George Yacus is a native of Warren, New Jersey. After graduation from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1974, he served for twenty years in the U. S. Navy as a pilot and naval officer in a variety of assignments that included overseas, headquarters, shipboard, and aircraft carrier duties.
He is currently serving as a process improvement specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy (Fossil Energy). As a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt he facilitates process improvement projects and events. He also serves on several not-for-profit and community boards of directors.
Dr. Yacus holds a Ph.D. in Management from Old Dominion University. He teaches management courses at ODU’s Strome School of Business and also at the National Graduate School of Quality Management. He holds a Master of Science in Management from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Master of Urban Studies from Old Dominion University, and a B.S. in Political Science from the U. S. Naval Academy.
He is married to Alana Yacus and has two children, a daughter Lara Chapman and a son George Michael Yacus II. His hobbies include boating, aviation, motorcycles, and playing in a classic rock band, The Phun Doctors.
August 2023 Spotlight
At SPQA, our support in helping organizations on their journey to excellence leverages the talents and experiences of our volunteer workforce. Each workforce member has a unique story to tell. In this article we have interviewed George Yacus to get his story.
Our doctoral program at ODU had some focus on quality management systems. Following that, the U.S. Coast Guard used Baldrige to evaluate our field and HQ units. Bob Bowles was the SPQA director at the time, and he was part of our Coast Guard family at the Finance Center.
What has been your favorite part of being a Board Member?
Being part of a movement to manage better that applied to all types of organizations. In my view, having a Ph.D. in Management, it is still the best holistic method for continuous improvement and achieving world-class results.
What do you most want to learn from this experience?
I really want to see Baldrige become the premier methodology to help organizations become the best they can, regardless of organizational size or sector.
What have you gained from being a Board Member?
I have been part of a cadre of quality professionals, and also kept up with changes that Baldrige has evolved over time. I enjoy having the perspective of how to improve organizations and a methodology to do so.
What is the hobby you’re most passionate about?
Being the leader of a performing rock and roll band, The Phun Doctors Band (www.phundoctors.com)