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After earning a bachelor's in physics at Stanford, Chris spent two years with Peace Corps on a small Caribbean island where he taught physics and math in a rural high school surrounded by nutmeg and banana trees.  He then began research in Jan Hall’s lab at JILA for his Ph.D. research, where he was involved in some of the early precision optical measurements with trapped neutral atoms.  Next, he joined Leo Hollberg’s Group in the Time and Frequency Division, where he began developing neutral atom clocks based on optical transitions.  He was the leader of the Optical Frequency Measurements Group from 2008-2016 and has spent the past two years as chief of the Time and Frequency Division. Outside of work Chris likes to study languages, travel (especially Italy), read (novels, behavioral economics), bake cookies, grow tomatoes, bodysurf (not in Colorado!), listen to 80's music, and hang out with his teenage boys.

Matt Barrett has spent the last 20+ years of his career serving as an executive, a Fortune 100 consultant, and a federal employee. He is currently the Program Manager for the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, or simply the “Framework.” He leads this program through planning, team oversight and coordination, and outreach to industry and federal organizations. Matt works through those relationships to provide perspective and guidance, as well as gather input on the use and evolution of the Framework.

Daniel is the VA Innovators Network Operations Lead.

Andrea is the VA Innovators Network Lead.

Gary is a regional manager at NIST MEP for the southwest region.

I am Bob, Director of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. I have been with Baldrige since 1997 serving on many of the teams in the office in many different roles. Since becoming the Deputy Director in 2011, I have led the effort to design, develop, and implement a new business model that relies even more heavily on partnerships and collaboration as well as cost control and revenue generation. As Director, I manage overall operations, focusing on enhancing our products and services, ensuring efficient and effective operations, as well as planning for strategic capability and capacity needs. In addition, I spend significant time and energy helping to lead and guide the development and implementation of the Baldrige Enterprise.  I am thrilled to be a part of the Baldrige Program where I get to work with and learn from people and organizations committed to achieving excellence.

My background includes owning and managing small service-based businesses, six years as a human resources specialist, a Bachelors degree in Psychology, and an MBA from the University of Maryland. When not working, I enjoy exercising and spending time with my wonderful wife, three kids, and Buddy, my boxer dog.

Dawn has been with the the Baldrige Program for more than 20 years. Part of the Education Team, she is involved in producing the Baldrige Excellence Framework and leads the Baldrige Executive Fellows program. Her background is in writing, editing, project management, and communications, with bachelor degrees in English and journalism from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree from George Mason University.

I am Harry Hertz, the Baldrige Cheermudgeon, and Director Emeritus of the Baldrige Program. I joined the Program in 1992 after a decade in management in the analytical chemistry and chemical sciences laboratories at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the home of the Baldrige Program. I started my career at NIST (NBS) as a bench analytical chemist.

My favorite aspects of the Baldrige Program are: (1) the opportunity to interact with leading thinkers from all sectors of the U.S. economy who serve as volunteers in the Baldrige Program, who participate in the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, and who represent Award applicants at the forefront of the continuous journey to performance excellence, and (2) the intellectual challenge of synthesizing ideas from leading thinkers and from personal research into Insights on the Road to Performance Excellence and other blogs that tackle challenges at the “leading edge of validated leadership and performance practice,” and contribute to the continuous revision of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework.

Outside of work I spend my time with family (including three beautiful granddaughters), exercising, baking bread, traveling, educating tomorrow’s leaders, and participating on various boards and board committees.

Christine Schaefer is a longtime staff member of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP). Her work has focused on producing BPEP publications and communications. She also has been highly involved in the Baldrige Award process, Baldrige examiner training, and other offerings of the program.

She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Virginia, where she was an Echols Scholar and a double major, receiving highest distinction for her thesis in the interdisciplinary Political & Social Thought Program. She also has a master's degree from Georgetown University, where her studies and thesis focused on social and public policy issues. 

When not working, she sits in traffic in one of the most congested regions of the country, receives consolation from her rescued beagles, writes poetry, practices hot yoga, and tries to cultivate a foundation for three kids to direct their own lifelong learning (and to PLEASE STOP YELLING at each other—after all, we'll never end wars if we can't even make peace at home!).