Company Became a National Role Model

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William Burton joined Duke University Hospital in 1993 and has led the development of the Performance Services Office for Duke University Health System.  Performance Services is a diverse group of engineers, analysts and nurses dedicated to the measurement, monitoring and improvement of organizational performance.  Prior to joining Duke University Hospital, Bill worked with Premier as a Management Engineering Consultant supporting hospitals in North and South Carolina.

Bill has spoken at both national and international forums on a variety of topics including Six Sigma, the Balanced Scorecard and Performance Management.  He organized and delivered an educational program on Performance Excellence in the fall of 2014 for the Singapore Ministry of Health, and was the lead instructor for a Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Leadership course, Health Care Operations: Perspectives for Continuous Improvement, which was offered in the Duke Division of Community Health.

Bill received his B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University.  He is a certified six sigma black belt, a member of the 2017, 2016, and 2015 Baldrige Board of Examiners, and was awarded the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award by the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering from North Carolina State University.  

Breakout B1 Master Categories 2 and 4 - Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management Strategy​

Haley Colvin, MA, RD, LDN, CLC, Registered Dietitian for the Tennessee Department of Health since 2008, received her undergraduate degree in Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management from the University of Alabama in 2007 and Master of Arts in Health Studies in 2012. She became a member of the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence Board of Examiners in 2013 and the Tennessee Department of Health’s Baldrige Advisory Group in 2014. With a firm grasp on Baldrige principles and concepts, Haley utilizes the Baldrige Framework to facilitate process improvement and innovation at both the local and regional level of the TDH Enterprise.

Haley delivers direct patient care with the Department of Health. Having a special focus on the Voice of the Customer, she developed a Customer Comment Card to capture point-of-service feedback from the various customer segments serviced from local health departments. This Customer Comment Card has been adopted as a best practice in the TDH Enterprise. Haley worked directly with local management and County Government to establish and enhance social media outreach to promote health department services to customer segments.  She has also used performance results in her local health department to facilitate LEAN processes which directly resulted in error rate reduction in clinical practice. Spearheading multiple local health departments in their Baldrige journey through the state alliance program, Haley has seen first-hand the organizational benefits of implementing the Baldrige Framework from more clearly identifying strategic planning processes and aligning organizational goals and objectives to aid in the achievement of TDH’s mission, vision, and values, establishing sustainability, and enhancing the way in which we deliver services through cycles of learning.

Breakout C3 Beyond Compliance - How the Tennessee Department of Health Achieves Innovation & Improvement via Baldrige

John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, FACOEM joined Governor Bill Haslam’s cabinet in 2011 as the 13th commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health. He brings more than 25 years of service in clinical and public health leadership at the federal, state and local levels to the position, and leads a statewide team of highly talented and dedicated professionals committed to working collaboratively to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Dreyzehner and his team have been recognized with numerous awards including the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Vision Award in 2015, 2016 and 2017. These awards confirm TDH is setting the standard for effective, engaging public health efforts and creating a model for others to follow. 

Compassionate, effective and efficient service to people in all 95 counties of the state is the standard of performance Dreyzehner has set for the department. As TDH commissioner, he has focused on team building and collaboration to create and strengthen relationships and build a stronger infrastructure for public health across Tennessee. The department is focused on preventing communicable disease and the behaviors that are the biggest drivers of death and chronic disease in Tennessee. Referred to as “The Big 4," they are the health challenges of our time: physical inactivity, excessive caloric intake, tobacco and nicotine use and other substance use disorders. 

Dreyzehner began his medical service in 1989 as a United States Air Force flight surgeon, where he learned about the attributes that increase the effectiveness of public health efforts and the Baldrige performance excellence framework while accumulating more than 300 hours in the F-15 Eagle and other aircraft as a member of USAF 94th Fighter Squadron. He later served as Chief of Aeromedical Assessment for Air Combat Command and was honorably discharged as a Major in 1997. Following several years in the private practice of occupational medicine he returned to public service in 2002 as director of a rural health district in Virginia before coming to Tennessee as commissioner of health. He also practiced addiction medicine for several years while working to bring attention to the public health aspects of the now well-recognized epidemic of substance use and abuse. 

