The Show Me Excellence Summit is the premiere event for those within and interested in the Show Me Excellence Community. This annual event platforms experts from around the world to share, learn and engage with new perspectives on process improvement. Serving as a showcase for everything OpEx across the state of Missouri, the Summit is a great way to get involved with OpEx or improve the skills you already have.
Check back soon for additional details on the 2025 Show Me Excellence Summit
Key note SPeaker
Tracy O’Rourke
Tracy is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, co-author of “The Problem-Solver’s Toolkit”; co-Founder of the Just-in-Time Cafe, a Lean Six Sigma Instructor at UC San Diego, and a process improvement ZEALOT! For 25+ years, Tracy has advised companies on many aspects of cultural change, leadership development, customer experience, strategic alignment, and Lean process improvement.
For 20+ years, Tracy has consulted in the process improvement industry. She has trained over 3500 people, mentored over 1500 people and has helped coach folks through projects with results that range between $20,000 and $8 million dollars in savings. Her expertise runs the gamut, from facilitating leadership retreats and strategic planning with top executives, to facilitating Process Walks, Kaizen Events and coaching problem solvers.
Tracy teaches process improvement at UC San Diego. She is the Lead Instructor for the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and the Lean Six Sigma Leadership Course. For many years, Tracy was 1 of 8 instructors in the Lean Enterprise Course at San Diego State University
Tracy is the Co-Founder of the Just-in-Time Café, Chair for the SoCal Lean Network, a Board Member on UC San Diego’s Process Improvement Advisory Board. Tracy is also a Board Member of the West Region for Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME).
Agenda
9:00AM – 9:30AM
Opening Ceremony
9:30AM – 11:00AM
From soil to success: cULTIVATING AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE FOR A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST
with Keynote Speaker, Tracy O’Rourke
When you reflect on your current organizational culture, what do you see? Do you see a barren landscape or a thriving ecosystem? Creating an organizational culture can be like cultivating the land and producing a bountiful harvest. Without intention, a barren, lifeless wasteland might be the result. Just as a farmer tends to the soil, plants the seeds, and nurtures the crops, leaders and employees must be intentional about cultivating a healthy and thriving culture within their organization. Let’s explore some powerful concepts to help cultivate culture. Although culture isn’t cookie-cutter, there is a framework to assess and build the culture you want. Developing a thriving problem-solving culture requires intentional effort, a system that works, and a healthy dose of reflection and experimentation.
11:15AM – 12:15PM
Your Project Management Playbook: Level Up, Achieve Results
with Donna Richey-Winkelman
The session will use experiences and multiple interactive exercises emphasizing tools such as Quantifiable Objectives, Stakeholder Diagrams, Communication Matrix, Hybrid Approaches, AI Assistance, Kanban Boards, Dashboards and Data-driven Decision Making, and Adjusting to Dynamic Teams
Talk & Tactics: Strategies for Impactful Communication
with Rod Keown
Communication and collaboration are the ultimate power couple, turning “Wait, what’s the plan?” into “Let’s crush this!” by speaking with clarity, aligning the team, and fueling the fire of purpose with shared understanding and unstoppable momentum.”
Your Life is a Simulation: Here’s the Cheat Code for Burnout Prevention
with Gabrielle Lewis
Learn to master the ‘cheat codes’ of emotional intelligence – self-awareness, empathy, and resilience – to navigate challenges, restore your energy, and keep the ‘burnout’ enemy at bay.
Data is Just Data Until It Becomes the Hero of the Story — Virtual Only!
with Lori Croy
Learn how to follow the clues to define the problem and pursue the solution.
Virtual: The Emotionally Intelligent Leader: Building Trust, Resilience, and Results in High-Stakes Workplaces — Virtual Only!
with Crystal Roman
Explore how emotionally intelligent leadership empower professionals to reduce burnout, strengthen communication, and create resilient, high-impact teams — especially in high stake environments where progress matters more than perfection
12:15PM – 1:15PM
Lunch
1:15PM – 2:15PM
Hear, Speak, and See Lean
with Tracy O’Rourke
What is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t want to improve? They don’t see the waste; they don’t hear process pain; they don’t ask the right questions. For some people seeing the world with Lean eyes is easy. For others, it’s not so easy.
Story Telling & Listening with Data Visualization
with Amarnath Gopal
A tutorial on how to evaluate if the Data Visualization is truly insightful for a listener or effectively engaging as per a presenter.
Quest for Clarity: Making Your Move in the Decision Game
With Diane Ries
This interactive session will equip state team members with the AID framework (Authority, Impact, Discussion) to confidently make their move by discerning when to act, when to escalate for a strategic play, and how to engage in critical discussions for more efficient public service.
2:30PM – 3:30PM
Hear, Speak, and See Lean
with Tracy O’Rourke
What is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t want to improve? They don’t see the waste; they don’t hear process pain; they don’t ask the right questions. For some people seeing the world with Lean eyes is easy. For others, it’s not so easy.
Success! You have Ascended to the Next Level!
with Kelly Peterie
Join the Missouri Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Institutions Quality Control staff as they outline how using process improvement strategies increased compliance by over 50% in less than 12 months, and how they manage to focus on progress and not perfection.
Taming the Change Dragon: Preparing for What You Don’t Know is Coming
with Kurt Brewer
This session will focus on communicating change and preparing your team to handle the inevitability of change through communication, cross-functional training, resiliency, and trust.
3:45PM – 4:00PM
Closing Ceremony
