Lab is a Diamond Sponsor The Environmental Stewardship (ENV) Division and Internal Assessments (AA-2) are two of numerous organizations to be recognized at Quality New Mexico's annual conference and awards ceremony next week.
The organizations earned 2004 Quality New Mexico (QNM) Awards for demonstrating a strong commitment to quality, making progress in quality or having achieved excellence in quality. The awards are modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality awards program. QNM's mission is to "Motivate, Educate and Congratulate New Mexico Businesses and Organizations for Achievement in Performance Excellence."
The QNM conference, "Soaring to Performance Excellence," is March 31-April 1 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa at Santa Ana Pueblo.
The Environmental Stewardship Division received a Roadrunner award for significant progress in quality due to its approach to quality management and implementation of successful systems, processes and plans. Internal Assessments was given QNM's Piñon award for commitment to quality concepts and principles in light of the group's productive, systematic approach to quality practices.
The Lab has partnered with Quality New Mexico for more than a decade, according to Bill Wadt of the Prime Contract (PCO) Office. "The Laboratory has been a vital supporter of Quality New Mexico since its inception nearly 12 years ago," said Wadt, adding that senior Lab managers have served on the QNM Board of Directors throughout its history, and many Lab employees have served as examiners, senior examiners and judges for the New Mexico Quality Award process.
"The return on the Laboratory's investment in QNM has been significant. Many Laboratory organizations have used the self-assessment and feedback process of the New Mexico Quality Awards to improve their products and services," Wadt continued, noting that the Research Library (STB-RL), which was recently recognized by its external review panel as "the best science research digital library in the world," subscribes to the Quality New Mexico principles.
Lab employee Teresa Trujillo is currently an "executive on loan" to QNM, while Lillian Montoya-Rael, Community Relations (CRO) Office leader, serves on the QNM Board of Directors.
Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories are Diamond Sponsors by virtue of loaning staff to QNM on a fulltime basis.
"As a loaned executive to Quality New Mexico, I work with Laboratory and New Mexico organizations to promote the use of quality concepts using the Malcolm Baldrige performance excellence criteria," said Trujillo. She also encouraged Lab organizations to contact her if they are interested in learning about QNM and using its principles to improve their organization. "These tools are useful to any size and type of organization," she said. Trujillo can be contacted at (505)944-2002 or tere@lanl.gov by electronic mail.
Lab employees interested in attending the Quality New Mexico conference can register at QNM's Web page at www.qualitynewmexico.org online.
For more information, see the Dec. 7, 2004 Daily Newsbulletin.
--Steve Sandoval
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