TTU President Bob Bell appointed to 2003 TCPE Panel of Judges

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 24, 2003) — The Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence, a state quality awards program, recently appointed Tennessee Technological University President Robert R. Bell to the organization’s 2003 Panel of Judges.

Modeled after the Baldrige National Quality Award, the TCPE Award Program annually recognizes Tennessee organizations demonstrating the highest levels of performance excellence.

As a member of the panel of judges, Bell will validate the integrity of the award process and provide final determination of recognition levels for award winners. Leading experts selected from various groups — business, industry, health care, education, government, and professional and trade associations — make up the panel. All judges have served as Baldrige National Quality Award examiners or as TCPE examiners.

Bell has earned an international reputation in quality management, being recognized in 1998 by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for his work and serving as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiner four times. He has served as a state delegate to the White House Conference on the North American Free Trade Agreement and worked closely with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology.

Bell has also been involved in statewide economic development on behalf of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, working on the THEC master plan focusing on links among higher education and stakeholders in business, health care and state government.

The TCPE Award Program’s objective is to promote economic development by helping companies become more competitive in today’s global marketplace. More than 900 organizations have participated in the award program since its creation in 1993.

—Monica Greppin
This information posted 24 Sept. 2003