Coral Springs Wins Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award

In approximately one month, your City leaders will be in Washington, D.C. to receive the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award from the President of the United States for performance excellence. I am so thrilled for our community. We anticipate national press and many opportunities to share with the Nation how government can serve while minimizing the politics involved.

You are probably unfamiliar with the Baldridge Award and its significance to all of us. This National Quality Award is named for the late Secretary of Commerce, Malcolm Baldrige. The program was established by Congress in 1987 to raise awareness and reward excellence in quality management. We are the first City to ever win this honor.

The City's commitment to quality and customer satisfaction – YOUR satisfaction – began over a decade ago. In 1993, Coral Springs began using a business model that takes customer input and data analysis into consideration before mapping initiatives in our Strategic and Business Plans. The City develops process improvements while comparing results to Fortune 500 businesses and high-performing government entities. Throughout the past fourteen years, our quest for performance excellence has been guided by the principles and practices of the Florida Sterling Council and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program.

Thus, this award is a manifestation of a great partnership between our government and our community. You have constantly shared with us your ideas to enhance our community and what you appreciate. In turn, we have incorporated your feedback into the way we do business. The Malcolm Baldridge Award is a Community Award. I believe that our business model, data analysis and use of so many community volunteers minimizes the "politics" of our decisions. The Commission and our 700 plus employees have a constant focus on results and maximizing the value of our low tax rates (the lowest in the County for similarly-situated municipalities with more than 70,000 residents).

This award also represents a new beginning for our City and maybe for government as a whole. As a Baldridge Community of Excellence, we must continue our partnership to keep crime low, to help our local economy thrive and to whatever we can to strengthen the education of our children and teenagers. We have set an example for governments across the nation and we have a duty to share our model for success. We need your assistance to maintain and increase property values. Share the news with everyone you know. YOU ARE A BALDRDIGE AWARD WINNER! Congratulations to you and your families! For more information, please visit the City website, www.coralsprings.org/baldridge. On our site you can also learn of volunteer opportunities, important city events and much more.

Lastly, I wanted to personally thank Kevin Knutson for his dedication to the City for so many years and ultimately, as the Director of Marketing and Communications. It is an honor to serve with so many committed employees like Kevin. Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Sincerely,

Mayor Scott J. Brook

Posted: Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008