Paul Sears, Ph.D., dean of The University of Findlay’s College of Business, has been appointed by Dr. Elaine Edgar, executive director of the Ohio Partnership for Excellence (OPE), to the 2009 Board of Examiners for the Ohio Award for Excellence. The award is modeled after the Baldrige National Quality Award and is the highest level of recognition for performance excellence that an Ohio organization can receive.

As an examiner, Sears is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the award. The board is composed of more than 90 leading professionals selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education, health care organizations and government.

Those selected meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition. All members of the board must take part in an Ohio preparation course based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the scoring and evaluation processes for the Baldrige Award.
   
The Ohio Partnership for Excellence offers four award levels, platinum (or Governor’s Award), gold, silver and bronze, recognizing the status of an organization in achieving excellence as benchmarked against the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. Gold level – Achievement of Excellence Award recipients for 2008 were Eaton North American Financial Services in Brook Park, Flower Hospital in Toledo, and Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area in Toledo.
   
Information about the Ohio Award for Excellence and the application process is available on the Ohio Partnership for Excellence website at http://www.partnershipohio.org/html/home.htm.