She Snoops for Scoops: The Personal Side of the EdNET Community
She Snoops for Scoops: The Personal Side of the EdNET Community
Vicki Smith Bigham — Friday, May 25, 2012
I know most of you are looking forward to a long weekend, and I am with you! But before you head out, take just a minute so you don’t miss out on this week’s scoops….
New roles!
Robert Garbutt has been hired by Samsung Techwin America’s SDP Division, a market leader in document camera technology, as its Eastern Regional Sales Manager. He comes to Samsung from RG Representatives, a manufacturer’s representative firm that he started to promote audiovisual and office equipment related products to channel partners throughout the Northeast region. He made frequent sales calls on resellers, distributors, and customers on behalf of a variety of manufacturers. In this position, Robert was able to increase top manufacturer’s product line sales and grew their distribution and channel sales network. He also worked several years at Plus Corporation of America where he ultimately was promoted to the Director of Sales. He interacted with resellers, distributors, and customers nationally to promote and sell projectors and electronic whiteboards and built relationships with major audio-visual dealerships, distributors, and office product resellers throughout the United States and was successful at substantially increasing sales. Join me in congratulating Robert on his new role!
And news from my friends at APQC! The APQC board of directors has elected Dr. Carla O’Dell chief executive officer for APQC. She previously served as president of the benchmarking and best practices research organization. She succeeds Dr. C. Jackson Grayson, APQC’s founder, chairman, and CEO, who will assume the role of executive chairman. The board also named Lisa Higgins, current chief operating officer, as president/COO.
Jack founded the American Productivity & Quality Center in 1977 as a means to halt the decline in American productivity, growth, and competitiveness that he identified while serving as the chairman of the U.S. Price Commission under President Nixon. During his tenure, he and APQC co-founded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in collaboration with ASQ, established the International Benchmarking Clearinghouse, developed the Process Classification Framework, and launched the APQC Education Initiative.
Considered one of the world’s leading experts in knowledge management (KM), Carla has served as APQC president since 1994 and in leadership roles since joining in 1978. Under her direction APQC has built the world’s largest body of actionable best practices for KM. She is the co-author of The New Edge in Knowledge: How Knowledge Management is Changing the Way We Do Business, The Executive’s Role in Knowledge Management, and If Only We Know What We Know: The Transfer of Internal Knowledge and Best Practice. She has a bachelor's degree from Stanford University, a master's from the University of Oregon, and a doctorate from the University of Houston.
Spearheading many departments and initiatives since joining APQC in 1993, Lisa has served as COO since 2000. She led APQC’s work to create Open Standards Benchmarking℠, which standardized processes and measurements to benchmark. The project has grown into the world’s largest database of performance analytics, benchmarks, and best practices with more than 7,000 organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston.
With these changes, the tireless Jack will be devoting 100% of his time and efforts to APQC Education, which is a plus for the education community, which he is so passionate about! These are three outstanding people—wish Jack and his colleagues every continued success at jgrayson@apqc.org.
Kudos!
And speaking of Jack and APQC, the C. Jackson Grayson Distinguished Quality Pioneer Medal honors individuals who have demonstrated pioneering leadership in the application of quality philosophy, methods and tools in education, health care, public service and not-for-profit organizations to foster the progress of society as a whole. The award encourages the pursuit of quality in fields that improve our social fabric where the tools of quality may not have been traditionally been applied.
The Grayson Medal celebrates the professional philosophy expressed throughout the life of quality champion Jack. He has spent his entire professional career applying quality thinking and methods to help improve organizations and society.
The judges selected the 2012 winners of the C. Jackson Grayson Distinguished Quality Pioneer Medal from a pool of nominated candidates who have made extraordinary contributions to furthering the cause of quality in their organization or sector. They have used management processes, measurement activities and collaborative teamwork to achieve productivity and other beneficial enhancements to their organizations' performance and mission. The 2012 winners of the Grayson Medal are:
- H. James Harrington, Chief Executive Officer, Harrington Institute - Dr. Harrington serves as the President of the Walter L. Hurd Foundation, the U.S. Chairman of Chair on Technologies for Project Management at the University of Quebec in Montreal, and Chairman for the Advisory Board for the e-TQM College in Dubai. He is recognized as one of the world leaders in applying performance improvement methodologies to business processes. Dr. Harrington writes regular columns for the Quality Digest Magazine.
- Deborah L. Hopen, President, Deborah Hopen Associates - Deborah Hopen has over 30 years of experience in total quality management. She has served as a senior executive with experience in general management, quality assurance and quality control, training, human resources, organization development, research and development, process engineering, and accounting. She has been president and chairman of the American Society for Quality and currently is the editor of ASQ's Journal for Quality and Participation and contributing editor of ASQ's Six Sigma Forum magazine.
- Dr. Michael Perich, Consultant, Systemwide Continuous Improvement, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) - Currently Dr. Perich is serving as a consultant to MCPS and in that capacity provides leadership and professional development for continuous improvement. He also has been instrumental in moving MCPS to become a process-centered organization by providing leadership and expertise in the area of process management and improvement. All MCPS offices, departments, and divisions have identified their key work processes and utilizing a planning tool that classifies inputs, guides, outputs, and enablers (IGOE), have identified the interrelationship and interdependency of key processes throughout the organization. Dr. Perich led the development of four Baldrige award applications; two for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and two for the United States Senate Productivity and Maryland Quality Award.
Congratulations to these three impressive leaders!
Beautiful baby news!
Our own Dr. Nelson Heller, President, The HellerResults Group, sent news this week their grandson Rye Alexander Kutner was born to his daughter Meredith and her husband Blake at 1:24 am on May 20th - 8 lbs, 1 oz and 19 inches. They are all home now and doing very well! Nelson sent the most special picture of him holding little Rye—what a blessing! Send the proud grandpa your best wishes at nelson@hellerresults.com.
I hope each of you has special plans this weekend with family and friends – George and I are looking forward to relaxing with family as we celebrate Memorial Day weekend. I know you join me in sending a heartfelt thanks to all the men and women serving our country and fighting abroad for our safety and to all of their families as well for the sacrifice they too are making. We also take time to remember and honor all of those who have fought in other battles and wars to preserve the freedom we enjoy each day in America. Till next week….Vicki, the Snoop
