Verizon Wireless Named One Of Maryland's "Workplace Excellence" Award Winners For Third Consecutive Year

LAUREL, MD — For the third consecutive year, Verizon Wireless has been named a Workplace Excellence award winner by the nonprofit Maryland Work~Life Alliance. Headquartered in Montgomery County, Md., the Alliance is a coalition dedicated to creating and recognizing outstanding workplaces across the state of Maryland.

The nation's most reliable wireless provider, Verizon Wireless employs about 1,700 people in Maryland at its regional headquarters in Laurel, Md. and Communications Stores across the state.

Verizon Wireless Regional President Patrick Devlin said, "Verizon Wireless is proud to be the recipient of the Workplace Excellence Seal of Approval in the state of Maryland. Our goal is simple: we strive to provide our employees with the best work/life benefits in the industry because it is the right thing to do. Leading-edge programs and benefits that help employees achieve balance in their work and personal lives is a winning combination that helps us provide the best possible service to our customers."

According to Evelyne S. Steward, Chair, Maryland Work~Life Alliance, the Workplace Excellence Seal recognizes those organizations that have embraced work/life practices to meet the needs of their workforce, resulting in long-term growth and business success.

"We applaud Verizon Wireless for its commitment to establishing a workplace culture that allows today's workforce to achieve success at work, at home and in the community. Because of companies like Verizon Wireless, we'll be able to reach our goal of having Maryland become a nationally recognized state for quality of life and work," said Steward.

Verizon Wireless was also recognized in the March 2005 issue of Baltimore Magazine as one of the best places to work and was named by Working Mother magazine as one of the 100 best companies for working mothers for the fourth consecutive year.

The Workplace Excellence awards, which are presented annually, were announced today at a breakfast ceremony at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Ann Crittenden, author, "If You Have Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything," provided the keynote address. Maureen Bunyan, award-winning broadcaster and WJLA anchor, served as the the ceremony's emcee.

About The National Work~Life Alliance
The National Work~Life Alliance, a nonprofit organization founded and headquartered in Montgomery County, Maryland, is a private-public, nonprofit coalition committed to empowering employers nationwide to create and become recognized, as "Excellent Places to Work." The National Work~Life Alliance offers work~life programs and services for employers such as: Workplace Excellence Seal of Approval, Trailblazer Awards, Information Resources and Best Practices, Policy and Program Implementation Tool Kits, Education Events and Networking Opportunities. Find more information at www.worklifealliance.org.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 43.8 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.  

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