Chimes sets its sights on Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for organizational performance excellence.

On Monday, March 12, 2007, Chimes joined an elite body of Maryland organizations today, winning the 2006 U.S. Senate Productivity Award. The award, part of the annual Maryland Performance Excellence Awards Program sponsored by U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin, is the highest distinction given in Maryland to organizations for performance excellence.

The 2006 U.S. Senate Productivity Award earned by the Maryland-based subsidiaries – Chimes International, Chimes Maryland, and Chimes D.C. – is another significant step in the Baltimore-based not-for-profit’s quest toward excellence.

The awards are given by the state’s U.S. Senators and the University of Maryland to organizations that are deemed worthy of emulation throughout the state. Award applicants complete a rigorous self-examination and application process, after which teams of examiners spend up to 1,000 hours evaluating, scoring, and providing feedback using the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.

Those criteria evaluate an organization based on its: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement analysis and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results.

Chimes began its climb up the ladder in 2002, when it was honored with a Bronze Maryland Quality Award. Not satisfied, Chimes used the detailed feedback report it received to make improvements in its organization. Those improvements saw Chimes win a Gold Maryland Quality Award in 2004.

“We are incredibly proud to receive this award,” Stephen S. Kramer, Chimes Board Chair, said. “Today’s recognition is only one of the many ways that Chimes strives for excellence. Last year, Chimes met the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance stringent ‘Standards for Charity Accountability.’ We will continue to go the extra mile to earn the trust of all of our stakeholders.”

“The U.S. Senate Productivity Award is given each year to an organization representing excellence in Maryland,” said Senators Mikulski and Cardin in a joint statement. “It our pleasure to congratulate this year's winner—Chimes—whose mission focuses on deeds, not just words. Chimes, celebrating its’ 60th Anniversary, is known for its outstanding service for meeting the needs of its customers—persons with disabilities. With this honor, it will also be widely recognized for its constant mission to do better, always assessing its best practices and for building on lessons learned.”

The Maryland Performance Excellence Awards are modeled after the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards, which were created by Congress in 1987 to “enhance the competitiveness, quality and productivity of U.S. organizations for the benefit of all residents.”

“We decided to put Chimes to the test again in 2006 because the entire organization is committed to excellence, to being Number 1,” Terry Allen Perl, Chimes, President and CEO, said.

“Our industry, providers of services for people with disabilities, must increase our efficiency and effectiveness while increasing the satisfaction of our customers. We, as an industry, must adopt business practices that not only assure that the people we serve have the supports and services to live in the communities of their choice and pursue their hopes, dreams and desires, but also assure a living wage for the dedicated staff that provide care, services and supports. This award is recognition that we are continuing to make progress on our journey of excellence and serving as leaders in our field,” said Perl in accepting the 2006 U.S. Senate Productivity Award.

“Just going through the process shows that an organization is committed to quality,” Perl said. “Incorporating quality into your organization improves your efficiency and effectiveness, which results in stakeholder satisfaction.” And although Chimes has now earned the highest award available at the state level, its journey is not finished.

Previous winners of the U.S. Senate Productivity Award have included the Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care (2005); Montgomery County Public Schools (2004); Villa Maria Continuum (2003); Nurad Technologies (2002); U.S. Coast Guard Activities, Baltimore (2001); Bovis Lend Lease (2000); Bushy Park Elementary School in Howard County (2000).

About Chimes International & subsidiaries – U. S. and Israel

Established in 1947 at Maryland’s first school for children with moderate mental retardation, Chimes has expanded to an international multi-service organization. This Maryland based not for profit, its subsidiaries and related corporations deliver a wide range of programs, services and supports for more than 12,000 people of all ages and many levels of ability. Chimes assists people with disabilities including mental retardation and mental illness. One subsidiary specializes in securing large scale work contracts through federal and state set aside programs that promote the employment of people with disabilities. Chimes DC is active in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia, with contracts for custodial and other services at such well known facilities as the Library of Congress; Dover, Andrews Air Force Base, and Fort Bragg, the Social Security Metro West and Fallon Federal complexes in Baltimore; as well as Baltimore Washington International Airport.

Locations include: Maryland Delaware, District of Columbia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Israel.

About the Maryland Performance Excellence Awards

The Maryland Performance Excellence Awards Program recognizes and honors high-performing organizations in Maryland. Given since 1983 by Maryland’s U.S. Senators and the University of Maryland, the awards foster process-based, measurable, continuous improvement that drives results, creating successful organizations that strengthen the Maryland economy.

Click here to view the award brochure.