Lieutenant General Clyde Vaughn, the National Guard Bureau’s director of the Army National Guard, attaches a flag streamer awarding the Georgia National Guard first place in the Gold Division of the Army Communities of Excellence program. Representing Georgia are Maj. Larry Deaton, Georgia Army National Guard’s director of Strategic Management (center); Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard; and Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General (far right).

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Georgia Army National Guard has been named the first place award recipient in the Gold Division of the 2008 Army Communities of Excellence program.

Lieutenant General Clyde Vaughn, the National Guard Bureau’s director of the Army National Guard, announced the award following an intense assessment based on the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria. It is the Army National Guard’s highest recognition for organizational performance excellence.

“The Georgia Army National Guard is a top notch role model for the military and other industries in our country,” said Gen. Vaughn. "I applaud them for implementing continuous strategic and tactical improvement into their operations and setting the standard for all other state National Guard organizations to achieve."

The Georgia Army National Guard received the award during the Army Communities of Excellence Conference and Awards Banquet held at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Alexandria, Va.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our organization and is further validation of our members' hard work and dedication to continuous improvement and exceeding customer expectations,” said Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard. “Our Guard members recognize that success depends on innovation in everything we do and the relentless pursuit of excellence.”

The Army Communities of Excellence process contributes significantly to Army operations and has improved the quality of life for soldiers, Army civilians, and their families within the state of Georgia.

“The Army Communities of Excellence recognition is an earned award," said Maj. Larry Deaton, Georgia Army National Guard’s director of Strategic Management. “Applying for the award requires a rigorous self- and third-party assessment of your business against the Baldrige Business Management Criteria.”

Using the Baldrige model serves as a base for improvement in the areas of customer service and satisfaction. All applicants receive a written feedback report detailing their respective strengths and improvement opportunities.

The program emphasizes a comprehensive and integrated change management framework, allowing an organization to assess its approach, organization, and the results of its efforts to improve our services to meet and exceed the requirements of our customers, the citizen of Georgia. All applicants receive a written feedback report detailing their respective strengths and improvement opportunities.

News Home | GADOD Home |