PINEHURST, N.C. – The Village of Pinehurst recently attained the Level 3 Milestone Award for Excellence from the North Carolina State University Industry Expansion Solutions. This milestone recognizes organizations that have implemented an integrated approach to organizational performance management as measured by the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework. North Carolina Secretary of Commerce John Skvarla presented the award to the Pinehurst Village Council at their meeting on Tuesday, May 24.
Reaching Milestone 3 indicates that an organization has traveled a significant distance on its journey. At this level, organizations have submitted a 50-page written application which details the integrated processes it has in place and the results it is generating. The application is then verified by a team of Baldrige examiners who conduct a site visit to clarify and verify the organization’s written application.
“We began using the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework in 2012 to help us deliver more effective and efficient services. 99% of our residents rate the quality of life in Pinehurst as good or excellent, 97% of our employees indicate they are satisfied with their jobs, and the Village has set several all-time high nationwide satisfaction ratings in several service areas. We use the Baldrige Framework to help us improve because it works,” says Natalie Dean, Assistant Village Manager.
Dean leads the Village’s continuous improvement efforts, with the support of the Village Manager and the Village Council. “We have seen the benefits this program has for our residents, businesses and visitors and we are committed to our continuous improvement efforts to deliver increasing value for our taxpayers,” said Pinehurst Mayor Nancy Fiorillo.
“In the last four years, we’ve made such tremendous progress and we’re only going to get better. Continuous improvement is a part of our culture now…it’s who we are…and we plan to stay on this path because it generates results,” said Dean.
About the Award
The Award for Excellence program is a cooperative industry, healthcare, academic, and government initiative to improve organizational competitiveness and to provide recognition for organizations that serve as role models. The program was formed in 1989 and is now managed by the Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) at N.C. State University. It serves as the state program of the national Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award.
About the Village of Pinehurst
The Village of Pinehurst is located in Moore County, with a population of 15,968, and was incorporated as a municipality in 1980. In 1996, the Village was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The Village employs approximately 123 full time employees and 71 part time employees.
The Village is home to the Pinehurst Resort, which operates nine championship golf courses, including the famous Pinehurst No. 2 course. This course hosted the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Open Championships and made history in 2014 by being the first course to ever host the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships in back to back weeks on the same course.
About IES
Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) is the engineering-based, solutions-driven, client-focused unit of NC State University. Our broad portfolio and deep industry expertise help organizations grow, innovate and prosper. Our extensive partnerships with business, industry, education and government generate a unique culture of collaboration that provides access to cutting-edge expertise, research, and technology.
###