Dreyzehner graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a Bachelor of Science in psychology. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and earned his Master of Public Health degree at the University of Utah, where he served as chief resident at the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. Board certified in 1999, he is licensed in Tennessee and Virginia and is a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He holds appointments as adjunct faculty and professor (Hon.) with East Tennessee State University’s College of Public Health, founding faculty of the Healthy Appalachia Institute and formerly visiting assistant professor of public health at the University of Virginia. He and his wife Jana, a child psychiatrist, have two adult sons. 

Breakout C3 Beyond Compliance - How the Tennessee Department of Health Achieves Innovation & Improvement via Baldrige

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Michele Herlein is the Chief Human Resource Officer for Barge Design Solutions, Inc. where she focuses on creating a great employee experience using organization design, change management, and strategic HR principles. Her passion is creating work environments that allow employees to flourish and contribute their unique gifts and talents. She has extensive experience in leading large-scale change initiatives, integrating talent management processes and horizontally and vertically aligning an organization to drive business results. Her recent accomplishments at Barge Design Solutions, Inc. include obtaining Great Place to Work Certification and being recognized by Humana as one of ten companies in the Nation with a workforce engaged in wellness. 

Prior to Barge Design Solutions, Inc. Michele spent eight years at Bridgestone Americas, most recently as Vice President of Talent, Organization, and Culture, where she implemented an integrated talent management system, designed and defined the firm’s values, and led a cultural transformation effort. Before joining Bridgestone, Michele worked for ten years at Bandag, Inc where she implemented a comprehensive leadership and succession management program and effected change initiatives through learning and development. 

Michele has published articles on coaching, mentoring, and change management. She has spoken at the American Academy of Management, Society for Human Resource Management, and the Association for Talent Development. Michele lives in Lebanon, TN with her husband Doug. They have four children and two grandchildren. Her interests and hobbies include essential oils, yoga, and lifelong learning.

Education & Credentials

Doctor Business Administration, St. Ambrose University, 2009

Master of Arts, Communication Theory, Northern Illinois University, 1990 

Bachelor of Science, Marketing, Magna cum laude, Northern Illinois University, 1989
 

Breakout A1 Building the Best Place for Your Workforce

Cheryl Hild, Ph.D. serves as the Vice President of Quality Operations for Aegis Sciences Corporation. At Aegis, she is responsible for leading laboratory process research and innovation, instrument reliability and engineering, safety, quality auditing, and process analyst teams. She serves as adjunct faculty for the Executive Programs in Operations Excellence in the Haslam College of Business at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and in the Business Analytics Program at Lincoln Memorial University. Prior to joining Aegis Sciences, Cheryl worked over a decade training and consulting with organizational leaders in the areas of lean operations, workflow design, operations planning, and applied statistics She has worked globally with numerous organizations, including USAF, Whirlpool, PP&G, Tamko, Pfizer Capsugel, and others. She holds a PhD from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in Management Science and Statistics.  Dr. Hild has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and is co-author of the book, The Power of Statistical Thinking. 

Tuesday Workshop 3 LEAN Principles - Flow, Variation & Performance

Dr. Trish Holliday is Assistant Commissioner and Chief Learning Officer of the State of Tennessee. Commissioner Rebecca Hunter appointed her as the State’s Chief Learning Officer (CLO) in 2012 as a member of her executive team. 

Dr. Holliday’s commitment to public service and her passion for helping professionals reach their greatest potential is rooted in her experience as a certified facilitator, adult educator and executive coach, and her early years in full-time ministry as a missionary in Tennessee Appalachia. 

The state of Tennessee was the first state in the country to have the executive role of CLO developing and guiding an enterprise wide learning and development strategy. 

As the state’s CLO, she creates and leads learning efforts focused on the mission and goals of a customer focused government, building a common culture through a rigorous and consistent set of business and leadership skills. 

She provides state appointing authorities with executive coaching in workforce planning and leadership development. Trish drives the overall curriculum focus and development of all statewide leadership programs. Her passion and talent for developing successful leaders and purpose-driven individuals are reflected in these nationally recognized programs. 

