Arch named to Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners for 2019

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has named Chrissy Arch, chief operating officer (COO) at Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, to the Board of Examiners for the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Baldrige Award is the nation’s highest honor for organizational innovation and performance excellence.

Appointed by the NIST Director, examiners are responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Baldrige Award, as well as other assessment-related tasks. The examiner board is composed of more than 325 leading experts competitively selected from industry, professional, trade, education, health care, and nonprofit (including government) organizations from across the United States.

Those selected meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition, demonstrating competencies related to customer focus, communication, ethics, action orientation, team building, and analytical skills. All members of the board must take part in a nationally ranked leadership development course based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework and the scoring/evaluation processes for the Baldrige Award. They must also complete an independent review of a Baldrige Award application or other comparable examiner task.

Arch, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has served as the COO for the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority since April 2012. Prior to this position, she served as the chief financial officer from 2005-12. Arch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Western Carolina University and currently serves on the Kituwah Economic Development Board.

Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987. Awards may be given annually to organizations in each of six categories: manufacturing, service, small business, education, health care, and nonprofit. The Award promotes innovation and excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements and results of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful performance strategies. Since the first group was recognized in 1988, 124 awards have been presented to 115 organizations (including eight repeat recipients). The 2018 winners are Integrated Project Management Company, Inc., Burr Ridge, IL (small business); Donor Alliance, Denver, CO (nonprofit); Alamo Colleges District, San Antonio, TX
(education); Tri County Tech, Bartlesville, OK (education); and Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, Jasper, IN (health care).

NIST manages the Baldrige Award in close conjunction with the private sector.