Bell Atlantic Names Gale Given State President

Bell Atlantic Names Gale Given State President

Assumes Overall Responsibility for West Virginia; Replaces Dennis Bone, Who Becomes State President in New Jersey

June 30, 2000

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- Bell Atlantic, soon to complete its merger with GTE Corp. and become Verizon Communications, has selected Gale Y. Given to become state president in West Virginia, succeeding Dennis M. Bone. Bone has been named state president in New Jersey. The moves are effective upon completion of the Bell Atlantic-GTE merger.

As state president Given assumes overall responsibility for all corporate interests for the company in West Virginia.

"Dennis has guided Bell Atlantic through tremendous change and served West Virginia exceptionally well over the past five years, and Gale will build on that foundation," said Geoff Gould, who has been named senior vice president for state and local relations at Verizon. "Gale is the ideal person to lead our West Virginia business."

A native of Point Pleasant, Given began her career in 1979 at C&P Telephone of West Virginia in the Charleston central office engineering organization. In 1987, Given moved to Bell Communications Research, the research arm of the regional Bell operating companies, where she assisted the telecommunications industry in resolving national issues related to carrier interconnection. Given returned to C&P Telephone in the West Virginia regulatory organization in 1990 and was most recently executive director of regulatory matters.

Given has earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in business administration from Marshall University. Given serves on the board of INROADS/West Virginia, Inc., an organization that identifies, trains and places highly qualified minority students in internships with West Virginia businesses. She also serves on the State Committee for EPSCOR (West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) under the Governor's Office of Technology.

Given, her husband Joe and their three children live in Teays Valley.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With more than 44 million telephone access lines and more than 20 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.