APQC Presents the 2008 C. Jackson Grayson Distinguished Quality Pioneer Medal Winners:...

APQC Presents the 2008 C. Jackson Grayson Distinguished Quality Pioneer Medal Winners: Don Berwick, Blanton Godfrey, Al Gore, Jerry Weast

Inaugural Award Recognizes Quality Pioneers in Government,
Healthcare and Education
MILWAUKEE & HOUSTON--(Business Wire)--
APQC, a nonprofit benchmarking and best practices organization,
presented the inaugural C. Jackson Grayson Distinguished Quality
Pioneer Medals (www.apqc.org/graysonmedal) today in Houston at the
American Society for Quality's (ASQ) 2008 World Conference on Quality
and Improvement (wcqi.asq.org). The award recognizes the contributions
of individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the
application of quality philosophy, methods and tools in education,
healthcare, public service and not-for-profit organizations.

The C. Jackson Grayson Medal celebrates the professional
philosophy expressed throughout his life by Dr. C. Jackson Grayson.
Grayson is Founder and Chairman of APQC (www.apqc.org). He has spent
his entire career applying quality thinking and methods to improve
organizations and society.

The 2008 C. Jackson Grayson Distinguished Quality Pioneer Medal
winners include a U.S. Vice President, a healthcare leader, a
university dean, and a school superintendent. They are:

-- Dr. Don M. Berwick, President and CEO, Institute for Health
Improvement (IHI), for his pioneering work in healthcare
quality that has saved thousands of lives.

-- Dr. A. Blanton Godfrey, Dean and Joseph D. Moore Professor of
Textile & Apparel Technology & Management, College of
Textiles, North Carolina State University, for his leadership
in blending quality and innovation in product development,
strategy and higher education.

-- Al Gore, former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Prize winner,
for his inspiring leadership of the Reinventing Government
Initiative and his tireless work on climate change.

-- Dr. Jerry Weast, Superintendent, Montgomery County Schools,
for launching quality applications in K-12 education programs
and inspiring others to build a world-class educational
system.

"These Medals recognize the ground-breaking efforts of these four
quality pioneers and their extraordinary achievements in fields
outside of the traditional sectors that have embraced the quality
philosophy and methodology, which makes their accomplishments all the
more impressive," said Grayson. "This year's winners are exceptional
role models who have used quality principles to find solutions to
serious societal problems, raise the alarm when others haven't, and
worked persistently against high odds and great resistance."

The 2008 winners of the C. Jackson Grayson Distinguished Quality
Pioneer Medal were nominated by the panel of judges for their
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 enhancements to their organizations'
performance and mission as well as society as a whole. For more
information about the award, the achievements of the 2008 Grayson
Medal winners and the selection methodology visit
www.apqc.org/graysonmedal.

Grayson himself was also honored with a commemorative medal at
ASQ's World Conference. He has a long-standing legacy and relationship
with ASQ that dates back to the mid-1980s when ASQ and APQC (then
named the American Productivity Council) jointly administered the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Grayson is an ASQ Fellow and
a prior recipient of the ASQ Distinguished Service Medal. As a leader
at the first White House Conference on Productivity, Grayson actively
fostered a national dialogue regarding quality. In 1993 he and his
staff created the APQC International Benchmarking Clearinghouse to
help organizations identify and learn from best practices. In 1996
Grayson led an APQC education improvement initiative to help education
institutions restructure academic and administrative processes.

"ASQ is made up of people who lead the charge to instill a quality
mindset in organizations and individuals throughout the world. That's
exactly what this award is about," Grayson added.

PHOTOS AVAILABLE: APQC can provide photos of the Grayson Medal,
Dr. Jack Grayson and each of the 2008 winners upon request. Contact
Paige Dawson (paige@mpdventures.com).

About APQC

A global resource for process and performance improvement, APQC
discovers improvement methods, identifies benchmarks and best
practices, disseminates findings and connects individuals. APQC's
employees conduct benchmarking and best practices research, offer
training, and publish reports on productivity, quality, benchmarking,
knowledge management, and other areas. Founded in 1977, the
member-based nonprofit serves more than 500 organizations. For
information, visit www.apqc.org or call 800-776-9676 or
+1-713-681-4020

About ASQ

The American Society for Quality (www.asq.org) has been the
world's leading authority on quality for 60 years. With more than
93,000 individual and organizational members, the professional
association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge
exchange to improve business results, and to create better workplaces
and communities worldwide. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the
prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., ASQ is a founding partner of the
American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly
economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.

MPD Ventures Company
Paige Dawson, 214-744-6188
paige@mpdventures.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008