Verizon Names Two Executives for Kentucky

CHARLESTON, W.Va., and LEXINGTON, Ky. - Verizon Communications expanded the duties of its top executive in West Virginia, giving her similar responsibility for neighboring Kentucky. Also, the company is moving a Vermont executive to Lexington to head the state's public affairs organization and oversee regulatory matters.

Verizon is the national communications company formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE.

Effective Dec. 15, Gale Given became president of Verizon in Kentucky, while continuing as president of Verizon West Virginia. She will maintain offices in Charleston and Lexington, and she will continue to live in the Teays Valley area west of Charleston.

"I'm excited about the challenge before me," Given said. "Overseeing Verizon activities in two states may at first seem daunting, but our functions in both places are quite similar. Our
excellent employees in Kentucky and West Virginia will make my job so much easier."

As president of Verizon in Kentucky, Given is responsible for the company's interests in serving over a half-million customers, many of whom are in the Lexington area. Her predecessor, John Blanchard, will continue to oversee Verizon's activities in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama. In addition, Mike Reed will continue to serve as vice president and general manager of the company's operations in Kentucky.

Verizon serves some 750,000 access lines in Kentucky with nearly 1,500 employees. Verizon West Virginia, formerly Bell Atlantic - West Virginia, employs nearly 3,300 people and provides service to over 900,000 access lines.

Given is a native of the Ohio River community of Point Pleasant, W.Va. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in business administration, both from Marshall University.

She began her telephone career in 1979 in central office engineering at the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. of West Virginia (a forerunner to Bell Atlantic). In 1987, she accepted a position at Bell Communications Research in New Jersey, where she assisted in resolving national issues related to carrier interconnection.

She returned to C&P Telephone and West Virginia in 1990, where she most recently served as executive director for regulatory matters. She was appointed president of Verizon West Virginia in July.

Given is a member of the Governor's Technology Enterprise Investment Council and the West Virginia Roundtable. She serves on the board of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and is also on the advisory boards of BB&T (Branch, Banking and Trust) and Marshall University.

In addition, she is board member of the Children's Home Society, Business and Industry Development Corp., and INROADS/West Virginia, Inc.

LORI MACKLIN

Also effective Dec. 15, Lori Macklin, Verizon's director for public affairs in Vermont, assumed a similar role in Kentucky.

A Boston native, Macklin joined New England Telephone (a predecessor to NYNEX, which later merged with Bell Atlantic) in 1978 and was responsible for analyzing costs associated with the provision of service. In the early 1980s, she worked briefly for AT&T before accepting a position with NYNEX in White Plains, N.Y.

In 1993, Macklin moved to Vermont to head government and public affairs in that state. In that job, she served as Bell Atlantic's representative to the state legislature. She was also responsible for economic development, public relations, philanthropy and community affairs in Vermont.

Macklin has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Framingham State College. She also has a master's degree in business administration from Boston University.

Macklin is active in the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, 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 more than 101 million access line equivalents and more than 26 million wireless customers. A Fortune 10 company with more than 260,000 employees and approximately $60 billion in 1999 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 .