GRQC is your trusted partner on the path to sustained excellence.
GRQC helps area organizations achieve sustained performance excellence by helping their leaders and teams learn and adopt best practices in improvement processes and organizational culture. We offer a broad range of easy-to-access services to meet the needs of all organizations, regardless of size, sector or experience with continuous improvement.
Deadline for Applications for the 2026 Day of Quality is March 13!
GRQC is looking for organizations and volunteers to participate in the 2026 Day of Quality. Choose a real, ongoing process problem affecting your daily operations, and a team of GRQC process excellence professionals will spend a day at your site, helping your organization overcome the challenge while learning new skills along the way. To learn more, click below.
Apply Now for the 2026 Performance Excellence Awards!
The Greater Rochester Quality Council (GRQC), an affiliate of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the 2026 Performance Excellence Awards.
The GRQC Performance Excellence Award Program supports organizations across all sectors of the economy gain valuable insights into strategic areas of their operations, connect with like-minded leaders in high-performing organizations, and earn formal recognition for achieving excellence through continuous improvement methodologies.
Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2026.
Join us for upcoming events!
Wed, Mar 11Hear how businesses can grow, compete and thrive by engaging with the fastest growing semiconductor ecosystem in the United States.
Learn About Partner Programs and Events
Upcoming PEN Programs
We are pleased to invite you to these programs presented by Performance Excellence Network (PEN).
A Call for Civil Discourse in Complex Times - March 19
Civil discourse lies at the heart of our democratic republic. Our system was not designed for uniform agreement, but for principled disagreement—expressed with respect, dignity, and a shared commitment to the common good. Today’s environment is challenging that principle, and it’s having impact on our organizations, our communities, and our ability to lead.
The Performance Excellence Network — in partnership with the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence and the Iowa Quality Center and in collaboration with the Greater Rochester Quality Council — is pleased to host an online webinar discussion on Thursday, March 19: “A Call for Civil Discourse in Complex Times.” The non-partisan discussion will feature Rusty Cunningham and Lee Rasch, both leaders at LeaderEthics, a nonprofit/nonpartisan organization committed to promoting ethical leadership among elected officials.
This session will explore the essential elements of civil discourse, examine its role as a cornerstone of a healthy democracy, and identify practical steps we can take to strengthen and promote civil discourse in today’s complex and polarized political environment. They will share information about the LeaderEthics initiative — A Call for Civil Discourse — and will explore how leaders of today’s organizations can navigate these times to create an enviornment where their teams can succeed despite the divide.
Click here for more information and registration.
The Principles of Excellence: Baldrige 101 — Apr 7 & 14 ONLINE Workshop
Today, organizations continue to experience challenges like never before: staffing shortages, inflationary pressure & economic uncertainty, managing a virtual/hybrid workforce, navigating supply chain issues, and managing through accelerating change are but a few of the many challenges facing today’s leaders. But – with the complexity of organizations – where does one start? How do you know on which areas to focus? And how to do you sustain the improvement over time?
The Performance Excellence Network — in partnership with the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence and the Iowa Quality Center — is pleased to announce a powerful workshop: The Principles of Performance Excellence: Baldrige 101. The workshop will be hosted April 7 & 14 (two half-days from 8AM-12PM CT) online and will be facilitated by Michael Garner of Momentum, a Minnesota-based consulting firm.
PEN is graciously extending member pricing for this workshop to members and friends of GRQC. When you register, select the PEN Member pricing for this 50% discount.
Click here for more information.
New Course Offerings at MCC
The Economic & Workforce Development Center of Monroe Community College offers easy-to-access programs for people with a wide variety of learning needs, schedules and budgets. Here are some of their offerings.
New sessions of the LSS Green Belt and Black Belt start in March. Here are links to full descriptions of both courses:
To ensure quality, cost control and on time project delivery, Project Management skills are essential not only for those leading key projects but also for project team members. MCC’s Corporate College is offering the following Project Management courses in February 2026:
Fundamentals of Project Management
Project Management Body Knowledge Best Practices
Click here for a listing of all of the Professional Development courses.
The Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center is designed to focus on rapid training, retraining and upskilling of technical middle-skilled workers in demand by local employers. Through innovative partnerships and technical programming, the FWD Center is a catalyst in developing our region’s economy. Employers and individuals, click here for more information.
