Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence | Congratulations to 2025 McWherter Leadership Award Recipient Lee H. Brown!

28 Jan Congratulations to 2025 McWherter Leadership Award Recipient Lee H. Brown!

Posted at 01:33h in Uncategorized by Amanda Yanez

The Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) is proud to announce that Lee H. Brown, President and CEO of Erwin Utilities Authority, is the recipient of the 2025 Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award. The Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award annually recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding leadership in the pursuit of performance excellence and has worked to further performance improvement beyond the boundaries of his or her organization.

“Lee Brown is a servant leader who inspires every member of the team to align with both organizational goals and the collective good” says Erwin Utilities Assistant Director of Office Services, Kala Allen. Heather Schoch, President and CEO of TNCPE agrees that, “In a time when authentic leadership is rare, Lee knows how to lead by example rather than by title. His commitment to rural Tennessee is not only evident in his actions, but also in the way he inspires others to join him in building a brighter future in our state.”

Brown’s dedication to performance extends beyond the confines of Erwin Utilities Authority, catalyzing progress within the broader industry and community. Through mentorship programs and industry workshops, such as TVPPA, AWWA, and customer service forums, Brown empowers leaders from neighboring organizations with insights into data-driven decision-making and effective change management. He is committed to knowledge sharing, elevating standards across business sectors and creating a culture where community organizations are inspired to work together toward shared goals.

Tom Harris, Chairman of the Erwin Utilities Board of Directors, summarized the community’s support, stating, “… Lee Brown has for many years displayed exemplary leadership and managerial skills. Not surprisingly, his impact in our community was never more evident than in his leadership while spearheading our recovery efforts from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. In addition, his impact is often felt through his deep involvement in economic development, United Way, and many other community organizations. [We are] proud to have him as our leader!”

Brown will accept the award at the 2025 Excellence in Tennessee Awards Celebration on Wednesday, February 26^th at the Franklin Cool Springs Hilton in Franklin, TN.

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Category	Points	Level 4 50 pgs.	Level 3 35 pgs.	Level 2 15 pgs.
1 \| Leadership	115	7	4.2	1.8
2 \| Strategic Planning	90	4	2.9	1.3
3 \| Customer Focus	85	5	2.9	1.3
4 \| Measurement, Analysis, Knowledge Management	90	4	3.2	1.3
5 \| Workforce Focus	85	4	2.9	1.3
6 \| Operations Focus	85	6	2.9	1.3
7 \| Results	450	20	16	6.7
Totals	1,000	50	35	15

Assessment Level	Number of Employees	*Site Visit/Workshop Fee -** Member	*Site Visit/Workshop Fee -** Non-Member
Excellence Award (Level 4)	Less than 100	$2,160	$2,700
	100-500	$3,120	$3,900
	501-1,500	$5,040	$6,300
	More Than 1,500	$6,000	$7,500
Achievement Award (Level 3)	Less than 100	$1,920	$2,400
	100-500	$2,640	$3,300
	501-1,500	$4,080	$5,100
	More Than 1,500	$5,280	$6,600
Commitment Award (Level 2)	Less than 100	$1,680	$2,100
	100-500	$2,400	$3,000
	501-1,500	$3,840	$4,800
	More Than 1,500	$5,040	$6,300
Interest Award (Level 1)	Less than 100	$680	$850
	100-500	$920	$1,150
	501-1,500	$1,400	$1,750
	More Than 1,500	$1,880	$2,350

