South West Transit Association

Adopted by the Board of Directors 4.27.11
Ratified by the Board of Directors 1.20.17
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I. Conflict of Interest Statement:
Covered Persons: This Conflict of Interest Statement applies to Officers, the Board of Directors, Committee members and Staff of the South West Transit Association (herein referred to as “Association”). Each Covered Person will not participate in any instances where their personal or financial interests would conflict with the Purposes of the Association set forth in its Bylaws. Covered Persons of the Association are required to safeguard the Association’s confidential information and not use any information of the Association for personal gain or benefit.
While it is not practical to enumerate all situations that might conflict with the Association, the examples given below highlight some of the relationships which must be avoided. It is considered to be a conflict with the Association’s interests and a violation of its trust for Covered Persons to:
1. Knowingly engage in any activity or take any position which conflicts with, or has the potential of conflicting with, the purposes of the association.
2. Use confidential information gained in the course of the Covered Person’s relationship with the Association for his or her own personal benefit or for the benefit of others.
3. Benefit financially to the detriment of the Association or of the association profession, as a result of his or her role with the Association.
4. The Association requires that each Covered Person shall:
a. Disclose to the Association any facts or circumstances which may constitute actual or potential conflicts between the personal or financial interests of the Covered Person that might operate to the detriment of the interests of the Association.
b. Refrain from participating in, acting on or debating any Board action or decision in which an actual or potential conflict exists between the personal or financial interests of the Covered Person and the Association.
II. Antitrust Policy: It is the policy of the Association to comply strictly with all applicable trade regulations and antitrust laws. Any activity by the Association or related actions by Covered Persons, which violate applicable regulations and laws are unequivocally contrary to Association policy and will not be tolerated by the Association.
III. Whistleblower Policy
No Covered Persons of the Association shall take any harmful action with the intent of retaliation against any person, including interference with employment or livelihood, for providing to the Association’s Executive Director, an Officer of the Board or a law enforcement officer any truthful information, or information believed in good faith to be truthful, relating to the commission or possible commission of any fraud or illegal activity related to the Association.
SWTA Code of Ethical Conduct
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A person reporting fraud or illegal activity, should contact an Officer of the Board. All complaints shall be confidential and there will be no retaliation against any whistleblower. Complaints will be investigated by the Association and measures taken to correct any problem.
IV. SWTA Code of Ethics
Covered Members shall at all times abide by and conform to the following code of conduct while acting in their official capacity:
1. Each Covered Person will abide in all aspects by this SWTA Code of Ethics and all other rules and regulations of the Association (including but not limited to the Association’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws) and will ensure that their membership in the Association remains in good standing at all times. Furthermore, each Covered Person will at all times obey all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and will provide or cause to be provided the full cooperation of the Association when requested to do so by those institutions and their persons set in authority as are required to uphold the law.
2. Covered Persons will conduct the business affairs of the Association in good faith and with honesty, integrity, due diligence and reasonable competence.
3. Except as the Board may otherwise require or as otherwise required by law, no Covered Person shall share, copy, reproduce, transmit, divulge or otherwise disclose any information related to the affairs of the Association, that is designated by the Association’s Executive Director as being confidential.
4. No Covered Person will use any information provided by the Association or acquired as a consequence of their service to the Association in any manner other than in furtherance of his or her official duties. Further, no Covered Person will misuse Association property or resources and will at all times keep the Association’s property secure and not allow any person to have or use such property without proper authorization.
5. All Covered Persons will exercise proper authority and good judgment in their dealings with Association staff, suppliers and the general public, and will respond to the needs of the Association’s members in a responsible, respectful and professional manner.
6. Each Covered Person will use his or her best efforts to regularly participate in professional development activities and will perform his or her duties in a professional and timely manner pursuant to the Board’s direction and oversight.
7. Upon termination of service, a Covered Person will promptly return to the Association all documents, electronic and hard files, reference materials, and other property entrusted to that person for the purpose of fulfilling his or her job responsibilities. Such return will not release the Covered Person from his or her continuing obligations of confidentiality with respect to confidential information acquired during his or her tenure.
8. Covered Persons must act at all times in the best interest of the Association and not for personal or third party gain or financial enrichment. When encountering potential conflicts of interest, Covered Persons will identify the conflict, and, as required, remove themselves from all discussion and voting on the matter.
SWTA Code of Ethical Conduct
Page 3 of 5
9. Covered Persons dedicate themselves to leading by example in serving the needs of the Association and its members.
10. Specifically, members of the Board shall:
a. Avoid placing one’s own self–interest or any third party interest above that of the Association;
b. Not abuse their Board membership by improperly using Board membership or the Association’s staff, services, equipment, resources, or property for their personal or third-party gain or pleasure, and shall not represent to third parties that their authority as a Board member extends any further than that which it actually extends.
c. Not engage in any outside business, professional or other activities that would directly or indirectly materially adversely affect the Association.
d. Not engage in or facilitate any discriminatory or harassing behavior toward Association staff, members, officers, directors, meeting attendees, exhibitors, advertisers, sponsors, suppliers, contractors, or others in the context of activities relating to the Association.
e. Not solicit or accept gifts, gratuities, free trips, honoraria, personal property, or any other item of value from any person or entity as a direct or indirect inducement to provide special treatment with respect to matters pertaining to the Association without fully disclosing such items to the board.
f. Provide goods and services to the Association as a paid vendor to the Association only after full disclosure to, and with advance approval by the Board, and pursuant to any related procedures adopted by the Board.