The Sterling Council

What The Sterling Council does

The Sterling Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, originally founded in 1992 by Governor Lawton Chiles as the Florida Sterling Council and recently rebranded to The Sterling Council. It administers the Governor's Sterling Award — Florida's highest honor for organizational performance excellence — under the Baldrige Criteria framework, and operates as the managing organization for the Georgia Oglethorpe Award. The Council's core offerings span a tiered assessment portfolio (Explorer, Challenge, Collaborative, Governor's Sterling Award, and Sustained Excellence), skills training (Six Sigma, Leadership Fellows), and an annual Sterling Conference. It is supported by a network of more than 150 trained volunteer examiners and a 40-member Board of Directors, with an internal paid staff of 1–10.

The Council generates revenue through assessment fees across multiple tiers, training and conference registration, the Sterling Institute virtual platform, and donations/grants via the Sterling Foundation. Key distribution partnerships include FloridaMakes (for the Sterling/SMBE manufacturing award), the Georgia Oglethorpe Award Program, and the Florida Governor's Office. Customers and award recipients span healthcare systems, state and local government agencies, educational institutions, and manufacturing organizations across Florida and Georgia.

The technology surface is modest: a Sterling Performance Toolkit v2, the Sterling Learning Center (LMS), the Sterling Institute (virtual training), and a Sterling Foundation arm. The Council recently relocated to Tallahassee Community College and launched the Sterling Leadership Fellows Program and the John A. Pieno Jr. Leadership Award in January 2025, signaling deliberate programmatic and institutional expansion even as the operational model remains heavily volunteer-driven.

Name

The Sterling Council

Legal name

The Sterling Council

Website

https://thesterlingcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sterling Council is a Tallahassee-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that administers the Governor's Sterling Award and Georgia Oglethorpe Award, delivering Baldrige-based assessments, training, and an annual conference to healthcare, government, education, and manufacturing organizations in Florida and Georgia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organizational Performance Excellence Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Organizational performance excellence
• Performance excellence assessments
• Leadership development programs
• Lean six sigma training
• Business excellence awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallahassee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Organizational Assessments: The Sterling Council offers several levels of organizational assessments including Sterling Explorer, Sterling Challenge, Sterling Collaborative Assessment, Governor's Sterling Award assessment, and Sterling Sustained Excellence Award assessment. These consulting and competing assessments generate revenue to support the organization's mission.
2. Training and Education Programs: Revenue generated from Lean Six Sigma training programs (White Belt, Yellow Belt, Advanced Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt), examiner training, Sterling Leadership Fellows program tuition, and various leadership development courses.
3. Annual Conference: Registration fees and sponsorship revenue from the annual Sterling Leadership Conference, which attracts leaders from across Florida, Georgia, and beyond.
4. Foundation Donations: The Sterling Foundation accepts donations to support the Council's mission. Donations can be made through GoFundMe campaign or check, with the Leadership Legacy Fund honoring John A. Pieno, Jr.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Sterling Council administers organizational performance excellence assessments and awards based on the Sterling/Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, serving organizations in Florida and Georgia. Its offerings include competitive and consulting assessments (Governor's Sterling Award, Georgia Oglethorpe Award, Sterling Sustained Excellence Award, Sterling Explorer, Challenge, and Collaborative Assessments, Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Award), alongside leadership and Six Sigma training programs (Sterling Leadership Fellows, Lean Six Sigma belts, Summer Learning Series) and the annual Sterling Leadership Conference.

Product overview

The Sterling Council offers a comprehensive suite of organizational performance excellence services centered around its Criteria for Performance Excellence framework (aligned with the Baldrige framework). The core portfolio includes competitive award assessments (Governor's Sterling Award, Georgia Oglethorpe Award, Sterling Sustained Excellence Award), consulting assessments (Sterling Collaborative, Sterling Challenge, Sterling Explorer), and the specialized Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence (SMBE) Award. Complementing these are training and development programs including the Sterling Leadership Fellows Program, Summer Learning Series, Six Sigma Process Management Training, and the Sterling Institute for Organizational Learning and Development. The organization also hosts the annual Sterling Leadership Conference. All offerings are built upon the Sterling Criteria for Performance Excellence framework, which evaluates organizations across leadership, strategy, customers, measurement/analysis, workforce, and operations categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Governor's Sterling Award Florida's premier performance excellence award for organizations demonstrating role-model performance, assessed through a 50-page online written application and an 8-10 examiner site visit with a detailed item-level feedback report.
• Georgia Oglethorpe Award Georgia's highest performance excellence award for organizations demonstrating role-model performance, evaluated using the Sterling/Baldrige Criteria framework under the Florida/Georgia partnership.
• Sterling Sustained Excellence Award Award for organizations that have previously earned the Governor's Sterling Award and continue to demonstrate role-model performance, requiring a 20-page online application plus organization profile and a 3-examiner review.
• Sterling Collaborative Assessment Non-competitive consulting assessment with a 4-day engagement where expert examiners collaborate with senior leaders, producing actionable feedback against the Sterling Criteria for Performance Excellence.
• Sterling Challenge Assessment Non-competitive 5-day assessment with an examiner team site visit producing detailed written feedback on an organization's practices against the Sterling Criteria for Performance Excellence.
• Sterling Explorer Assessment Entry-level non-competitive 2-day organizational assessment pairing organizations with a Sterling expert consultant, designed for organizations developing new management approaches.
• Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence (SMBE) Award Annual specialized award recognizing Florida and Georgia manufacturing companies for high performance across leadership, strategy, customers, workforce, and operations categories, with Gold, Silver, and Highly Innovative Design Award tiers.
• Sterling Leadership Fellows Program An exclusive 13-month leadership development program featuring virtual sessions, in-person workshops, and industry-leading insights, designed for aspiring leaders seeking to develop impactful leadership skills and transform their management style.
• Summer Learning Series Virtual leadership development series featuring focused sessions on key leadership competencies delivered weekly during summer months.
• Board of Examiners Training Training program preparing examiners to evaluate organizations against the Sterling Criteria for Performance Excellence; recruitment is open annually for new and returning examiners.
• Six Sigma Process Management Training Program Comprehensive Lean Six Sigma training using DMAIC methodology across White Belt (4-hour), Yellow Belt (8-hour foundational), Advanced Yellow Belt, Green Belt Organizational (8-day), Green Belt Standard (6-day/48-hour), and Black Belt (12-day/96-hour) certifications.
• Sterling Institute for Organizational Learning and Development Distance-learning platform offering open-enrollment educational opportunities across leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, workforce development, and process management series.
• Sterling Leadership Conference Annual multi-day conference featuring more than 40 workshops, keynote presentations, healthcare accreditation sessions, certified leadership development tracks, Speed Learning sessions, Team Showcase, Storyboard Competition, Expo, and the Governor's Sterling Awards Banquet.

