Verizon Names Monica Azare Senior Vice President - State Public Policy and Government Affairs for New York and Connecticut

NEW YORK -- Monica Azare has been named Verizon senior vice president for state public policy and government affairs for New York and Connecticut, effective today.

Azare has been serving as executive director and senior counsel of federal affairs for Verizon Wireless. In her new position, she will be responsible for state legislative and political activity in New York and Connecticut, including Verizon's video franchising initiative for its FiOS TV service.

"With a wide and varied background in policies and issues in the telecommunications industry, Monica's knowledge and expertise is of great value to Verizon, in one of our most important regions," said Tom Tauke, Verizon's executive vice president for public affairs, policy and communications. "We're excited that Monica is joining our team, especially as we enter the video services market."

In Azare's position with Verizon Wireless, she was responsible for managing federal legislative efforts before the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to joining Verizon Wireless in 2000, Azare was vice president of federal affairs for Insight Communications, a cable company serving the Midwest. Before that, she served as chief counsel and legislative director to Billy Tauzin, the former chairman of the House Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee.

Previously, Azare served as a 1997 U.S. delegate to the World Trade Organization negotiations of the Basic Telecommunications Agreement in Geneva, and as an accredited state delegate to the INTELSAT privatization meetings in Brazil.

Azare joins Tom Dunne and Tom McCarroll in Verizon's New York/Connecticut public policy and government affairs group. Dunne is responsible for all government affairs in New York City, and McCarroll handles all Verizon regulatory affairs before the New York State Public Service Commission and the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control.

Azare graduated from Louisiana State University in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in speech communications. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Southern University Law Center in 1994.

She and her husband, David Davenport, reside in Harlem.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other communication innovations to wireline and wireless customers. Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 51.3 million customers nationwide; one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks; and one of the nation's premier wireline networks, serving home, business and wholesale customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of approximately 250,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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