Governor's Sterling / Georgia Oglethorpe Award

Sterling’s Highest Honor for Performance Excellence

The award is hard. That's the point.

Start the Application of Intent What the Process Asks of You

Role-model recognition

The Governor’s Sterling Award isn’t a marketing ribbon. It’s role-model recognition for organizations that have built management systems good enough to be studied, copied, and taught — across Florida, Georgia, and beyond.

It is one award under two state names. Through the partnership between Florida Sterling and Georgia Oglethorpe — a combined 46+ years of experience — Georgia organizations pursue the same rigorous assessment, judged against the same Criteria by the same highly trained examiner corps, and are recognized as the Georgia Oglethorpe Award.

Most applicants don’t win on the first try. That’s by design. The assessment process is rigorous because role-model status means something, and because the organizations that go through it — whether they win or not — come out with a clearer read on their system than they had going in.

The rigor

What the Process Asks of You

An Organizational Profile and a 15,000 word response to the Sterling Criteria for Performance Excellence across all seven categories — Leadership, Strategy, Customers, Measurement/Analysis/Knowledge Management, Workforce, Operations, and Results.

A site visit. Highly trained examiners visit your site(s) to clarify and verify how well you meet the Criteria's requirements.

A feedback report delivered to you and to the Panel of Judges who make the final determination on role-model status.

Public recognition. If awarded, recipients are honored at the Annual Sterling Leadership Conference.

The mandate

Why This Award Exists

The Sterling Council is the sole provider of the Governor’s Sterling / Georgia Oglethorpe Award — endorsed by the Governor, the National Baldrige Program, and the State Alliance.

Organizations that aspire to the national Baldrige Award must first become role models through their official state program. Governor’s Sterling governs that program.

Competitive and non-competitive assessment options

The Full Award Description

The Governor’s Sterling and Georgia Oglethorpe Award competitive assessment process is designed for organizations that have mature, refined processes and positive results, want further acceleration of sound practices in all areas of the Sterling Framework for Performance Excellence, and may aspire to be recognized as a role model.

Key dates

The 2026–27 Cycle

Application of Intent available

June 2026

Application of Intent due

August 2026

Assessment applications open

September 2026

Full assessment applications due

November 2026

2026 Recipients

Fulton County Schools Human Resource Division

2026 Georgia Oglethorpe Award Recipient

Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton

2026 Georgia Oglethorpe Award Recipient

See All Past Recipients

In their words

Testimonials

Gauge readiness

Not Sure You’re Ready?

You don’t have to guess. Start with a Sterling Collaborative assessment — a four to five day site visit that gives you a direct read on whether you’re ready to pursue the Governor’s Sterling Award.

Start With Sterling Collaborative

Get started

Application of Intent

Application of Intent due August 2026. The $1,000 non-refundable fee is arranged by the Sterling office after you submit — no payment is taken here.

Fields marked * are required. Have your organizational chart ready to upload.

1. Applicant Organization

Including division name, as you want it listed on the Feedback Report and award, as appropriate.

Organization Name*

Full legal name of the applicant organization (including division name, if applicable), exactly as you want it listed on the Feedback Report and award.

Address*

City*

State*

ZIP*

2. Highest Ranking Official

First Name*

Last Name*

Title*

Address *

City *

State *

ZIP *

Official Representative for Correspondence

First Name*

Last Name*

Title*

Telephone*

Fax

Email Address*

Organization Profile

Is the Applicant a for-profit business?*

Sector Category*

Number of sites included in the application*

Total full-time employees for the application*

Can the Applicant make available sufficient personnel, documentation, and facilities to allow a full examination of its operational practices with all major organizational functions of its statewide operations?*

Site Listing and Descriptors

Provide the complete physical address of each site, the approximate percent of the Applicant's employees and of total sales or operating budget at each, and the types of programs or services that are the output of the site. It is not necessary to list every program or service.

Site 1

Address of site

Percent of employees

Percent of sales or operating budget

Description of products, services, or programs

Key Business Factors

Provide a brief description of the following key business factors.

Description of the Applicant organization (products, programs, services, and technologies)*

Description of the major markets (local, regional, national, and international) — conclude with a list of key customer groups and/or market segments*

Your relative size and growth in your industry or sector and the principal factors determining success in key strategic challenges — conclude with a list of key competitors and suppliers*

Organizational Structure

Briefly describe the organizational structure and management links to the parent organization*

Attach the line-and-box organizational chart below.

Reason for Applying

Briefly describe the reason(s) why the Applicant is taking the challenge to apply for the Award*

Assessment Option

Is the Applicant applying for a competitive or non-competitive assessment?*

Supporting Documents

Attach the charts and letter the checklist on the paper application asks for.

Line-and-box organizational chart*

Showing all components of the Applicant organization. PDF, Word, or image, 10 MB maximum.

Parent organization chart

If the Applicant is a sub-unit of a larger organization: charts showing the relationship to the highest management level of the parent organization, including all intervening levels.

Processing Fee

The Application of Intent carries a $1,000 non-refundable processing fee payable to The Sterling Council. Submitting this form does not charge you — the Sterling office will contact your representative to arrange payment.

I understand the Application of Intent carries a $1,000 non-refundable processing fee payable to The Sterling Council, and that the Sterling office will contact us to arrange payment.*

Statement of Authorization

We understand that this Application of Intent Form and subsequent Governor's Sterling Award Application will be reviewed by members of the Board of Examiners. We agree to host the Site Visit to verify and clarify information provided in the Application. My signature also acknowledges I have read and agreed to the requirements for the Governor's Sterling & Georgia Oglethorpe Award Application and responding to the Results Items in Category 7, as provided in the Governor's Sterling & Georgia Oglethorpe Award Application Guide.

Authorized signature — type your full name*

Title*

Telephone Number*

Questions before you start? Contact the Sterling Office

Sterling’s Highest Honor for Performance Excellence

What the Process Asks of You

Why This Award Exists

The Full Award Description

What the assessment involves

What you need to do to move forward

The value for your organization

What it costs

The 2026–27 Cycle

Testimonials

Diane NelsonPinellas County Tax Collector, CFC

Daryl TolPresident & CEO, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center

Jim McManemonGeneral Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island; former General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota

Timothy M. GoldfarbCEO, Shands HealthCare

Doug BeldenTax Collector, Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office

Lillian RiveraAdministrator, Miami-Dade County Health Department

Brandy MacchiaPrincipal, Tropic Isles Elementary School

Not Sure You’re Ready?

Application of Intent