Verizon's Connia Nelson Receives 'CareerFOCUS Eagle Award' for Outstanding Leadership Achievement

NEW YORK - Verizon's Connia Nelson, senior vice president - telecom human resources, is a recipient of the prestigious CareerFOCUS Eagle Award.

Nelson is one of 13 individuals across the nation who were honored with the award this year by the National Eagle Leadership Institute and CareerFOCUS Magazine at a recent ceremony at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Calif.

Nelson is the 10th Verizon executive to receive an Eagle Award since it was launched in 1993 by CareerFOCUS.

The award is the nation's premier leadership-achievement honor for African-American and Latino professionals who excel in business and community leadership. The award has been named best awards and recognition program by FOLIO Magazine in 2005 and 2006.

This year's winners were selected by a 12-member selection committee comprised of previous Eagle Award winners.

"The Eagle Award is a symbol of Connia's leadership achievements and provides her an entree into one of corporate America's most distinguished executive networks known as The Eagle Roundtable," said Georgia L. Clark, founder and president of the National Eagle Leadership Institute.  "Connia's unmistakable excellence and character won the admiration of the selection committee, and we are pleased to honor her with this very special award."

Nelson has a bachelor's degree from Indiana State University and a master's degree in organization management from Dallas Baptist University.  She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Post University of Waterbury, Conn.  She also serves on the National Campaign Council for the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, N.C., and is a participant in the National Urban League's Black Executive Exchange program.

The National Eagle Leadership Institute(r) (NELI) is a premier leadership development resource for African-American and Latino professionals and college students. Our mission is the help you lead.  NELI was launched in 1995 in response to corporate America's increasing focus on leadership and diversity in the workplace. The Institute provides strategies to recognize, recruit, and retain trusted, empowered, and admired leaders. The first Eagle Awards were presented by CareerFOCUS Magazine in 1993 at the Mansion on O Street in Washington, DC.  It was an intimate luncheon of only 35 guests.  Today, the CareerFOCUS Eagle Awards Gala is one of the leading recognition platforms in corporate America.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 63.7 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of nearly 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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