Sonja Alexander

Headquarters, Washington, DC

(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 00-68

Commitment to innovative management, quality and customer
service has earned four U.S. companies the George M. Low Award,
NASA’s highest honor for quality and technical performance.

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin presented the 2000 Low
Award, the nation’s oldest award for organizational quality,
yesterday at the 15th Annual NASA Continual Improvement and
Reinvention Conference on Quality Management in Alexandria, VA.

“Each of these companies personifies the importance of
continuous, quality, customer service and innovative management.
Their commitment to quality and performance has been a great asset
to NASA and the nation’s industries,” said Goldin.

Advanced Technologies Incorporated, Newport News, VA,
received the award for small-business product, and Jackson & Tull,
Aerospace Engineering Division, Seabrook, MD, received the Low
award for small-business service. Computer Sciences Corporation,
NASA Programs Division, Lanham-Seabrook, MD, was this year’s
winner in the large-business service category, and the Boeing
Company, Delta II Launch Division, Huntington Beach, CA, took the
award for large-business product.

Goldin also presented the prestigious 1999 QASAR (Quality and
Safety Achievement Recognition) Award to four individuals for
their significant improvements to products or services for NASA.
The award recognizes — in addition to NASA employees — personnel
from other Government agencies, prime contractors and
subcontractors for significant, quality improvement to products,
programs, processes and management activities.

David B. King, Chief, Safety, Health, and Medical Service
Office, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, received the
QASAR award for most significant safety or mission assurance (SMA)
contribution within the SMA organization. Greg S. Breznik,
Electrical Systems Division, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL,
received the award for most significant safety or quality
improvement, service improvement, or initiative from a NASA
employee external to the SMA organization. Steven Cronk, Chief,
Air Force Flight Test Center Range Safety Office, NASA Dryden
Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, took the award in the
government but non-NASA category, and Christopher S. Strong,
AverStar, Inc., Burlington, MA, received the honor for a NASA
prime or subcontractor employee.

More information on the awards can be found on the Internet
at:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/award.htm

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