Requirement	Commitment Award (Level 2)	Achievement Award (Level 3)	Excellence Award (Level 4)
Intent to Apply/Eligibility Form	REQUIRED FOR ALL Submit by May 31 Intent to Apply due with $250 non-refundable fee
Organization Profile	REQUIRED FOR ALL 5-page maximum The Organizational Profile is submitted along with the Application Form, Application Fee, and Criteria Response. (see below)
Application Form & Fee	REQUIRED FOR ALL Submit by July 31 Applicants must use the Application Form via tncpe.org.
CEO Signature	REQUIRED FOR ALL
Criteria Response	1. Organizational Profile 2. Basic Item Questions 15-page maximum One electronic copy saved in PDF format	1. Organizational Profile 2. Overall Item Questions 35-page maximum One electronic copy saved in PDF format	1. Organizational Profile 2. Multiple Item Requirements 50-page maximum One electronic copy saved in PDF format
Site Visit*	One day, plus half-day workshop**	Two days	Three days
Recognition Eligibility	Commitment or Interest	Achievement, Commitment, or Interest	Excellence, Achievement, Commitment, or Interest
Applicant Responsibilities		Provide at least one TNCPE examiner*** Assistance to other organizations	Provide 2 or more TNCPE examiners† (a balanced combination of new and experienced) Assistance to other organizations Participation in annual Conference Best Practice tour

Number of Employees (Full-Time Equivalent)	Workshop Fee (L1) / Application Fee (L2,3,4) Member	Workshop Fee (L1) / Application Fee (L2,3,4) Non-Member
Less than 100	$920/$1,600	$1,150/$2,000
100-500	$1,640/$3,040	$2,050/$3,800
501-1,500	$2,600/$4,960	$3,250/$6,200
More Than 1,500	$3,800/$7,360	$4,750/$9,200

Assessment Level	Number of Employees	Intent to Apply / Administration Fee	Application/Workshop Fee - Member / Non-Member	Site Visit/Workshop Fee* - Member / Non-Member	Total with 20% Member Discount	Total at Regular Rate
Excellence Award (Level 4)	Less than 100	$250	$1,600/ $2,000	$2,160/ $2,700	$4,010	$4,950
	100-500	$250	$3,040/ $3,800	$3,120/ $3,900	$6,410	$7,950
	501-1,500	$250	$4,960/ $6,200	$5,040/ $6,300	$10,250	$12,750
	More Than 1,500	$250	$7,360/ $9,200	$6,000/ $7,500	$13,610	$16,950
Achievement Award (Level 3)	Less than 100	$250	$1,600/ $2,000	$1,920 / $2,400	$3,770	$4,650
	100-500	$250	$3,040/ $2,000	$2,640/ $3,300	$5,930	$7,350
	501-1,500	$250	$4,960/ $6,200	$4,080/ $5,100	$9,290	$11,550
	More Than 1,500	$250	$7,360/ $9,200	$5,280/ $6,600	$12,890	$16,050
Commitment Award (Level 2)	Less than 100	$250	$1,600/ $2,000	$1,680/ $2,100	$3,530	$4,350
	100-500	$250	$3,040/ $3,800	$2,400/ $3,000	$5,690	$7,050
	501-1,500	$250	$4,960/ $6,200	$3,840/ $4,800	$9,050	$11,250
	More Than 1,500	$250	$7,360/ $9,200	$5,040/ $6,300	$12,650	$15,750
Interest Award (Level 1)	Less than 100	$250	$920/ $1,150	$680/ $850	$1,850	$2,250
	100-500	$250	$1,640/ $2,050	$920/ $1,150	$2,810	$3,450
	501-1,500	$250	$2,600/ $3,250	$1,400/ $1,750	$4,250	$5,250
	More Than 1,500	$250	$3,800/ $4,750	$1,880/ $2,350	$5,930	$7,350

28 Jan Congratulations to 2025 McWherter Leadership Award Recipient Lee H. Brown!

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Level 1 assessment includes two interactive workshops:

Page Allocation Table

Site Visit Fee Table

Application Requirements

Application Fee Table

TNCPE Assessment Fee Table

Application Formatting

The Criteria response should follow these guidelines:

The Organizational Profile is a required part of all award applications and must be submitted along with the Application Form, Application Fee, and Criteria response.

A glossary of terms and abbreviations is highly recommended.