June 2024 Chair’s Message
Greeting’s Valued ASQ Phoenix Section Members,
I hope all of you are doing well and are enjoying the transition into summer! I had the pleasure of attending ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement in San Diego this past month and enjoyed the escape from the heat for a few days. It was also a great opportunity to catch up with friends, both old and new, and to learn from peers in the field of quality and process improvement.
There were many highlights of the conference this year. Among then were the keynote speakers, the Phoenix Section’s receipt of the Silver Performance Excellence Program Award (PEP), and Bob Mitchell’s receipt of ASQ’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal. While there were many other notable events and presentations as well, these were some of my favorites.
The keynotes this year included Freddie Ravel, Duncan Wardle, and Robin Benincasa. Freddie Ravel, a Grammy pianist to the stars, brought his musical talent to the stage during his presentation on the Music of Leadership. Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation for Disney, awed attendees with his artwork during his presentation on Working in Harmony with Artificial Intelligence. Robin Benincasa, Adventure Racing World Champion, closed the conference with her presentation on Inspiring Greatness Through G.R.I.T. (Guts, Respect, Innovation, Teamwork). The anecdotes she shared from her days of adventure racing were both astonishing and empowering. Each of these speakers brought amazing energy to the stage and left conference attendees feeling inspired and reinvigorated.
Member Leader Day, the Sunday just prior to the conference, provided an opportunity for member leaders to learn from each other and to celebrate in one another’s successes. It was during this day that member units were presented with PEP Awards for their adherence to ASQ’s mission and the improvement of their member units. The Phoenix Section received the Silver PEP Award for the second year in a row. Individual awards were also presented on Member Leader Day. Our very own Bob “Quality Bob” Mitchell received a Distinguished Service Medal for his lifetime accomplishments in quality and process improvement. Kudos to Bob and the entire Phoenix Section leadership team for their tremendous efforts and resulting accomplishments.
Overall, WCQI was a fantastic experience this year! If you have not yet had an opportunity to attend, I strongly encourage you to consider attending in the future. The connections made and content delivered are well worth it!
I hope you will join us for our next monthly member meeting coming up on June 13th. Katie Castree Benyo will be providing a presentation on “Using Lean Six Sigma to Address Four Top Cost Saving Opportunities in the Clinical Laboratory”. You will not want to miss it!
Until we meet again, I bid you health, happiness, and connectedness.
Cheers!
Hilary Werner