Verizon's N.J. Head, a Madison Resident, to Retire

Madison resident Dennis Bone, president of Verizon's New Jersey area since 2000, will retire from the company on July 6, the company announced.

A Verizon news release Monday described Bone as one of New Jersey's business leaders for many years and "a champion for Verizon's shareholders, customers and employees in the public policy arena as well as in the business and nonprofit communities."

The company said Jim Gerace, who heads Verizon's government and external affairs functions for the New York and Connecticut region, will take on responsibility for the company's efforts in New Jersey, too.

Bone "has not only ensured that he did what is best for Verizon, but also what is best for the people of New Jersey," said Colleen McCloskey, Verizon senior vice president of state government affairs. "Having worked with Dennis for most of his career, I admire his passion for the future of communications technologies, his sense of fairness and incomparable integrity. We thank Dennis for his many contributions to Verizon and wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Bone said he is grateful for his tenure with New Jersey Bell, Bell Atlantic and Verizon.

"I've been fortunate to work with talented and caring people—both inside and outside of Verizon," he said. "During this time, we have experienced and helped shape the dramatic changes in the competitive telecommunications marketplace."

Bone started his Verizon career in 1979 as an engineer for New Jersey Bell, a Verizon predecessor company, and was named president of Verizon New Jersey in June 2000, the company said.

A 1973 graduate of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, Bone also has a Master of Business Administration degree in finance and economics from Rutgers University and a Master of Science degree in counseling from The Johns Hopkins University. He also has been awarded four honorary doctorates.

Bone co-chaired Gov. Chris Christie's Economic Development Transition Team, which led to the formation of Choose New Jersey, which Bone chairs, and he has served as chairman of New Jersey's State Employment and Training Commission.

Bone also serves on the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the Newark Alliance, the Liberty Science Center, the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Aviation Research and Technology Park, and on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

The announcement noted Bone served as chairman of two state chambers of commerce.

He is the immediate past chairman of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce and formerly served as chairman of the West Virginia State Chamber.