|
Judges
Keith E. Nelson
Keith states... “I started my quality journey in the early ‘80s, driving from Yuma, AZ to San Diego, CA to watch a satellite downlink (predecessor to the webinars?) of William Deming speaking on Total Quality Management. A co-worker told me they were the buzzwords of the future. Since then, I’ve served on technical review teams for the Chief of Staff Team Excellence Awards (four years) and the Secretary of the Air Force Unit Excellence Awards. I’ve also served on the Board of Examiners for the Texas Awards for Performance Excellence for seven years. Over the past few months, ASQ has certified me as a Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) and Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQOE).
A few years ago, I saw an article about the International Team Excellence Awards (ITEA) process asking for volunteers to judge in regional competitions. I applied to judge at Denver and Geetha Balagopal, Robert Finkelmeier and the rest of the ITEA team accepted my application. This year marks my fourth year as a judge. The regional competitions allow the Board of Judges to view applicants’ presentations and provide feedback to the teams, identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement. The final rounds introduce the “cream of the crop” to the excellence community. The judges, experts selected for their knowledge, skills and abilities, again critique presentations from the world’s finest teams. All receive feedback on their presentations and the top teams receive the coveted International Team Excellence Awards.
It’s hard to pick out the most memorable moments. The whole process is rewarding, not only for the teams but also for me as a judge. I get to see the efforts these people put into combining their “individualities” into team “oneness”. The results, helping their organizations to operate more effectively and efficiently, ultimately bring the excellence to the customers. If I had to narrow it down, I would talk about team enthusiasm, from forming the teams and using different tools and methods to solve a problem or implement continuous improvement to presenting the stories to the ITEA community. The excitement at the awards ceremony, almost tangible as the teams parade into the auditorium, culminating in the actual awards presentations may well be the emotional high point of the process but the experience, the benefits reaped, make the entire process an event of a lifetime.”
Back to ITEA Judges >>>
|
 |
|
