Verizon's Lee Brathwaite Named Long Island NAACP 'Achiever and Believer'

NEW YORK -- Lee Brathwaite, president of Verizon's Island Metro region, has been chosen a "Minority Achiever and Believer" by the

Long Island Coalition of Branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

One of five honorees, Brathwaite will be honored at the NAACP's annual luncheon, Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Melville Marriott Hotel in Huntington, Long Island.

The awards are held in connection with Black History Month.

The award is given each year by the coalition to corporate executives who succeed and grow in their own businesses, and who work on issues that benefit

African-Americans on Long Island. The coalition includes NAACP branches in Brookhaven, Hempstead, Huntington, North Shore, Central Long Island and

Eastern Long Island.

"This is truly an honor," said Brathwaite. "Not only is this a recognition of my own achievements, but also of the fantastic support Verizon

provides its employees. Diversity at Verizon is not just a 'nice to do.' Verizon recognizes that each employee has unique characteristics, talents and

contributions, and makes that uniqueness and diversity part of the very fabric of the company."

According to Dolores Thompson, president of the NAACP's Huntington branch, "Lee is the textbook definition of an 'achiever and believer.' He has

continued to succeed within his company and acts as a role model for other minority employees at Verizon. We are happy to bestow this award and give him a

place of honor within the community."

Gary Williams, a Verizon service technician and president of the Brookhaven chapter of the NAACP, said, "I commend Lee Brathwaite for the steps he

has taken to advance the cause of African-American employees at our company. That is what this award from the NAACP is all about. With people like Lee

around, I am proud to be a Verizon employee."

As president of the company's Island Metro region, Brathwaite is responsible for the installation, maintenance and construction of telecommunications services

across Long Island, Queens and the Bronx. Prior to his current position, he was responsible for installation and maintenance issues for Verizon's wholesale

customers on the East Coast.

Brathwaite joined NYNEX (a predecessor to Verizon) in 1986, and has held a variety of sales and operations positions. He graduated from Syracuse

University with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. He achieved the rank of First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force,

serving as a bioenvironmental engineer from 1982 to 1985. In 1994 he graduated from Baruch College with an MBA.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of

wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with nearly 109 million access line equivalents and more than 27.5 million wireless customers. Verizon

is also the world's largest provider of print and online directory information. A Fortune 10 company with approximately 260,000 employees and more than $63

billion in annual revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon,

visit www.verizon.com.

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