The Lab and its support service contractors have received 31 Piñon and Roadrunner recognitions since 1997.

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., April 17, 2013—Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Quality and Performance Assurance Division received Piñon Recognition from Quality New Mexico and will be recognized at QNM’s annual learning summit and awards ceremony April 22-23 in Albuquerque.

Piñon Recognition signifies that organizations have demonstrated development and use of systematic processes as a foundation for analysis and improvement to attain improved organizational outcomes, according to Quality New Mexico’s webpage (www.qualitynewmexico.org ).

Los Alamos National Laboratory sits on top of a once-remote mesa in northern New Mexico with the Jemez mountains as a backdrop to research and innovation covering multi-disciplines from bioscience, sustainable energy sources, to plasma physics and new materials. Photo credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory

The Quality and Performance Assurance Division is responsible for developing and overseeing implementation of the Lab’s quality assurance and contractor assurance programs that are part of the contract between Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy.

"Piñon recognition represents a team effort across the Quality and Performance Assurance Division," said QPA Division Leader Bob Dotson. "Participation in the Quality New Mexico program and the feedback received during this process is extremely valuable in supporting the division's journey to excellence. While we continue to implement the strategies and suggestions made, we are certain that the process has and will better position the division to support the Laboratory in meeting its mission and to drive increased customer satisfaction."

“Congratulations to LANL’s Quality and Performance Assurance team for receiving Piñon Recognition in the New Mexico Quality Awards Program,” said Julia Gabaldon, president and chief executive officer of Quality New Mexico. “We look forward to recognizing LANL’s Quality and Performance Assurance Division team at our learning summit.”

The Laboratory and its support service contractors have received 31 Piñon and Roadrunner recognitions from Quality New Mexico since 1997. The Laboratory is a Chairman’s Circle sponsor of the learning summit and awards ceremony. For more than a decade, Los Alamos staff members have served as examiners who review applications submitted to QNM. Laboratory staff members also have been judges, editors and loaned executives to Quality New Mexico.