Celeste Ford, Founder and Board Chair, Stellar Solutions, Inc.
The Baldrige reputation for quality and excellence is unparalleled in business and a beacon for continuous improvement. We are proud and appreciative of Celeste’s vision and leadership in fueling our commitment to Baldrige standards in everything we do. — Michael Lencioni, CEO, Stellar Solutions
PALO ALTO, Calif. (PRWEB) January 15, 2021
Celeste Ford, Board Chair and Founder of Stellar Solutions, Inc., has been honored with the 2021 E. David Spong Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed by the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Inc. The award recognizes individuals who have performed truly extraordinary service, changed their world, and inspired others to do the same.
“Celeste Ford embodies Baldrige leadership values and principles, and has provided outstanding service to the Baldrige community and beyond,” said Al Faber, President and CEO of the Foundation. The Leadership Awards will be presented at an awards event as part of the virtual Quest for Excellence® conference on April 14, 2021.
“The Baldrige reputation for quality and excellence is unparalleled in business and a beacon for continuous improvement. We are proud and appreciative of Celeste’s vision and leadership in fueling our commitment to Baldrige standards in everything we do,” said Michael Lencioni, CEO of Stellar Solutions.
Ford led Stellar Solutions to win the 2017 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest honor for performance excellence and sustainability. Since then, Stellar Solutions executives have shared best practices in quality and excellence in the Baldrige and their customer communities across the country.
Her values-driven approach to business led to the founding of Stellar Solutions 26 years ago. The company’s mission was to deliver high-impact solutions while satisfying customer needs by ensuring that Stellar Solutions’ highly trained experts are in their dream jobs.
Today, Stellar Solutions provides key services in the multi-billion dollar aerospace marketplace for the development, delivery, and expansion of space exploration, communications and intricate technology connections across multiple frontiers.
By recognizing the value of motivated employees in delivering client satisfaction, Ford established a culture in which diverse perspectives and skills create a competitive advantage.
As an example, Stellar Solutions’ “Crossing Boundaries” program was an early model of intersectional problem solving that continues to empower each of its 200+ employees to draw upon the expertise of peers across the organization and the industries they serve.
Stellar Solutions has been recognized for its growth and culture as a Fortune Great Place to Work (2014 – Present), a Top 50 Women-Owned Businesses by the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, and one of the Fastest Growing Companies of the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times.
Ford’s recognitions include Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame, Fortune Small Business Magazine’s Best Bosses, and the Women in Aerospace Leadership Award. She is a winner of the 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award.
Her early career included serving as a guidance and control engineer for COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corporation), and project manager with the Aerospace Corporation where her work on NASA’s Space Shuttle Program led to recognition as “Woman of the Year.”
She is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She serves on the Board of Simpson Manufacturing and is a Trustee of the University of Notre Dame, where she attained her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. She holds an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University.
About The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Inc. The Baldrige Foundation is the private-sector partner of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) in the National Institute of Standards and Technology within the Department of Commerce. Its mission is to ensure the long-term financial viability of BPEP and to support organizational performance excellence. The Baldrige Foundation is recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. https://baldrigefoundation.org/
About Stellar Solutions, Inc. Stellar Solutions is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors. Stellar Solutions provides rapid-response capabilities related to global surveillance and cyber-security, space exploration, risk management, and technology optimization. These solutions to clients’ critical needs involve satellites in space, sensors on Earth, and intricate technology connections across multiple frontiers. With physical operations in California, Colorado, the greater Washington DC area, London and France as well as employees throughout the U.S. and the globe, Stellar Solutions has become a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills to dozens of significant programs. QuakeFinder, Stellar Solutions’ humanitarian R&D division, pursues earthquake prediction models. http://www.stellarsolutions.com
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