As a successful change agent, facilitator and storyteller, she is often asked by state leaders to undertake complex problem solving opportunities by bringing people together and helping them discover innovative solutions and develop the leaders needed to execute. In recognition of her work in the state wide LEAD Tennessee leadership development program, Trish was selected as a 2016 Winner for the Leadership Excellence Awards in the Top Corporate Leader Award – Over 35 category. She was ranked 6th in the top 30 winner’s circle which were chosen from over three hundred applicants. Trish received the 2016 Edwin L. Swain Award of Excellence, the IPMA-HR Southern Region’s highest award given to an individual who has distinguished her/himself throughout their career in HR. Recently she was asked to facilitate the International Public Management Association – HR (IPMA-HR) 2020 strategic visioning task force, identifying critical leadership competencies needed for the future success of the HR profession. Trish’s influence reaches beyond state government by serving as an executive leadership coach for private sector businesses, impacting leaders from Kingsport to Memphis. 

Trish is an active member in the following international, national, state and local organizations: Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence, IPMA-HR, Tennessee Public Management Association, Middle Tennessee Society for Human Resources, Association for Talent Development, Tennessee Society for Human Resources, and the National Association of State Personnel Executives. 

She serves on the Board of Visitors for the College of Education at Lipscomb University, Tennessee State University’s College of Public Service and Urban Affairs Advisory Board, Impact Nashville, Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee, president of Toastmaster’s International Tennessee Government Leadership Chapter, Tennessee SHRM state council board member, and past board member of Special Olympics Tennessee. In 2015, Trish earned her Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) with an emphasis in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change from Lipscomb University. Doc Holliday is driven by a passion to help leaders develop strategies to create learning organizations and implement effective change initiatives. 

D4: Expert Networking – Work the Room Like a Pro

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David M. Jones is vice president for Pal’s Business Excellence Institute where he both instructs and consults. With more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing, health care, and education, David is passionate about helping organizations improve their performance, particularly through the use of the Baldrige framework.

His expertise includes operational excellence, management, leadership, performance excellence, strategic planning, Lean, manufacturing, marketing, and ISO 9000 and 13485.

He has extensive hands-on experience in the Baldrige Excellence Framework, having served 12 years on the Baldrige Board of Examiners and as a training facilitator. He also served twenty years with the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence as an examiner, judge, and training facilitator, and one year with the Virginia Senate Productivity and Quality Award as an examiner and trainer.

In 2007 David co-founded Edamar, Inc., an award-winning educational products company serving the K-12 science classroom with innovative hands-on teaching tools.

David has been an adjunct instructor in the College of Business and Technology at East Tennessee State University and in the MBA program at Milligan College; and he serves on the advisory board for the Mayberry Chair of Excellence at Tennessee Technological University. David holds a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Purdue University and a Master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee.

Tuesday Workshop 2 How Great Organizations Solve Big Problems Forever

 

Work Experience

• City Administrator for the City of Germantown, TN since 1989
• Assistant to the City Manager for Community Development Director for the City of Champaign, IL 
• Administrative Assistant for City of Salinas, CA

Education

• Bachelor of Science from Indiana State University in 1979
• Masters in Public Administration from Indiana State University in 1981

 

Select Achievements

• The Tennessee Municipal League City Manager of the Year 1996
• American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Mid-South Chapter Administrator of the Year 1997
• Adjunct Teacher – University of Memphis

Board and Association Affiliations

• International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
• Tennessee City Management Association (TCMA)
• ICMA’s Performance Management Advisory Committee
• International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Credentialed Manager
• Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) Board of Directors
• Germantown Performing Arts Center Board of Directors 
• Leadership Germantown Board of Directors 
• Past President of the Tennessee City Managers Association
• Past President of the Tennessee Personnel Management Association 
• Past Treasurer Mid-South ASPA
• Past Member Germantown Rotary
• Past Member of Parrish Finance Council for Holy Spirit Catholic Church

Personal

• Married to Cathy Lawton, retired special education teacher at Houston High School
• Three children- daughter Erin (Joe), sons Brendan (Kayla) and Kipp (Samira)
• Three grandchildren – Lily, Oliver and Soori

Breakout C1 From Strategy to Results: Customer-Focused Strategic Planning

 

 

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David McClaskey is the president of Pal’s Business Excellence Institute (BEI), which he co-founded in 2000 with Thom Crosby, Pal’s Sudden Service President and CEO. Pal’s BEI, the 2015 winner of the TNCPE Excellence Award, inspires, enables, and supports leaders to create extraordinary organizations through operational excellence. It does this through teaching and consulting with organizations of all types on world-class management practices based on those used by the Baldrige-winning Pal’s Sudden Service. 

