David J. McClaskey, president of Pal’s Business Excellence Institute, was presented the The Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) 2011 Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award Winner at the Excellence in Tennessee Awards Banquet on February 23, 2011. Katie Rawls, President of TNCPE and Mike McWherter, son of former governor Ned McWherter gave the award. The Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award annually recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding leadership in the pursuit of performance excellence. Winners are dedicated to the principles of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, have furthered performance improvement beyond the boundaries of their organizations and are committed to the core values of the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence program.
David McClaskey is a Baldrige expert who has assisted seven companies win eight Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards, including 2010 winner K&N Management. In addition, he has helped four Tennessee organizations earn TNCPE’s Excellence Award.
After the U.S. government introduced the Baldrige Program in 1987, McClaskey was asked to teach the first Baldrige Board of Examiners and to help develop the Baldrige assessment, scoring, and examiner training protocol that is still in use today.
Beyond his profession – helping organizations of all types improve – McClaskey role models the principles, values, and approaches of performance excellence and encourages others to pursue them.
“Tennessee’s performance improvement community is so lucky to have a national expert close at hand,” said TNCPE President Katie Rawls. “His accomplishments as a driver and promoter of the Baldrige methodology speak for themselves on an international scale. And his work with Pal’s Business Excellence Institute has helped organizations improve their competitiveness, both within our region and across the U.S.”
Nominations for the Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award are solicited from TNCPE member organizations. The award recipient is selected by the executive committee and confirmed by the full board of directors.