Walter C. Kruse, Business Development Specialist at the Central Tech Business Assistance Center , 1720 South Main St. in Sapulpa , has been appointed by Hratch G. Semerjian to the 2004 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award. The Award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. Semerjian is Acting Director of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology.

As an Examiner, Kruse is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Award. The board is composed of about 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations, and government.

Those selected meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition. All members of the board must take part in a preparation course based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the scoring and evaluation processes for the Baldrige Award.

Awards may be given annually in each of five categories: Manufacturing, Service, Small

Business, Education and Health Care. Awards have been presented to 56 organizations, including the 2003 Award recipients: Medrad, Inc., Boeing Aerospace Support, Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (US), Stoner Incorporated, Community Consolidated School District 15, Baptist Hospital, Inc. and Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City .

Kruse is well known in Creek, Lincoln and Payne counties of Oklahoma for his efforts, through the Central Technology Center BIS Center, to assist small business enterprises in gaining capitol for startups or relocations and in developing long range planning. Kruse was recently named Small Business Administration Financial Services Advocate of the Year for Oklahoma .