As a Baldrige expert and performance excellence consultant for more than 40 years, David has worked with thousands of organizations from every sector, including health care, service, small business, government, manufacturing, education, and non-profit. He works with organizations that want to be extraordinary.  

He has helped seven companies (including Ritz-Carlton) to win eight Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards; and assisted Florida Power and Light to be the first company outside of Japan to win the Deming Prize, Japan’s national quality award. David helped develop and deliver the original training for the Baldrige Board of Examiners in 1988. He served as a judge for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for three years and as a TNCPE judge for twelve years.

In 2011 his outstanding leadership in the pursuit of performance excellence was recognized with the TNCPE Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award and by the American Society for Quality with its prestigious international E. L. Grant Award for the development and presentation of meritorious educational programs in quality management. 

David holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in industrial engineering.

Tuesday Workshop 2 How Great Organizations Solve Big Problems Forever

 

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Stephanie Norling has been Managing Director of Communities of Excellence 2026 since 2014.  After graduating with a BA in Anthropology from Tufts University in 1999, Stephanie joined the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston as a Project Coordinator.  After moving to San Diego in 2001, she worked for 12 years at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, first in the Operations Department and later taking a lead role in the Elephant Department at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.  In 2012 Stephanie graduated from the University of San Diego with a Master’s in Business Administration and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management.  

Stephanie is an active member of her community, with volunteering history at Father Joe’s Villages, the House of Denmark, the San Diego Zoo, and many others.  In addition, Stephanie will be participating for the third year as a National Baldrige Examiner.

Breakout D3 A Commonwealth of Excellence - Using Baldrige to Improve Community Outcomes

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Mountain States Health Alliance, the largest health care system in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Tamera oversees quality, patient safety, accreditation, policy and procedures for the Johnson City-based not-for-profit healthcare system of 13 hospitals, 21 primary/preventive care centers, and numerous outpatient care sites.

MSHA was recognized with TNCPE's Excellence Award in 2005, 2009, and 2013, the only organization to have claimed this prestigious honor three times. In 2012, MSHA was recognized with the Medallion of Excellence from the Virginia U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award Program. The health care system also was honored with the National Quality Healthcare Award from the National Quality Forum in 2012.

Tamera has served as a TNCPE examiner, Baldrige National Quality Award examiner, Baldrige and TNCPE examiner training facilitator, and is currently serving as a member of the TNCPE Panel of Judges. In 2009 she became the first recipient of the TNCPE Champion of Excellence Award. She is a certified quality manager, ASQ and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in applied organizational management with a concentration in sociology and statistics.

C4 Speed Learning - How to Engage Employees

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Mr. Micky Roberts is a Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) in the Division of Policy, Planning, and Assessment. He received his B.S. from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and his Masters in Clinical and Research Ethics from Vanderbilt University, a dual program between the Divinity and Medical center schools where his thesis focused on educating church youth about AIDS. He also worked as a graduate fellow with the Vanderbilt AIDS clinic. He holds graduate certificates in epidemiology from East Tennessee State University and has served as adjunct with Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee. During his nine-year career as Principal Health Educator for the Georgia Department of Health he served as the Deputy Director for Health Assessment and Promotion with the DeKalb County Board of Health. At the National Level he served as a Creating Healthier Communities Class V Fellow with the National HealthCare Forum in San Francisco. He returned to Tennessee where he accepted a position with the Knox County Health Department as the Director for Community Health Planning & Initiatives. Then eight years later he became the Director of both the Blount & Sevier County Health Departments under the East Tennessee Regional Health Office. During this time he served on the Governor’s Council for Suicide Prevention. He is a graduate of the Disney Institute for service quality, a Master Certified Health Education Specialist and a graduate of the Southeastern Public Health Leadership Institute. In 2012, Micky started his Baldrige journey by becoming one of 7 TDH employees to be trained as Examiners with the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence. Five years later, he is serving as a Baldrige examiner at the National level. Micky and his wife Susan are recent empty nesters as their daughter and son are both attending the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Breakout C3 Beyond Compliance - How the Tennessee Department of Health Achieves Innovation & Improvement via Baldrige

