Jennifer Sprecher, Executive Director

See Our Board of Directors, Judges, Panel of Examiner and Process Development and Examiners

LEADERSHIP

WSQA Executive Director

Jennifer Sprecher, PE

Jennifer was selected as Executive Director of the Washington State Quality Award (WSQA) in August, 2003. WSQA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making Washington State a better place to live, learn and work by helping organizations achieve superior results through the use of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. These Criteria help organizations increase their capabilities, expand their knowledge and skills and improve their performance. WSQA works with and recognizes excellence in business, education, government, non-profit and healthcare. The organization provides workshops, training, symposiums, presentations, facilitated collaborative work groups, and an on-line self-assessment survey tool for organizations throughout the state of Washington. WSQA administers the awards process, which culminates in the annual Governor’s presentation of the award.

Prior to working with the organization as Executive Director, Jennifer volunteered for the organization as a Senior Examiner. In this role, Jennifer had opportunity to apply the criteria in organizational evaluations in the Business, Healthcare and Government Sectors. As Executive Director, Jennifer strives to increase awareness, education and use of the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria throughout the state as measured by key indicators on the organization’s balanced scorecard.

Jennifer has been working with process improvement for over 20 years. As Engineering Manager she led her department to a 100% increase in successful project completion as Production Manager she consistently exceeded productivity and quality expectations. She has provided consulting and training services in Quality, Lean, Lean-Sigma and securing Employee Insight on areas crucial to organizational performance for over ten years. Consulting efforts have lead to cycle time reductions of 50-80%, rework reductions of over 50% and 80% increased employee retention. Jennifer is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. Her Lean-Sigma philosophy emphasizes sound measurements and team problem solving. Her Quality systems emphasize value-added improvements. Jennifer’s approach requires thoughtful involvement of affected parties. Her results are measurable and emphasize creating value.

WSQA Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Finance Committee

Nominating Committee

Public Sector


Sam Senn
CEO, Sam Senn and Associates

PRESIDENT-ELECT
Nominating Committee

Judges Panel Liason

Marketing Non Profit Representative

Non Profit Sector

Susan Grindle

CEO, Hope Source

TREASURER
Business Sector

Sean Kooley
Vice President, Finance
Greenpoint Technologies

Silver level Corporate Member

Legislative Committee

Marketing Public Sector Representative
Public Sector

Larry Blanchard
Public Works Director
City of Burien
Public Works Department
Governor's Appointee
Public Sector

Barb Burgener
Office of the Governor
Individual Member

Education Sector Dr. Dennis Carlson
Individual Member

Nominating Committee Chair

Marketing Healthcare Representative
Healthcare Sector

Steve Durbin
Retired
Providence Health System

Immediate Past President

Healthcare Sector

Anna Kay Dykes
Chief Quality and Service Officer
Providence Health and Services

2 Star Individual Member

Marketing Education Representative

Education Sector

Brian Flones
Superintendent

Wenatchee School District

Individual Member

Marketing Committee

Business Sector

Michael Fors
Director of Strategy
Microsoft Corporation

2 Star Individual Member

Judges Panel Chair
Non Voting Member

Carol Knight-Wallace
Chair Judges Panel/Nonvoting Member
KnightVision Consulting, LLC

Governance Committee

Healthcare Sector

Judy Morton
Service Excellence Coach
Providence Health and Services
Individual Member

Marketing Committee
Business Sector
Heidi Reys
Vice President
Corporate Strategy and Sustainability
Waggner Edstrom Worldwide
1 Star Individual Member
Inkind Contribution (level undetermined)
Legislative Committee
Business/Non-Profit Sector
John Vicklund
President
WA Manufacturing Services.