FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Peace Corps Named one of the Federal Governments Best Places to Work

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 1, 2010 The Peace Corps was named as one of the top agencies in the nonprofit Partnership for Public Services Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings today. The rankings measure employee satisfaction and are based on a survey of more than 263,000 federal workers at 290 federal agencies and subcomponents.

In a recent interview with the Partnership for Public Services Tom Fox for the Washington Posts Federal Coach column, Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams was asked what advice he had for young, emerging federal leaders. Director Williams responded: Number one is to learn how to be a good follower before you can become a leader. Number two, whatever the core competencies that you need to be effective in your business, try to learn those to the best of your ability. Be a risk taker. Raise your hand and volunteer. Take on a challenge, be the first one in and look for new, innovative ways to do things. And I think as a leader, those are the kinds of individuals that you want to have on your team. The full article is here.

The Partnership for Public Service ranked the top 10 large, top five small, and four most improved "Best Places to Work" agencies. Peace Corps was ranked fifth in the small agency category.

The Best Places to Work rankings are an important tool in improving federal employee commitment and satisfaction, said Partnership for Public Service president and CEO Max Stier in a press release. When agencies are badly managed and workers are dissatisfied, the public suffers.

The rankings represent an in-depth look at the views of federal employees during the Obama administration. Agencies are ranked in 10 workplace categories, including leadership, work/life balance, and pay. The rankings are compiled by American Universitys Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation and the non partisan and nonprofit Partnership for Public Service from the U.S. Office of Personnel Managements annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

As Peace Corps approaches its 50th anniversary, its service legacy continues to promote peace and friendship around the world with 7,671 volunteers serving in 77 host countries. Historically, nearly 200,000 Americans have served with the Peace Corps to promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of 139 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment.

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