African-American Youth Convene Global Conference on Civic Leadership

Four-Day Conference Brings Together Leaders in Business, Media and the Arts

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ron Brown Scholar Program,
the nation's leading scholarship program for African-American youth, will
convene a leadership conference in Charlottesville next week, sponsored by
Verizon Business, to help propel African-American youth nationwide into global
leadership positions.

The 2008 Triennial Leadership Conference -- Local Service, Global Change -- is
set for August 6 - 10 and will bring together nearly 240 Ron Brown Scholars
and leading minds from the public and private sectors to help accelerate the
entry of young African-Americans into civic leadership and further enhance
opportunities in fields including public policy, media, health care, education
and business.

"This conference is about seeking out and cultivating America's next black
leaders," said Anthony Pilaro, founder of the Ron Brown Scholar Program and
chairman of the CAP Charitable Foundation. "This is the fourth conference of
its kind, created to bring young people together to demonstrate that through
unity and cooperation any social challenge can be overcome."

Pilaro will also serve as keynote speaker at the conference, addressing the
role philanthropic organizations play in advancing academic opportunities for
African-American youth. Previous conferences have addressed topics covering
corporate citizenship, public health, and urban renewal, among others.

Verizon Business joins the Ron Brown Scholar program in this mission by
serving as title sponsor for the Leadership Conference. "At Verizon Business,
we embrace the theme of this year's conference as a way of doing business,"
said Terri Dean, senior vice president of global communications at Verizon
Business and chairman of the Ron Brown Scholar Program Advisory Board. "We are
a global player, but we never forget that innovation and progress always start
locally. This conference will foster an important dialogue among the world's
next generation of leaders, who will confront the growing challenges of our
global community."

In addition to Pilaro and Dean, the Leadership Conference will feature several
other prominent speakers who will stress the importance of service as a
requirement of leadership. Other speakers include: Tom Werner, chairman of the
World Series Champion Boston Red Sox and creator of "The Cosby Show"; Diana
Dougan, former U.S. ambassador; Wendy Kopp, president of Teach for America;
and Marva Smalls, executive vice president for public affairs for Nickelodeon.

Michael Mallory, executive director of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, said:
"The Ron Brown Scholar Program Leadership Conference is a catalyst for our
efforts to bring more young people together and challenge them to solve
national and international problems by serving as leaders in their own
communities. We are also thrilled to have Verizon Business on board and
applaud their passion for helping youth around the country excel academically
so they may in turn help others succeed."

In addition to keynote speakers, a series of panel discussions will take place
over the five days highlighting a variety of social topics ranging from "New
Orleans: A Prophetic City" to "U.S. Foreign Policy -- Power Shift." The
conference will be capped off with a special presentation by Werner, the
Boston Red Sox chairman. A special benefit performance will follow featuring
two Ron Brown Scholars: playwright Katori Hall and R&B singer/songwriter
Sparlha Swa. The event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased by
visiting www.theparamount.net or contacting the Paramount Box Office at
434-979-1333.

Additional information on the Ron Brown Scholar Program Leadership Conference
and biographies of the speakers are available at www.ronbrown.org.

About the Ron Brown Scholar Program
Named for the late Secretary of Commerce and inspired by his dedication to
public service, the Ron Brown Scholar Program was established in 1996 to
provide academic scholarships, service opportunities and leadership
experiences for young African Americans of outstanding promise. The Program
seeks to accelerate their progress into the mainstream of leadership positions
in business, education, government and a wide spectrum of professions, while
instilling a dedication to leadership and service.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), operates the
world's most connected public IP network and uses its industry-leading
global-network capabilities to offer large-business and government information
technology (IT) products and services to deliver leading enterprise solutions
including managed services, security, mobility customers an unmatched
combination of security, reliability and speed. The company integrates
advanced IP communications and, collaboration and professional services.
These solutions power innovation and enable the company's customers to do
business better. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

SOURCE Verizon Business

Marc Destito, +1-202-491-3873, mdestito@clsdc.com; or Stefanie Scott,
+1-512-495-6730, stefanie.scott@verizon.com, of Verizon Business