The Norman Transcript
By Meghan McCormick

Moore Norman Technology Center is one of four organizations that have earned a 2007 Oklahoma Quality Award. The school was named the winner of the Oklahoma Quality award for achievement.

MNTC Superintendent John Hunter said the award is presented to organizations that have delivered quality service to customers and continue to improve operational performance. Hunter and his staff learned about their achievement Nov. 1.

“We got a call from Mike Strong (executive director of the Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation Inc.) and he told us that we got the award,” he said.

The school will receive its award during a luncheon ceremony Dec. 5, at the Governor’s mansion in Oklahoma City.

Hunter said MNTC first applied for the honor in 2005, and received feedback from the Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation on areas where improvement was needed. A critical component was to learn from the school’s first application.

“We took that feedback and tried to incorporate what they recommended,” he said.

Hunter said since 2005, MNTC has assembled focus groups and used surveys to acquire input from its customer base.

“We’re spending more time listening and learning from our customers,” he said.
Hunter said the award program has three levels: commitment, achievement and excellence. Moore Norman Technology Center is the second school to capture the achievement status.

He said only 10 schools in the state have won the award at any level. No educational center has reached the excellence level.

At the December awards ceremony, Leader Communications Inc., Oklahoma City; Unity Health Center, Shawnee; and the Valley Regional Hospital, Ada, will receive the Oklahoma Quality Award for Commitment, according to a release from the Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation Inc.

“This is a terrific group of companies and organizations,” Gov. Brad Henry said in the press release. “They represent the best of Oklahoma and we are proud to recognize them. Businesses and organizations must be flexible and innovative if they are to thrive in the highly competitive marketplace of the 21st century. These organizations embody that approach.”

“The most frequently asked question about the award process is, ‘Why should we participate?’” Rocky Flick, chairman of the board of the Foundation and president of Blitz USA, a Miami, Okla.-based firm and previous award winner, said in the release.

“The Oklahoma Quality Award application process helps us develop strategic improvement initiatives that address the major competitive issues of quality products, services and customer relationships,” Flick said.

This is the 14th year of the Oklahoma Quality Awards administered by the Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation Inc., the press release stated.

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