Bell Atlantic Awards Employees With Company's Highest Honor

Bell Atlantic Awards Employees With Company's Highest Honor

Recognized for Outstanding Community or Customer Service

April 1, 1999

NEW YORK -- Twenty-two Bell Atlantic employees have been awarded
the company's highest employee honor, the Leaders in Excellence Award.

The Bell Atlantic Leaders in Excellence Award is presented each year to
individual employees and employee teams who have demonstrated a
devotion to quality, along with a commitment to customers or an
outstanding dedication to community service.

Each of the 22 individuals and 34 employee teams will be honored today
at area celebrations hosted by Bell Atlantic's senior executives. Honorees
were selected from nearly 1,000 nominees, representing 7,000 individuals.

"Congratulations to our champions, who are proof positive that we have
the most highly skilled and motivated employees in the industry," said
Bell Atlantic Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg. "The quality of care
that they deliver to our customers and our communities is a model for all
our employees."

Note to Editors: Individual press releases and photographs of the
following individuals are available upon request.

Keith Almodovar, Peekskill, N.Y.

Edwin Beckley, Jr., Manakin-Sabot, Va.

Stanley Botts, Silver Spring, Md.

James Cannon, Hampton, Va.

Andrew D'Aloisio, Gaithersbur, Md.

Rosemary Dresch, Westport, Conn.

(William) Dan Gill, Leesburg, Va.

Michael P. Hanigan, New City, N.Y.

Lee Hicks, Plaistow, N.H.

Michael Joyce, Ellicott City, Md.

Joseph Laratondo, East Meadow, L.I.

Thomas E. Martinez, Hardwick, N.J.

Pam Moore, Worcester, Mass.

Michael Murphy, Union, N.J.

Larry Phillips, Richmond, Va.

William R. Roberts, Washington, D.C.

Laurie Silk, White Plains, N.Y.

William Tate, Roselle, N.J.

Ken Wolfe, Palmyra, Pa.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines
and 8.6 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies
are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest
investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations
and investments in 23 countries.