Keith Darcy, Executive Director of the ECOA, said he is delighted about the collaboration. "I am thrilled to bring together two organizations that have historically proven their dedication to advancing the ethics and compliance profession and the role of ethics and compliance in the marketplace," said Darcy. "By combining our efforts with those of the ERC, we will be able to deliver robust research data that will be applied practically in organizations. We are looking forward to the results of the three current projects that we are working on and to developing a deeper and ongoing relationship with the ERC."

Patricia J. Harned, Ph.D., President of the ERC, said, "At a time when new research and sound measures are sorely needed by ethics and compliance practitioners, the alliance between the ECOA and the ERC promises to advance the work of our field substantially. Merely as a place of beginning we will be launching one of the largest benchmarking initiatives ever undertaken in our field - collecting data on key outcomes expected of an effective ethics and compliance program. Research of this kind can only happen through the combined efforts of the two premiere organizations dedicated to the advancement of ethics and compliance programs. We are proud to be working together."

Initial findings for these initiatives will be presented at the ECOA Annual Business Ethics & Compliance Conference. It will be held Oct. 3-6 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. For more information on the annual conference, please visit www.theecoa.org.

About the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association

The Ethics & Compliance Officer Association (ECOA) is a non-consulting, member-driven association exclusively for individuals who are responsible for their company's ethics, compliance, and business conduct programs. Dedicated to building trust and corporate integrity worldwide, the ECOA is the largest group of corporate ethics and compliance practitioners in the world. By bringing together people who are new to the field with those with years of experience to share, the ECOA facilitates peer-to-peer learning, and helps to foster a global commitment to ethics and integrity.

The ECOA offers an annual conference for ethics and compliance professionals, professional development workshops, periodic web casts, and regional forums that provide members the opportunity for education and discussion on recent legislation. In addition, the ECOA publishes a monthly newsletter, daily news updates, and houses a library containing ethics and compliance program materials from more than 350 member companies, along with business videos, DVDs, magazines and books.

The ECOA is a non-profit, 501(c) (6) association, which derives all of its revenue from members' dues, conferences and other meeting fees, and financial contributions. ECOA members represent nearly 600 companies worldwide and in over 30 industries. To learn more about the ECOA, please visit the website at www.theecoa.org or call 781-647-9333.

About the Ethics Resource Center

The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the study and promotion of ethical behavior in organizations worldwide. Our mission is to strengthen ethical leadership by providing leading-edge expertise through research, education, and partnerships.

Companies and governments around the world are now well aware of the need for trust in the capital markets and in the companies that help fuel them. Every time a business hires, builds, sells or buys, it is acting for the public as well as for itself, and it must be prepared to accept full responsibility. "Good business" and "ethical conduct" go hand-in-hand, as organizations recognize that ethics is at the very core of earning that trust - the first business management priority.

For 85 years, the Ethics Resource Center has championed ethical business practices by helping organizations strengthen their ethics culture and encourage high standards of business behavior based on ethical values. We help lead the development, implementation and embedding of effective ethics programs, and enable organizations to build relationships of trust with their stakeholders. To learn more about the ERC, please visit the website at www.ethics.org or call 202-737-2258.

For more information, please contact either Meghan Malloy Assistant Director, Communications, Ethics & Compliance Officer Association at 781-647-9333 ( mmalloy@theecoa.org) or you may contact Kristin McDonald Casson at the Ethics Resource Center at 202-737-2258 ( Kristin@ethics.org) .