For the fourth consecutive year, Bryan Zak of the Alaska Small Business Development Center in Homer has been appointed to the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

The appointment was made by Dr. Patrick Gallagher, director of the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. Zak has served on the board of examiners every year since 2010.

The award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. 

As an examiner, Zak is responsible for reviewing and evaluating award applications.

According to a press release issued by Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, the board is comprised of approximately 500 experts from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations, and nonprofits including government. 

All board members take part in a preparation course based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the scoring and evaluation processes for the Baldrige Award. The Baldrige Award may be given annually in each of six categories: manufacturing, service, small business, education, health care and nonprofit. 

Awards have been presented to 93 organizations, including the 2012 recipients: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, Texas (manufacturing); MESA Products Inc., Tulsa, Okla. (small business); North Mississippi Health Services, Tupelo, Miss. (health care); and City of Irving, Irving, Texas (nonprofit).  

Information about the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and the application process is available by calling (301) 975-2036, sending an e-mail to baldrige@nist.gov, or going to the Baldrige Program’s Web site at http://www.nist.gov/baldrige.