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For the fourth year in a row, the Partnership for Public Service has ranked the Surface Transportation Board (STB) No. 1 among small federal agencies in its annual list of the "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government."

The STB, which employs 143, topped the 2012 list among agencies with more than 100 but fewer than 1,000 full-time, permanent workers.

Partnership for Public Service ranked agencies in 10 workplace categories, including effective leadership, strategic management, employee skills/mission match, pay and teamwork. The board achieved the No. 1 rank according to an overall index score measuring the performance of agencies related to employee satisfaction and commitment. Among 29 small federal agencies, the STB achieved a top index score of 84.3 percent.

The board's workplace policies foster a work-life balance through telecommuting and flexible work schedules, STB members said in a prepared statement. The board also has an open-door management environment that encourages innovation, and its work environment helps retain skilled workers and recruit top-tier job candidates, they said.

"Once again, the rankings confirm that the board's open and collegial workplace atmosphere, the hard work and dedication of its skilled managers and staff, its encouragement of innovation, its recognition of excellence, and its team approach to problem solving continue to produce a highly motivated and satisfied workforce," said STB Chairman Daniel Elliott III.