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Will Schoch (shock) is a Senior Organizational Development Consultant within the Leadership & Organizational Development COE of Human Resources at HCA. In this role, Will partners with internal stakeholders to identify strategies, solutions, and tools that will foster employee development, increase engagement and drive results that impact the overall business strategy.

Will holds a B.S. in Economics from Vanderbilt University and a M.Ed. in Organizational Leadership and Communication from Belmont University.

Breakout Session B4 Introduction to Type: Use Myers-Briggs to Get Ahead

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Erez is a VP Innovation Strategy for SIT International. He facilitates in all of SITs applications – New Product Development, Marketing Communications/Advertising, Problem Solving and Innovative Strategy – and is an SIT expert in Conflict Resolution and Co-Opetition applications. He has conducted projects with scores of leading international clients including Disney, Airtel, Kraft, Siemens, Molex, OCBC, BP, HP and Tnuva, and has deep experience working in developing markets, and with social and environmental organizations. Erez is frequently invited as a keynote speaker to conferences around the world. He is a lead presenter in the area of creativity and innovation, and lectures in leading academic institutes worldwide, including Columbia University, London Business School, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Tel Aviv University. At TED India (2009), Erez ran an innovation workshop as part of the TED University. Erez has nearly 10 years experience in the field of IT and Hi-Tech developments as a CIO and Systems Management. He has also worked as an academic consultant, with a rich background in education, specifically the development and production of educational workshops and seminars.

Breakout A4 Innovation for Performance Excellence

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In her previous role as Vice President, Carla Wolfe led the disciplines of Business Process Management, Business Analysis and Project Management for Elevations Credit Union, which were foundational in Elevations’ win of the 2014 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the 2013 Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence PEAK award.

Carla has earned her CBAP (Certified Business Analyst Professional) and holds a Lean Sigma Green Belt. She has been an invitational presenter in over 50 events, including the 2015 Malcolm Baldrige Quest Plenary Session. She has also served multiple times as a Performance Excellence Examiner for RMPEx. Before joining Elevations Credit Union, Carla was a Senior Consultant with Hudson Financial Solutions leading business process improvement projects. She has recently returned to consulting, guiding organizations in the Art of Process following the proven path she led for Elevations.

Breakouts B2 & C2 Art of Process - Tribal Knowledge to Performance Excellence

Sonja Wulff has dedicated the past 13+ years of her career to performance excellence and brings unique Baldrige experience as an award recipient, examiner, judge, and consultant. During her decade with Baldrige Recipient Poudre Valley Health System, she wrote four Baldrige National Quality Award Applications, coordinated four site visits, and played a key role in operationalizing the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. Before leaving her role as Vice President of the Poudre Valley Center for Performance Excellence, Sonja co-founded Poudre Valley’s consulting business and helped organizations across the country take their next step forward in performance excellence. Most recently, Sonja led performance excellence for Texas Health Resources, a 25-hospital system in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. During her tenure, she wrote two Baldrige National Quality Award Applications, which earned two national site visits, and transformed the organization’s performance measurement system. 

Sonja is an Alumni Examiner on the Malcolm Baldrige Board of Examiners. During her 13 years on the Board, she has facilitated national examiner training, led numerous examiner teams, and served on multiple advisory teams in support of the Baldrige Program for Performance Excellence. She also served as a judge for the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence and has led numerous application writing workshops across the country.

Sonja is a Certified Lean Master. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology and Chemistry from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and a Master of Arts Degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

In all interactions, Sonja bring her passion for performance excellence and holds true to a strong sense of personal integrity, genuine respect for each organization’s individual culture, and a desire to make Baldrige as easy and practical as possible. 

W1: Getting the Most Out of Your Application – An Advanced Application Writing Workshop