It’s official: TelecomPioneers! Pioneer Leaders Approve Name Change ...
		Photos courtesy of Allen Lewis, Verizon Liberty Bell Chapter
#1 The Telecom / Verizon Pioneer Leadership Team: (l-r) Suzanne Dubose, president of the Verizon Foundation and Verizon representative on the TelecomPioneer Advisory Board; Cal Frost, vice president, Verizon/Telcordia/Frontier TeleComPioneers; Frank Fagan, president and chairman, TelecomPioneers; Ivan Seidenberg, chairman, Verizon Communications, Hal Burlingame, immediate past president, Telephone Pioneers of America. #2 (l-r): Suzanne Dubose, president of the Verizon Foundation and Verizon representative on the TelecomPioneer Advisory Board, and Denise Hodges, president, McCully Downstate Chapter of the TelecomPioneers #3 Ivan Seidenberg, chairman, Verizon Communications, addresses the Annual Meeting assembly. Click here to view more pictures of the TPA Annual Meeting

Pioneer leaders rendered a milestone decision at the 2002 Annual Meeting when they voted on October 5 to change the name of the organization to TelecomPioneers. The name change was proposed to better align Pioneers with the high-technology direction of sponsor companies and to strengthen the organization’s appeal to potential new members. The name change was effective immediately after the vote results were announced

“The Verizon/Telcordia/Frontier TelecomPioneers supported the name change by exceeding the two-thirds majority vote,” said Cal Frost, vice president, Verizon/Telcordia/Frontier TelecomPioneers.

“Our members recognize that our industry now encompasses more than simply telephones. ‘Telecom’ more accurately describes the cutting-edge level of our companies’ products and services. ‘Pioneers’ reflects our deep-rooted legacy of community support.”

Research internal and external to the organization had revealed that the word Telephone had become outdated
in regard to sponsoring companies that have grown to offer products and services well beyond the realm of
basic telephone service. Additionally, “of America ” was viewed as no longer relevant due to the global scale of companies and the location of their employees.

“The members have spoken and I am pleased with the outcome,” said Frank Fagan, the Pioneers Chairman
and President. “I truly believe this opens the door to tremendous opportunities for our organization.”

As the TelecomPioneers organization looks to the future, it is also believed that the new name will be more relevant and appealing as newer employees, those who are embarking on careers in the telecom industry are recruited for membership.

Founded as the Telephone Pioneers of America in 1911, the TelecomPioneers is the world’s largest corporate volunteer organization. Its membership of 750,000 is comprised of current and retired employees of the telecommunications industry.

With 84 chapters across the United States and Canada, the TelecomPioneers volunteer their time to address
a variety of community needs. The Verizon/Telcordia/Frontier TelecomPioneers represent 19 of these chapters with more than 150,000 members.