Bill Kalmar

Writer and speaker

William J. Kalmar has extensive business experience, including service with a Fortune 500 bank and the Michigan Quality Council, of which he served as director from 1993 through 2003. He served on the Board of Overseers of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and has been a Baldrige examiner. He was also named quality professional of the year by the ASQ Detroit chapter. Now semiretired, Kalmar does freelance writing for several publications. He is a member of the USA Today Vacation Panel, a mystery shopper for several companies, and a frequent presenter and lecturer.

Thu, 04/07/2022 - 12:02
That Was the Week That Was Motor City on a weeklong high
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 11:23
Back during the early 1960’s, a television program called That Was the Week That Was, hosted by David Frost, took over the airwaves with millions of ardent followers tuning in each week. The satirical comedy program took a look at the events of…
Will Jason Be Out Trick or Treating? I know I will...
Fri, 10/14/2011 - 15:55
October is always an interesting time of year. In preparation for the beginning of holiday activities, stores begin erecting displays for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas weeks in advance. And let’s not forget “Sweetest Day,”…
Keepers of the Keys Why can’t we throw the old ones away?
Fri, 10/07/2011 - 11:19
We are told that St. Peter has the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and that he stands in front of a wrought iron gate only allowing in certain people who have lived exemplary lives. I suspect that he has only one large key (maybe a skeleton key—…
Hat or No Hat? One advantage of dress codes is that we can tell the difference between staff and customers
Wed, 09/28/2011 - 13:02
Back in the Dark Ages when I was growing up, people traveling by plane considered it a privilege and a social event. As such, airline travelers dressed accordingly. Men wore suits and perhaps a tie, while ladies wore dresses. Even children…
Some Events Unite Us, Some Divide Us What happened to our post-9-11 unity?
Wed, 09/07/2011 - 11:42
As we approach the 10th anniversary of the event that changed our nation’s psyche forever, the “9-11 attack,” all of us have memories and recollections of where we were on that fateful day. For me, I was in my office at a local university.…
The Cost of Quality Might Sink Us! Contact your rep, demand that funding for Baldrige program stays in place
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 14:01
This is a call to action for all quality professionals, for Baldrige winners, for Baldrige applicants, for Baldrige examiners, for state quality award winners, for state quality award program directors and their staff, and anyone who values the…
How to Improve the Quality of U.S. Education Properly fund the schools so parents and teachers no longer have to be school districts' supply agents
Mon, 08/15/2011 - 11:22
It seems that you can't pick up a newspaper today (yes, I still get one) without reading a story about the sorry state of education in the United States. Why has the quality of our educational system slipped? Why can't Johnny read? Here are my…
Who Says You Can’t Go Home? You’d be a fool to ignore your 50th high-school reunion
Fri, 08/05/2011 - 12:55
Most of us, I’m confident, have some rather significant events in our lives that bring joy and excitement. It could be marriage, the birth of a child, perhaps a first grandchild, a new home, or retirement. Somewhere in all those events many of us…
Please Pass the Apple Fries? Is this quality in nutrition?
Tue, 07/19/2011 - 10:25
Sseems the Diet Police are once again running rampant in our nation. It has been said that close to 30 percent of Michigan residents are overweight, and thus there is a movement afoot to curtail our eating habits, not only in that state but also…
Please Don’t “Text” or “Friend” Me I’d rather converse with a real human
Tue, 06/21/2011 - 06:00
By way of background, I am a senior citizen but not too technically challenged. I know how to operate my HD television and the DVR; I have a cell phone and understand how to use the speaker phone; OnStar is in my car along with a TomTom GPS. As a…