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Georgia Oglethorpe Award ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership between The Sterling Council and the Georgia Oglethorpe Award program to provide unified performance excellence assessments across both states. Both organizations have a combined forty-six years of success in leading organizations to performance excellence. This partnership enables organizations to pursue assessments across state lines and promotes sharing of best practices throughout the Southeast region.
• FloridaMakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to complete organizational assessments with manufacturers across Florida. This collaboration resulted in $35 million revenue increase and growth of 220 jobs over the past year (retained or added). The partnership provides true economic impact and supports the Governor's commitment to growing jobs and revenue for Florida.
• Florida Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKey partner organization supporting Sterling's mission to elevate organizational performance excellence across Florida businesses.
• Florida Healthcare AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKey partner organization supporting Sterling's healthcare initiatives and performance excellence programs for healthcare organizations.
• Florida TrendminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner supporting Sterling's visibility and reach across Florida business community.
• Sterling InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner providing Sterling-related expertise and support for international expansion of performance excellence initiatives.
• MooreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partner agency supporting Sterling's communication and outreach efforts.
• Tallahassee Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner supporting workforce development and training initiatives aligned with Sterling's performance excellence framework.
• etsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKey partner organization supporting Sterling's programs and initiatives.
• Office of the Governor (Florida)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by the Office of the Governor as a public/private partnership. The Governor's Sterling Award is administered through this partnership, with endorsement from multiple Florida governors including Lawton Chiles, Buddy MacKay, Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist, Rick Scott, and Ron DeSantis.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 6 Sigma.us / International Six Sigma Institute: An established Lean Six Sigma training and certification provider with a comparable belt curriculum and corporate training model, directly competitive with Sterling's training revenue stream.
• American Society for Quality (ASQ): ASQ is the largest U.S. membership organization dedicated to quality and performance excellence, offering training, certification, and conferences aligned with Baldrige-style frameworks—directly comparable to Sterling's mission, training programs (e.g., Six Sigma belts), and assessor/recognition offerings.
• APQC (American Productivity & Quality Center): APQC is a non-profit membership organization that provides benchmarking, research, and best-practice frameworks for organizational performance—overlapping with Sterling's process management and performance excellence offerings.
• European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM): EFQM operates a parallel European performance excellence model and assessor framework that mirrors the Baldrige/Sterling approach, making it the closest international peer for Sterling's assessment and award methodology.
• GoLeanSixSigma.com: GoLeanSixSigma offers the same Lean Six Sigma belt training (White/Yellow/Green/Black) that Sterling's Six Sigma Process Management Series delivers, competing for the same training dollars and corporate L&D buyers.

Emerging players

• DNV (Det Norske Veritas) - Healthcare: DNV is an accreditation and certification body operating in healthcare and management systems (ISO-based), partially overlapping with Sterling's healthcare accreditation sessions and broader organizational assessment offerings.
• Premier Inc. Premier operates healthcare performance improvement collaboratives and benchmarking programs—adjacent to Sterling's healthcare vertical and a partial competitor for healthcare organization excellence engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Baldrige Foundation: The Baldrige Foundation supports the national Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the broader Baldrige Performance Excellence Program—the federal-level counterpart whose criteria Sterling Council administers at the state level, making it the upstream framework steward and strategic peer.
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is a large HR-focused professional membership and certification body that overlaps with Sterling's workforce and leadership development content, particularly via its organizational effectiveness credentials.

Others

• Russell Bedford International: Russell Bedford is a global network of accounting and advisory firms providing quality management consulting and ISO support—an adjacent, professionally-sourced competitor for organizational improvement advisory engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL6hk46p1g7bSwjUMzbFdpsmZVzuzNAbFi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-florida-sterling-council
• Xx.com/sterlingorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheSterlingCouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sterling Council