Contact:
Colin Schaller
800-248-1946 Ext 7617
cschaller@asq.org

For Immediate Release

ASQ Announces Quality for Life Initiative

Members Encouraged to Submit Stories of How Their Quality Skills Impact Lives

Milwaukee, Wis., October 7, 2008 – Quality is more than a profession. For many, quality is a skill that can be used to serve a higher purpose: to improve the lives of others. To recognize these individuals and countless others in the quality community for their contributions, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) has developed a Quality for Life program. As part of the new initiative, ASQ members are encouraged to submit stories detailing their community involvement to qualityforlife@asq.org.

“Quality for Life extends beyond the office, lab or plant floor; it’s encompassed in everyday life,” said Roberto Saco, president of ASQ. “This initiative is designed to share the stories of quality professionals who use the passion, commitment and skills they use in the workplace and apply them to volunteer efforts.”

For Chris Parker, corporate director of quality systems development and lean manufacturing for Benchmark Electronics, Winona, Minn., applying quality tools to a local volunteer activity was a concept that hit home — literally. When a massive flood damaged his hometown of Stockton, Minn., in August 2007, Parker didn’t hesitate to offer his expertise. The problem was, the community did not know where to begin.

“When I asked the mayor what I could do to help, he gave me a puzzled expression,” says Parker. “In any type of problem management, the key is finding a place to start.”

After becoming the city’s new emergency response coordinator, Parker modified Deming’s plan, do, check, act model (PDCA) to reflect the city’s emergency situation. The new reactive model worked so well that the city of Stockton had established a sense of normalcy within the first week. In fact, Parker was asked to present his plan to the Southeast Minnesota League of Municipalities and the Homeland Security Office based in Minneapolis to help standardize emergency plans for small communities. Looking back, Parker has no regrets volunteering to help his community.

“It felt like I accomplished something,” concludes Parker. “I was able to offer leadership that assured the residents of Stockton that something was getting done.”

Share Your Story
ASQ members are encouraged to participate in the Quality for Life initiative by submitting stories of their community involvement to qualityforlife@asq.org. Once stories have been collected, they will be shared in the electronic newsletter ASQ Weekly, and ultimately highlighted on the ASQ Web site.
Another element of the Quality for Life initiative is a blog that has been established on the ASQ Web site. Hosted by ASQ board member Kay Kendall, the blog can be accessed at: www4.asq.org/blogs/quality-life/. Kendall will offer her insight and inspiration on the value of quality as a means to make life and the world a better place.  

The American Society for Quality, www.asq.org, has been the world's leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 90,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results, and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As a champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers, encouraging all to Make Good Great®. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., ASQ is a founding partner of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.