CPEX Announces 2006 Examiner and Judge Appointments

Award Winners to be Announced October 23, 2006

Colorado Performance Excellence (CPEx), a statewide non-profit dedicated to cultivating performance excellence that generates outstanding results among Colorado organizations, has announced the members of its 2006 Board of Examiners and Panel of Judges.

Seventy two volunteers have been appointed by Rich Wagner, President of the CPEx Board of Directors, to the Board of Examiners for the 2006 CPEx Award process. Wagner has also appointed six performance excellence experts to the Panel of Judges, as well as eight experienced mentors to assist the examiner teams.

The Board of Examiners comprises leading experts selected from small, large, and non-profit business; professional and trade organizations; health care; education; and government organizations primarily in Colorado. Those selected meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition. All members of the Board of Examiners and Panel of Judges have successfully completed an extensive preparation course based on the CPEx Criteria for Performance Excellence and the scoring/evaluation process based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award process.

"As a volunteer organization, our success in the past and our ability to move forward on the journey toward performance excellence rely on a growing band of committed individuals who bring new quality insights to Colorado organizations every day," commented Wagner. "CPEx is very grateful to all the examiners, judges, and mentors who selflessly dedicate their time and expertise to this journey."

Examiners evaluate applicant organizations based on criteria within four CPEx award levels: High Plains, Foothills, Timberline, and Peak. In order to qualify for an award, an organization must submit a profile and an application, which are reviewed and scored by a team of Examiners. Organizations may also undergo a rigorous site evaluation in which Examiners determine how well the organizations meet the Criteria for Performance Excellence, which are embodied in seven categories: Leadership; Strategic Planning; Customer and Market Focus; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; Human Resource Focus; Process Management; and Business Results.

The 2006 CPEx Award recipients will be announced at a special reception during the evening of October 23, 2006, at the CPEx Quest for Excellence V conference to be held at the Marriott South at Park Meadows in Littleton, Colo. Debbie Collard, Director, Business Excellence, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, will be the keynote speaker at the recognition dinner, and Baldrige Executive Director Dr. Harry Hertz will present the awards. A full-day learning event entitled "Performance at 14,000 Feet," will follow on October 24. This event will feature keynote speakers Mac McClurkan, CIO of Bronson Methodist Hospital (2005 Baldrige Award recipient); Robert McGough, CEO of DynMcDermott (2005 Baldrige Award Recipient), which runs the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the U.S. Department of Energy; and motivational speaker Walt Borneman, who has scaled all 54 "fourteeners" in Colorado.

"Each year we work hard to change the format and focus of our conference. This keeps the content fresh and ensures that attendees experience something new and dynamic at every Quest for Excellence event," added CPEx Executive Director Tom Mauro. "As a result, we've broken attendance records each year, and this year is on track for yet another record turnout. We look forward to seeing many new faces at this year's event."

Judges
Adam Cohen, chair, CH2M HILL, Englewood
Liz Keim, Consultant, Integrated Quality Resources, Niwot
Margo Karsten, Karsten Consulting, Windsor
Chris Lange, Xcel Energy, Denver
John Latham, University of Northern Colorado Monfort College of Business, Greeley
Roger Maddocks, University of Northern Colorado Monfort College of Business, Greeley

