FOR RELEASE
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
07/25/2012 (Wednesday)
Jamie Rennart
No. 12-14


FedRelay 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD FIRST FOR INNOVATION AMONG SMALL AGENCIES


For the second year in a row, the Surface Transportation Board (Board) has been ranked the top small federal agency for innovation by the Partnership for Public Service in the PPS's July 2012 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® Analysis: Achieving a Culture of Innovation report.


The Board achieved a 2011 innovation score of 87.7 out of 100, a 7.8-percent increase over the agency's prior score. The government-wide score was 63.2 out of 100. The Board's distinction in innovation follows earlier PPS rankings of the Board as one of the federal government's "Best Places to Work" for three years in a row (2009, 2010, and 2011).


The Board attributes its top ranking to the active encouragement of employee suggestions during weekly open-door meetings with the Chairman, and recognition of the best staff proposals with the Board's own "genius" award, presented annually.


"Once again, the Partnership's recognition of the Board is a tribute to each and every employee here at the agency, and to the skills that each brings to the workplace," said Chairman Daniel R. Elliott III.


The Board is an economic regulatory and adjudicatory agency charged by Congress with, among other things, resolving railroad rate and service disputes and reviewing proposed railroad restructuring transactions. Though administratively affiliated with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Board is decisionally independent. To learn more about future career opportunities at the Board, visit the agency's site at http://www.stb.dot.gov, or USAJOBS® at http://www.usajobs.com/. The PPS report can be viewed and downloaded at http://www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/.


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