07 Apr Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award Announced
The Baldrige Foundation And The Synergy Organization Announce The Award, Recognizes Servant Leadership and Stewardship
Building on the leadership legacy inspired by retiring Baldrige Performance Excellence Program Director Dr. Harry Hertz, the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (Foundation) and The Synergy Organization announce the Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award.
Starting in 2014, the award will recognize the leader who best embodies servant leadership and stewardship exemplified by Dr. Hertz during his almost 18 years leading the Baldrige Program. “Harry Hertz has been a true champion of making the goal of performance excellence achievable for organizations in all sectors of our economy; his leadership will be sorely missed.” said Dr. George Benson, the Foundation’s Chair. “The next director will be asked to continue the work begun by Dr. Hertz including the emphasis on innovation management and intelligent risk in the continuous improvement process.”
Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award announced by Dr. George Benson, Chair of the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and Dr. Kenneth R. Cohen, CEO for The Synergy Organization, an evidence-based executive search firm. On April 7, 2013, during the 25th Gala celebration to honor the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program’s first quarter century, Dr. Hertz was presented with the first Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award.
On April 7, 2013, during the 25th Gala celebration to honor the Baldrige Program’s first quarter century, Dr. Hertz himself was presented with the first Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award for his outstanding contributions to the Baldrige community. On the acceptance of the surprise award, Hertz said, “I have had the privilege of working with some of the most outstanding people I’ve ever met, and I don’t think I deserve an award for that. I’ve been awarded over and over by your support, by your friendship, by the wonderful people I’ve met along the way, by my colleagues at the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and by the program that I’ve had the privilege to lead.”
As the founding sponsor, The Synergy Organization, an evidence-based executive search and assessment firm, will be raising money to help fund the Foundation Endowment and ensure the Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award continues in perpetuity. Kenneth R. Cohen, Ph.D., founder and president of Synergy, said he committed to the Baldrige performance excellence journey eight years ago, becoming inspired by exceptional leaders. “One of these leaders who impressed me right from the start is Dr. Harry Hertz. Over these years, my respect and appreciation for him as a leader has grown immensely,” said Cohen. “He selflessly promotes the Baldrige Program and Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence for all of the right reasons and exemplifies the role of a choreographer, who loves to put others in the limelight and to help them shine.”
Source: Taken from Baldrige Foundation press release.
The Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award recognizes exemplary leaders whose behavior reflects the Baldrige Core Values. Individuals from all sectors may be nominated. Recipients will be publicly recognized by the Baldrige Foundation at the annual Quest for Excellence.