Pharr named finalist for national award
PHARR — The City of Pharr has recently been named a finalist for a national award, according to a Monday release.
Pharr earned the honor, which is the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — the country’s highest presidential honor which recognizes organizational performance excellence.
There are a total of 13 organizations that were selected as finalists this year. More notably, out of the 13, Pharr was the only city entity in the nation that earned the honor.
Well, what exactly is the award about?
Those who earn the award are due to the instance that they have displayed high-performing organization across sectors such as, healthcare, nonprofit, service, small business and community sectors.
The award if presented on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also overseen by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and administered by the Alliance for Performance Excellence.
More so, evaluation is considered to be quite rigorous as entities are graded and evaluated in areas including leadership, strategy, customer focus, organizational intelligence, workforce and operations. In addition, according to a release by the city, organizations must demonstrate effectiveness and produce measurable outcomes.
Pharr Mayor Dr.Ambrosio Hernandez said the award was a testament to the hard work performed by the city’s employees.
“Being selected as a national finalist places the City of Pharr among the nation’s highest-performing organizations and is a tremendous honor for our entire community,” Hernandez said in a release. “As the only city in the nation selected to receive a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award site visit this year, this recognition reflects our commitment to Excellence Every Day and is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of every City employee who strives to serve our residents with the highest quality care and service. We are incredibly proud of this milestone and remain committed to continuously improving the quality of life for everyone who calls Pharr home.”
City Manager Dr. Jonathan Flores shared the same sentiment.
“This is the result of years of intentional work to build a high-performing organization,” Flores said. “We don’t simply say we provide outstanding service; we prove it through performance data, measurable outcomes, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This national recognition belongs to every employee whose dedication to serving our community has helped make this achievement possible.”
The city said that as part of the finalist process, it will host a team of national Baldrige examiners for an extensive on-site evaluation in the fall. Examiners will meet with employees, observe operations, and validate the city’s application through a review.