New Courses from RIT|Certified
Yellow, Green and Black Belt certification via an academic (for-credit) pathway are available every semester. Use the following links for information about these programs:
We are launching four courses that would enable someone to gain entry into the semiconductor industry (three begin in March, one in May). Through four integrated courses, learners will explore the principles of semiconductor technology and its impact on society, gain hands-on knowledge of integrated circuit design, dive into thin film processes and vacuum systems, and master CMOS processing fundamentals. Participants will learn how to analyze, design, and troubleshoot fabrication processes while building a strong foundation in the physics and chemistry that drive semiconductor manufacturing.
Integrated Circuits Technology
Complementary Metal-Oxide Processing
Networking Technologies equips people with core networking skills and knowledge aligned with the CompTIA Network+ certification. Participants will learn how to install, configure, and troubleshoot networks across various environments, as well as how to support essential operations and apply security best practices.
Click here to visit the RIT|Certified website and search for courses.
GRQC Partner Events
View presentations and videos from recent
GRQC programs
From Continuous Improvement to Continuous Reinvention: The Next Frontier of
Process Excellence
For decades, organizations have mastered the art of excellence—eliminating waste, reducing variation, and driving reliability through Lean, Six Sigma, and Quality systems. But what happens when those systems work so well that there’s little left to optimize?
In this thought-provoking session, Yoni Stern of SIT – Systematic Inventive Thinking, Ltd. introduces a disciplined approach to creativity that begins where traditional Process Excellence leaves off. Drawing on SIT’s proven methodology—used by leading companies worldwide—Yoni challenges participants to rethink how innovation can thrive within constraints, not by breaking the rules, but by re-imagining them.
Click below to view the presenter slides from this event.
Click below to view the Zoom recording for this event.
Beyond the Leadership Pipeline: Rethinking Succession for Critical and High-Potential Talent
Succession planning has traditionally focused on leadership roles, often overlooking the critical and high-potential talent who drive execution, innovation, and organizational continuity. This session explores how organizations can expand succession planning beyond the leadership pipeline to intentionally develop key individual contributors. By connecting skills-based talent strategies to career pathing and employee development planning, attendees will learn how to identify critical roles, surface future-ready skills, and create meaningful growth pathways for employees who may not aspire to people leadership. The session offers practical insights for building a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready talent ecosystem.
Click below to view the presenter slides from this event.
Click below to view the Zoom recording of this event.
GRQC Resource Center
GRQC is your resource for tools and templates, case studies, local consulting resources, and links to industry-leading websites to aid you in your pursuit of performance excellence and quality improvement. Click on the links below to access information.
Download favorite tools of GRQC Board members
Dowload presentations from recent GRQC events.
Visit these websites for useful tools and templates.
Check back often to access new material that you can use!
Tools You Can Use - Free From GRQC!
GRQC has assembled a searchable library of tools developed by our members, partners and friends, and is offering them free to website users. Find tried and tested tools, templates and information about a wide variety of quality processes: control charts, FMEA, Lean, Pugh matrix, and many others. You can search the library by keyword or by sector (business, healthcare, education, etc.). When you find what you need, simply click on the tool name to download it to your PC.
Click the button below to go to the webpage Homegrown Tools in the GRQC Knowledge Center, and take advantage of the expertise of our members and friends.
Find Resources You Can Use On The Job
Be a Part of GRQC's Mission - Volunteer!
Would you like to partner with GRQC to advance performance excellence in the community without making a long-term commitment? We have just the thing for you – volunteering to help one of our committees! GRQC has eight committees that help us achieve our strategic objectives. These committees are staffed by GRQC Board members and volunteers. We invite you to visit our new Volunteer Opportunity website page and reach out to any of the committee contacts to lean more or to express your interest. Volunteer opportunities are open to GRQC members and non-members alike. We’d love to have you join us!
Become a GRQC Member
GRQC benefits its members through a wide variety of program activities and membership services, including:
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Participation in GRQC Workshops and Programs.
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Participation in GRQC’s community projects.
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Interaction with leaders and innovators regarding best practices in quality.
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Contributing to making the Greater Rochester area a community of excellence.
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Opportunities for networking with other organizations on the journey to excellence.
Our Champion and Advocate Level Members