Examiners
Laura Augustine Consultant Black Forest
L. Michael Bains Warneke Paper Box Westminster
Myriam Baker Denver Area Council Boy Scouts of America Denver
Brian Banks RS Information Systems Colorado Springs
Jennifer Breazeale Consultant Louisville
Paula Burt Avaya Inc. Westminster
Cindy Cahill The Bailey Company LLLP Golden
Michael Chapman The Chapman Group Boulder
Matthew Cheney LexisNexis Colorado Springs
John D. Cooper John Cooper Educational & Mgmt Consultants Arvada
Laurie Cure McKee Medical Center Loveland
Mike Dunn The Bailey Company LLLP Golden
Vicki Durr Platinum Registration Thornton
Angie Fyfe State of Colorado Unemployment Insurance Denver
Kristina Given The Preserve Communities Fort Collins
Brent Gough Corporate Express Broomfield
Colin Gray Cavendish Scott Inc Denver
Kim Griffiths Pinnacol Assurance Denver
Mary Jo Hallaert Poudre Valley Hospital Ft. Collins
Lee Henry LexisNexis Colorado Springs
David Hetherington VA Health Administration Center Denver
Patti Hoffman Summit Performance Group Grand Junction
Trish Holper DQP Enterprises Inc. Aurora
Patrick Holwell Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Aurora
David Hooper Consultant Aurora
Bruce Jablonski Particle Measuring Systems Boulder
Najwa Jad Arapahoe Douglas Works! Littleton
Harryette Johnson Xcel Energy Denver
Terri Kammeier North Colorado Medical Center Greeley
Beth Katzenberg Colo Foundation for Medical Care Littleton
Dan Kelly Avaya Westminster
Julie Klein North Colorado Medical Center Greeley
Tim Klippert Poudre Valley Health System Fort Collins
Paul Knighton WaterPik Inc. Fort Collins
Norma Krech Avaya Brighton
Travis Lay TeleTech Parker
Matt Leiphart Platinum Registration Denver
Julie Lundquist Spalding rehabilitation Hospital Aurora
Alison Manchester LexisNexis Colorado Springs
Rebecca Marshall LexisNexis Colorado Springs
Jan Mazotti CAP Worldwide Denver
James McCorvey VHA Health Administration Center Denver
Maureen McDevitt CH2M HILL Englewood
Jill Melchoir LexisNexis Green Bay, WI
Lynn Modisette The Bailey Company Golden
Jennifer Murton The Bailey Company Golden
Jim Mysza Pinnacol Assurance Denver
Dan Nelson Cavendish Scott Denver
Priscilla Nuwash Poudre Valley Health System Fort Collins
Edward Paris Academic Business Consulting Group LLC Colorado Springs
Steve Pollard Pollard Quality Consulting LLC Colorado Springs
Rick Press OMI Englewood
Diane Redmond Memorial Hospital Colorado Springs
Mark Rice LexisNexis Colorado Springs
Anita Romero LexisNexis Colorado Springs
Gregory Sanchez IBM Global Services Westminster
BJ Sargent LexisNexis Colorado Springs
Bob Sherron Consultant Buena Vista
Donna Sinn Bonfils Blood Center Denver
Robyn Smith Poudre Valley Hospital Fort Collins
Terry Snyder United Airlines Flight Training Center Denver
Leila Sopko Pulte Mortgage Englewood
Vanessa Thomas-Jones United Airlines Denver
Myra Torres Pulte Mortgage Denver
Monika Tuell Rocky Mountain Health Plans Grand Junction
Michael Vassallo LexisNexis Colorado Springs
Mark Von Weber CH2MHILL Hanford Group Inc. Richland, WA
Rich Wagner Dynamic Achievements Inc Aurora
Jim Walker CPEx Business Director Berthoud
Amy Wiebold Weld County School District RE-5J Fort Collins
David Williams LexisNexis Colorado Springs
Karen Williams Rocky Mountain Health Plans Grand Junction

Mentors
Dan Kelly, Avaya, Westminster
Norma Krech, Avaya, Westminster
Tom Mauro, CPEx Executive Director, Denver
Priscilla Nuwash, Poudre Valley Health System, Ft. Collins
Rick Press, OMI/CH2M HILL, Englewood
Bob Sherron, Consultant, Buena Vista
Rich Wagner, Dynamic Achievements Inc., Aurora
Jim Walker, CPEx Business Director, Berthoud

For more information, or to register for the Quest V conference, please visit www.coloradoexcellence.org.

ABOUT CPEX
The mission of Colorado Performance Excellence is to serve the people of Colorado by cultivating performance excellence that generates outstanding results. CPEx fulfills this promise through training and education, assessment and feedback, recognition and awards, networking, and the sharing of best practices. For more information, please see the CPEx Web site at www.coloradoexcellence.org.

ABOUT BALDRIGE
The criteria used to determine award recipients at the various levels are based on the Baldrige criteria, which any organization can use to improve overall performance. Seven categories make up the award criteria: Leadership; Strategic Planning; Customer and Market Focus; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; Human Resource Focus; Process Management; and Organizational Results. Organizations wishing to evaluate themselves against the Baldrige criteria can find a useful self-assessment tool at http://www.quality.nist.gov/Progress.htm.