The Greater Rochester Quality Council (GRQC) has announced its 2011 slate of officers.  The roster includes five leaders with extensive experience in operational performance excellence.

The 2011 GRQC officers are:

Chair: Carol Wilke
Functional Business Process Manager, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Vice Chair: Darlene Ryan
Operational Process Improvement Manager, Unity Health System

Secretary: Nancy Plews
Quality Director, VP Prepress Solutions, Eastman Kodak Co.
                                   
Treasurer: Vince Vezza
Quality Professional

Executive Director: George Hansen
Executive Director, Empire State Advantage

GRQC also announced its role in a program with Monroe Community College's Office of Workforce Development that is aimed at teaching how to apply quality methodology, such as Lean Six Sigma, in the workplace.
 
Monroe Community College Office of Workforce Development was awarded a $90,000 grant from the State University at New York for the program and has invited GRQC members to arrange the training.

"Seventeen people started Green Belt classes in January and will be certified upon completion of a project," said GRQC Board Chair Wilke. "Each project promises to deliver thousands of dollars of value to the participant's organization. With $90,000, we could fund training for 100 Green Belts."

The training program aims to enhance the skills of workers and help employers operate with higher quality and lower cost within a rapidly changing economic climate. The grant covers 80 percent of the tuition; the member's organization contributes 20 percent, plus employee class time away from work.

This training project is in addition to other work GRQC is doing in the community, including Rapid Cycle projects with not-for profit agencies and PENCIL partnerships with two Rochester city schools.

GRQC membership is composed of area businesses, educational institutions, governmental agencies, health care institutions and not-for-profit organizations.

The Greater Rochester Quality Council forms strong partnerships with leaders from all sectors to share process improvement strategies and methods that result in performance excellence in order to accelerate economic growth and improve the quality of life in our community. For more information on the Greater Rochester Quality Council, visit www.grqc.org. 

GRQC is an affiliate of the Rochester Business Alliance, the regional chamber of commerce for the nine-county Greater Rochester area.