FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - In conjunction with a national awards ceremony held in Washington D.C. on May 21st , University of Arkansas Chancellor John A. White was elected the 2003-2004 president of the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Inc. White had served as the foundation’s vice president during the previous year.

"Chancellor White brings to the foundation a wealth of experience from higher education as well as membership on boards across the country," Industrial Engineering Department Head Dr. John English said. "His positions of leadership in the private as well as the public sector make him uniquely suited for the presidency of the Foundation."

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established in 1987 and named for the former Secretary of Commerce whose managerial expertise contributed to the effectiveness and efficiency of government. The goals of the Foundation are to enhance the quality and productivity of companies and corporations, regardless of size, and to raise overall awareness about the need for a commitment to continued improvement in the workplace.

Past Baldrige Award recipients include Boeing, Eastman Chemical Company, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. and 2002’s manufacturing winner Motorola Commercial, Government & Industrial Solutions Sector. In addition, the foundation named SSM Health Care as the first ever award recipient in Health Care.

"It’s an honor to be named president of the Baldrige Foundation," White said. "The current global economic malaise provides a great opportunity for U.S. organizations to restore consumer confidence by emphasizing quality improvement. The Baldrige process is built on a foundation of continuous improvement, with a focus on the customer. Also, the keys to making U.S. industry stronger also apply to higher education institutions."

White is a member of the Board of Directors for Eastman Chemical Company, J. B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., Logility, Inc., Motorola, Inc., and Russell Corporation; Eastman Chemical and Motorola are both winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. In 2002, White was elected president of the Southeastern Conference and elected to membership on the NCAA Board of Directors.

White is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He served as chairman of the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES), president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), and president of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. (GEM).