Mid-South Quality Productivity Center closes after 34 years of helping businesses

Porsha Hernandez, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read
Donald Fisher, executive director of the Mid-South Quality Productivity Center, gives the keynote speech at the American Baldrige Award in Dubai. The Mid-South Quality Productivity Center is closing June 30, 2022.
Donald Fisher, executive director of the Mid-South Quality Productivity Center, gives the keynote speech at the American Baldrige Award in Dubai. The Mid-South Quality Productivity Center is closing June 30, 2022.

The Mid-South Quality Productivity Center closed Thursday after 34 years of helping thousands of businesses across the region increase their productivity.

The center was formed on April 21, 1988, as a joint partnership between the Greater Memphis Chamber and Southwest Tennessee Community College. Founded by the late Larry Papasan, who was the head of Memphis Light, Gas and Water at the time, the center's goal was "to bring global best-practices in organizational efficiency to Memphis," according to a news release.

The center is closing after Southwest decided not to continue funding it and to use the resources to focus on enhancing its workforce programs, the college said.

Donald Fisher
Donald Fisher

Donald Fisher, MSQPC's longtime executive director, plans to retire as the center closes and will consult with the chamber as it incorporates many of MSQPC's trainings and services.

"I'm incredibly proud of our more than three decades of work to make the Mid-South a global example of business efficiency," Fisher said in a news release.

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The center had assessed about 150 organizations including St. Jude, Le Bonheur, City of Germantown and more than 60 schools for the former Memphis City Schools, Fisher said in the news release.

Southwest will award Fisher the title of MSQPC emeritus executive director.

“The College is proud to bestow the honorary title of MSQPC emeritus executive director on Dr. Fisher for his exceptional local, state, national and global contributions to business performance excellence,” Southwest President Tracy D. Hall said in an email. “Dr. Fisher is an award-winning leader whom we are proud to count as a forever member of our College family."

“The MSQPC has put Memphis on the leading-edge of advancements in efficiency and quality, and our entire business community thanks Dr. Fisher for the tremendous job he and his team have done,” Beverly Robertson, chamber president and CEO, said in a news release.

Porsha Hernandez is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at porsha.hernandez@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Mid-South Quality Productivity Control Center closes in Memphis