PHILADELPHIA — Inspector General Amy L. Kurland and Chief Integrity Officer Ellen Mattleman Kaplan today presented the Joan Markman Award for Integrity to Ralph DiPietro, Deputy Commissioner and appointed Integrity Officer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I).
“I am honored to be chosen as this year’s winner of the Joan Markman Award for Integrity. Joan Markman was an exemplary employee, and I am humbled to be associated with her name and her legacy,” said DiPietro.
In collaboration with the Office of the Inspector General, DiPietro aided numerous investigations of alleged misconduct in City government that have resulted in meaningful change.
“The Joan Markman Award for Integrity isn’t about how many wrongdoings someone’s investigated. It’s about the culture shift that people like Ralph are encouraging,” said Kurland. “Ralph’s work and involvement in OIG investigations has really helped shape a culture of integrity within L+I that I think sends a strong message to the rest of the City that we value honesty, and that’s what we’re recognizing here, today.”
Kaplan concurred that DiPietro is “an outstanding model of ethical behavior in the workplace.”
Previously named the Inspector General Integrity Award, the Markman Award honors the memory of Joan Markman, the City’s first Chief Integrity Officer, who passed away January 15, 2015. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates a strong commitment to integrity, diligence and transparency on behalf of the City of Philadelphia.
DiPietro received a $1,000 award prize and certificate in recognition of his achievement, and a photograph memorializing the recognition.
About the Inspector General
The mission of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to enhance public confidence in the integrity of City government by rooting out corruption, fraud, misconduct, waste and mismanagement. For more information, log on to: http://www.phila.gov/ig.
About the Chief Integrity Officer
The Core Purpose of the Office of the Chief Integrity Officer is to uphold the public’s trust by ensuring that the City operates with fairness and integrity, uncompromised by conflicts of interest, political affiliation, favoritism, or other unfair considerations. For more information, visit: http://www.phila.gov/integrityworks.