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Monday, Feb. 9, 1998
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Lab garners five New Mexico Quality Awards
Five Laboratory organizations were among the 79 statewide that won awards as part of the fifth annual New Mexico Quality Awards. The program recognizes those organizations that excel in using quality concepts and principles.
The program uses the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria and is broken into three award levels: the Zia Award, the highest honor given to those organizations that clearly demonstrated performance excellence; the Roadrunner Award, for those organizations that implemented quality processes and demonstrated significant progress; and the Piñon Award, which recognizes those organizations that made serious commitments to using quality concepts and principles.
The Research Library (CIC-14) and the Facilities, Security and safeguards (FSS) Division won Roadrunner awards. The Business Operations (BUS) Division, the Critical Experiments Facility at Technical Area 18 and Solid Waste Operations (EM-SWO) won Piñon awards.
Only one organization, L&M Technologies Inc., in Albuquerque, won the Zia Award. L&M Technologies also is a Lab contractor that recently won a $3 million contract for environmental cleanup activities.
All applications were judged in leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; human resource development and management; process management; information and analysis; and customer satisfaction results.
"We are very proud of FSS Division and the Research Library for receiving the New Mexico Quality Roadrunner Award, and of BUS Division, Solid Waste Management and the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility for receiving the Piñon Award," said Laboratory Director John Browne. "Quality is important in all aspects of our Laboratory. Thanks to all the employees in these organizations for showing the way."
The winning organizations were announced Wednesday during a press conference held in the State Capitol Rotunda in Santa Fe and on the House and Senate floors of the state legislature. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici and Gov. Gary Johnson, the three honorary chairs of Quality New Mexico, are scheduled to present the awards during QNM's annual conference, to be held March 5 and 6 in Sweeney Convention Center, Hotel Loretto and La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe (see the accompanying sidebar).
"All of the core values and concepts of the award criteria are clearly in evidence at FSS," the board of examiners wrote in their executive summary. "It is clear to the examining team that FSS is driven by the values of continuous, improvement, safety and respect for the individual. The enthusiasm and capability of the leadership and staff of FSS are outstanding."
Regarding CIC-14, the examiners wrote, "The LANL Research Library has integrated a strong customer focus with visionary planning and uses a well-defined process, Strategic Business Management, for managing their business. They are demonstrating strong results from their advancements in a number of areas." The examiners also noted CIC-14's strong leadership and customer interest and significant improvement in productivity and supplier responsiveness, among other accomplishments.
Organizations that win Piñon awards typically are beginning to develop and implement quality principles and concepts. Nonetheless, the examiners still found many positive signs with EM-SWO, BUS Division and LACEF.
The examiners recognized EM-SWO for increasing customer satisfaction, reducing cycle times and satisfying employee needs. They also, among other things, recognized the group's training and safety programs and its close relationships with stakeholders in refining processes and performance. "The partnership between group management and contract employees is being developed to ensure better safety and training benefits for the contract employee," they added. The examiners praised LACEF for recovering from a forced shutdown in 1990 and for winning the Lab's Donald G. Summers Quality Excellence Award in 1995. "LACEF's actions to align its goals with the National Laboratory's strategic plan, along with efforts to stay current with technical developments in its field, will keep the facility at the forefront of critical mass science," they wrote. BUS Division received high marks in leadership and strategic planning. "The ... division demonstrated approach and deployment of the Malcolm Baldrige criteria throughout its organization," the examiners wrote. They also recognized the division for putting in processes that recognize and encourage employee participation to increase organizational effectiveness, as well as for clearly demonstrating Baldrige core values in the Quality Support Office. --Ternel N. Martinez |
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Employee contributions to help New Mexico high school students
Laboratory employees soon may be able to contribute to a fund that will provide scholarships to New Mexico high school students under a new "Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund" program.
Employees could donate between $1 and $10 each paycheck, and the contributions to the scholarship fund would be tax deductible. The scholarship program would be managed by the not-for-profit Laboratory Foundation, said Gene Farnum of Structure/Property Relationships (MST-8), who along with Robert Romero of Facility Operations/CMR (NMT-13) developed the proposal. Both are on the Diversity Council.
The Diversity Council briefed Laboratory Director John Browne on the program at a working lunch last week.
"This follows along my same thinking about student programs here at the Lab," Browne said. "This will be really good for our Lab . . . I like it."
Farnum told Browne that the goal of the employee scholarship fund is to make Northern New Mexico a premier source of science and engineering undergraduates and also to attract undergrads to the Lab.
Romero told Browne that if all University of California Lab employees contributed $4 every payday for an entire year, the scholarship fund would collect more than $500,000. Up to $100,000 in various scholarships could be awarded beginning in the fall of 1999 through the scholarship fund.
Specific guidelines for awarding scholarships, student eligibility criteria and how employees can contribute to the fund were being developed by the Diversity (DV) Office and council and the foundation. An advisory board will be created to oversee the Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund, Farnum added.
