TVA Receives 2010 Ethics Program Award

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Jun 10, 2010, 01:52 ET

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Tennessee Valley Authority received a 2010 Ethics Program Award from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics at an awards ceremony Thursday in Washington, D.C.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100304/TVALOGO )

The award is presented annually to recognize outstanding achievement by a federal agency in managing its ethics program.

"TVA strives to do the right thing in all aspects of our business," Peyton Hairston, senior vice president of TVA Diversity and Labor Relations, said. "It is indeed gratifying for our employees to be recognized for achieving high ethical standards in the workplace."

Hairston, TVA's designated agency ethics officer, said all TVA employees must take an ethics training course every year to remain aware of federal laws and standards of ethical conduct.

Award recipients are selected based on a variety of accomplishments, ranging from effectively administering each element of the overall ethics program to developing model practices that advance the program beyond mere compliance with ethics laws and regulations.

The award citation stated: "In particular, the publication of the TVA Code of Conduct handbook is an exemplary demonstration of TVA's commitment to encouraging ethical conduct. The [TVA] President and Chief Executive Officer's statement [in the agency handbook] makes clear senior leadership's expectations that employees will adhere to ethical principles in the performance of their duties."

The Office of Government Ethics, a small agency within the executive branch, was established by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. It exercises leadership in the executive branch to prevent or resolve conflicts of interest on the part of government employees. Partnering with other executive branch agencies and departments, the Office of Government Ethics works to foster high ethical standards for employees and to strengthen the public's confidence that the government's business is conducted with impartiality and integrity.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.

SOURCE Tennessee Valley Authority