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 Healthcare Sector	Anna Kay Dykes Chief Administrative Officer Providence Services
PRESIDENT-ELECT Nominating Committee, Judges Panel, Liason Ethics and Complaint Committee Chair, Legislative Taskforce, Outreach Taskforce Public Sector	Sam Senn Deputy Secretary's Office DSHS
TREASURER Business Sector	Sean Kooley Vice President, Finance Greenpoint Technologies
Governance Committee, Return Applicant Taskforce Public Sector	Larry Blanchard Public Works Director City of Burien Public Works Department
Legislative Taskforce, Outreach Taskforce Public Sector	Barb Burgener Office of the Governor
Education Sector	Dr. Dennis Carlson
Nomiating Committee Chair Healthcare Sector	Steve Durbin System Director of Quality Providence Health System
Business, Nonprofit, Healthcare, Education Sector	René Ewing René Ewing and Associates, LLC
Nonprofit Sector	Susan Grindle CEO, Hopesource
Judges Panel Chair Non Voting Member	Carol Knight-Wallace KnightVision Consulting, LLC
Business Sector	Michael Fors Director of Strategy Microsoft Corporation
Healthcare Sector	Judy Morton Coach Studer Group
Legislative Taskforce Business/Non-Profit Sector	John Vicklund President WA Manufacturing Services.
Business Sector	Heidi Reys Vice President Corporate Strategy and Sustainability Waggner Edstrom Worldwide