"Gene and I were concerned . . . that the availability of minorities and women for technical staff positions remains low," Romero said in explaining the impetus for the scholarship fund. Another factor in the creation of the fund is that "We want to reach out to our neighbors. We recognize that the employees have been wanting some way to reach out to our neighbors but have not had a way to do," he said.
"We realized that we could accomplish this by encouraging students to pursue advanced degrees in fields important to the Laboratory," he said.
Farnum said that as Farnum and Romero continued researching the issue, they also noticed that a fair number of Native Americans, Hispanics and other minorities are in the Lab's undergraduate programs. "But either they're not coming back here or they're not getting the advanced degrees needed to qualify for advanced positions," said Farnum.
"We're kind of isolated up here. We tend to remain isolated. This is a way to build on our educational values and say to our neighbors 'Come join us. We will help you become qualified to work here.' "
Another impetus for establishing the Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund came from Romero's work in trying to find scholarship monies for his son. Russell Romero, now a student at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, graduated from Los Alamos high school in 1996. "We found that several large companies and organizations offered scholarships," said Bob Romero. "We felt that the Laboratory should have similar programs."
So Farnum and Romero proposed the scholarship fund to the Diversity Council. "So far everyone has been enthusiastic," said Farnum. "Lab management has really supported us on it."
All UC Lab employees, as well as the Department of Energy's Los Alamos Area Office and major subcontractor employers, such as Protection Technology Los Alamos and Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico, will be invited to contribute to the scholarship fund. Contingent on DOE approval, donations can be made through payroll deductions.
Assuming all the required paperwork is completed, the Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund could begin fundraising this spring and send out official notices to local communities this fall, Romero said. Initial scholarships - there will be four levels of award - could be given out in the fall of 1999, he said.
The scholarship fund, which is part of the Diversity Alliance and the Laboratory Foundation, will work with the Lab's science education programs to promote the scholarship program. The advisory council also plans to publish an informational pamphlet on the program, said Farnum.
"This is going to require a coordinated effort, so we need to get the word out to employees," added Romero.
Students who receive a scholarship through the program have to commit to working summers at the Lab, said Farnum. "We want to develop a loyalty among students so they will come back here. We recognize they're going to be quite employable, and we're going to have to compete for them."
He said during their work in the summer, students will have two mentors that will focus on furthering their education and on finding increasingly challenging jobs at the Lab.
Students wouldn't be guaranteed a job at the Lab every summer, but officials who oversee the scholarship fund would work closely with student mentors, the Lab's science education and student programs offices to ensure that students are aware of job openings and have the opportunity to apply for available jobs, Farnum said.
The four scholarship levels have minimum grade point averages and subject matter requirements, said Romero, adding that the scholarships will be awarded based on academic and leadership potential without racial, ethnic, gender or creed preference.
The highest level scholarship pays for full tuition, room and board up to $25,000 a year for four years at any school in the country. In order to keep a scholarship, students must obtain a 3.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), and they must be a science, math or engineering major.
The second level scholarship provides a maximum of a $10,000 a year for four years and a 3.25 minimum grade point average is required. Students must be majoring in either a science- or engineering-related field.
The third level scholarship provides a maximum of up to $2,500 a year for four years. A minimum 3.0 grade point average in any field of study is required.
A level four scholarship provides up to $2,500 a year. This scholarship is good for one year.
Romero noted that students can move up and down on the levels, and if a student's grade point average drops below the required level for his or her scholarship, the student can re-apply for a scholarship when grades are brought back up.
And Romero added that current employees are eligible to apply for a scholarship through the new program. "We recognize that some of our employees would like to go back and get their degrees for further advancement," said Romero.
For more information on the scholarship fund, write to Farnum at farnum@lanl. gov or Romero at rjromero@lanl.gov by electronic mail.
--Steve Sandoval
Foundation will match employee contributions to Northern New Mexico educational institutions
Laboratory employees can make tax-deductible donations directly to kindergarten through undergraduate-level institutions in Northern New Mexico through the recently created Laboratory Foundation. The foundation in turn will match employee contributions.
The Matching Gifts for Education program would take contributions from active employees and Laboratory retirees and match them up to a total of $50,000 a year, said Tom Garcia, the Lab's acting deputy director for business administration and outreach and president of the foundation.
Employees can obtain an application form, which would be completed by the employee and the educational institution the employee designates as the recipient of its donation, Garcia explained.
In the meantime, the not-for-profit Laboratory Foundation is now accepting applications to fund grant programs in community outreach, education and regional educational enrichment.
The Laboratory foundation was created last year to make philanthropic grants primarily in Northern New Mexico communities. Giving guidelines were mailed recently to over 2,200 not-for-profit organizations, school district superintendents and school principals in the region, said Garcia.
The deadline for organizations interested in submitting an application for educational or community outreach grants is March 13; the deadline for educational enrichment grants is March 30, he said.
All organizations will be notified by the foundation on the status of their grant request within a month from the grant deadline, he added.
Garcia estimates some $3 million is in the foundation's coffers and about two-thirds of that amount is expected to be given out in grants this year.
