This past week, Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank informed City Manager Tommy Gonzalez the City of Irving has received the prestigious 2012 Malcolm A. Baldrige National Quality Award. The Baldrige award is the nation’s highest presidential honor available in the business community, and is highly esteemed by organizations across the country. The City of Irving makes history as the first municipality in the State of Texas to receive the award and the second municipality in the nation.
“This is an historic day for the City of Irving." said City Manager Tommy Gonzalez. "To have our city declared a national model of performance excellence after the national board of examiners conducted a comprehensive and rigorous management evaluation is a validation of the strategic operations plan we have implemented. Considering we are the first city in the State of Texas and only the second municipality to receive the award in the program's 25-year history underscores the value of Irving's deliberate approach in increasing customer satisfaction by double digits, streamlining our operations, and strong fiscal management leading to more than $40 million in savings and 50,000 staff hours saved.”
According to award examiners, the City of Irving was selected as a 2012 Baldrige Award recipient because “the city is a Lone Star model of fiscal achievement,” “Irving is highly focused on strategic planning and process efficiency,” “citizen feedback is a high priority,” “Irving’s consistent results are driven by a team culture,” and “the city is successfully making its community safe and environmentally friendly.”
“The four organizations recognized today with the 2012 Baldrige Award are leaders in the truest sense of the word and role models that others in the health care, nonprofit and business sectors worldwide will strive to emulate,” said Acting Secretary Blank. “They have set the bar high for innovative practices, dynamic management, financial performance, outstanding employee and customer satisfaction, and most of all, for their unwavering commitment to excellence and proven results.”
Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness and performance of U.S. businesses. The award promotes excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements and results of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful performance strategies.
“We are elated to have received this distinguished award,” said Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne. “I’ve always known Irving was a dynamic city. I’m proud to be part of an organization that values the feedback of its residents, businesses and employees, and uses this feedback to enhance the quality of life for our entire community.”
Representatives from the City of Irving will receive the Baldrige Award during a ceremony in Baltimore, Md., in April 2013. City leaders celebrated this accomplishment with an impromptu employee celebration at City Hall