"The foundation board and staff are really excited about the three giving programs, and we hope to make an impact in Northern New Mexico through these programs," Garcia said. "The Laboratory has a long legacy of support for Northern New Mexico and the establishment of the foundation will further strengthen the Lab's positive relationship with Northern New Mexico."
There are three types of grants available: community outreach, regional educational enrichment and educational enhancement.
The foundation's board has earmarked up to $500,000 to be given out in community outreach and educational grants. Up to $1 million has been earmarked for education enrichment grants from the foundation, he said.
A resource allocation committee of the foundation's board of directors will consider input from advisory subcommittees that have been created for each of the three types of grants. The allocation committee and subcommittees are composed of board members, community leaders and community-minded individuals from the region, Garcia said.
He stressed that contributions to the foundation are tax deductible because the foundation is a not-for-profit organization (see Aug. 11, 1997 Daily Newsbulletin)
Community outreach grant proposals must enhance the quality of life in New Mexico communities where employees and Lab retirees live and work, Garcia said. "Through the Laboratory, we hope to use these particular grants to create stronger partnerships with local nonprofits and provide grants with greater community impact," he said.
Organizations submitting a proposal for a community outreach grant can collaborate to submit a grant request, but the lead organization must have a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit charitable tax-exempt status certificate and be in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service. They also must be located in Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos, Mora, San Miguel or Sandoval counties or be from one of the regional Indian pueblos.
Regional educational outreach grants will be awarded for programs that focus on innovative education programs that match present and future community workforce needs. Submitting organizations must also be not-for-profit educational institutions in New Mexico and maintain a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt certificate.
Grant proposals of this type, among other things, should foster school-to-work cooperative education, job placement and career planning initiatives; provide high-quality, cost-effective teaching training; increase student participation in math and science; increase public understanding of science and other technical careers; and leverage other funding sources, such as businesses, other foundations and the state Department of Education.
Regional educational enrichment grants will supplement existing educational programs in eligible school districts, Garcia said. "We know there are many excellent educational programs already in place in school districts in Northern New Mexico," he said.
"We hope to use these grants to maintain a level of educational excellence necessary to enable the University of California to recruit qualified employees from within the region to the Laboratory."
Eligible school districts are those in New Mexico where members of the Laboratory workforce reside.
Garcia stressed that foundation grants will be for one year, and if organizations want additional foundation funding beyond one year they must resubmit a request.
The foundation plans to develop a World Wide Web page that will be accessible online this spring. And the foundation has published its 1998 giving guidelines and grant making schedule in a brochure, which can be obtained by writing to Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, 1350 Central Ave., Suite 101, Los Alamos, N.M. 87544.
--Steve Sandoval
UC endorses President Clinton's plan to promote college and school partnerships
The University of California last week endorsed a plan announced by President Clinton to promote college and school partnerships and to prepare low-income students for higher education, according to a UC news release.
The president's High Hopes initiative, a $140 million competitive grant program, is designed to raise expectations of young people and encourage them to stay in school and go to college. The initiative calls for partnerships between universities and K-12 schools that would provide students with mentoring and other motivational support, financial aid information and opportunities and access to college-preparatory courses. Clinton's partnership concept closely parallels UC's own systemwide outreach program, begun last year with the UC Board of Regents' adoption of a series of task force recommendations and given further impetus last month by UC President Richard C. Atkinson's Outreach Action Plan. More information is available in the UC news release.
Text of Laboratory director's briefing to the president online
Before President Clinton's speech at the Laboratory last week, he was briefed by Laboratory Director John Browne on the Lab's supercomputing initiatives. The text of that briefing is available online. go to
Benefits Office offering limited service Wednesday
The Benefits Office will provide limited service to employees on Wednesday. Most of the Benefits staff will be in Albuquerque meeting with BlueCross BlueShield and Delta Dental customer service.
"We would like to ask employees, if possible, to see us Monday or Tuesday or wait until Thursday," Rosella Atencio-Gerst, Benefits team leader. "Of course, if employees are facing an urgent situation or they have appointments with the BlueCross BlueShield representative who is at the Lab each Wednesday, they should come in."
Lab director says, 'thanks'
PHOTO: Laboratory Director John Browne talks with, from left to right, Rebecca Martinez, Eileen Torres and Irene Martinez of Conference and Visitor's Management (PA-4) following a session the director held Friday morning in the Administration Building Auditorium to thank those employees who had worked to help make President Clinton's visit on Tuesday a success. The nearly full auditorium included employees from organizations throughout the Laboratory and from Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico, Protection Technology Los Alamos and ARAMARK. They munched on muffins and sipped coffee or tea while the director expressed his gratitude for a job well done. He especially thanked JCNNM employees for their hurried but well-done facelift to the Administration Building Auditorium and commended PTLA employees for their security effort during the president's visit. Browne laughingly recalled that a Secret Service agent gave Lab security a thumbs up when some members of the White House staff Browne was escorting behind a security fence were denied access by a PTLA guard because they did not have badges indicating proper clearance. Browne also noted that President Clinton came to the Lab because he wanted to make a strong statement about his support for science and technology and to see tools that are being put in place in support of the stockpile stewardship program. Photo by Fred Rick
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