By: Laura Phillips
I first met Kathy quite a number of years ago when we were both co-chairs on an FCBA committee. To me, she has always been the epitome of a calm, confident corporate leader, as well as a grounded, thoughtful individual. So, I was excited when she agreed to be interviewed for this column. Kathy has had a long career at Verizon, where she is Senior Vice President Public Policy & Government Affairs. This means that she leads all of Verizon’s federal and state public policy, legislative and regulatory work. Kathy and her team represent Verizon before the US Congress and Administration, the FCC and other federal agencies, and state and local governments. Given the scope of this endeavor, it is not surprising that Kathy reports there are over a hundred people on the team, some of whom have been with the company for forty or more years and others who are just starting out in their careers.
Q: What attracted you to the field of communications?
A: It was chance really. I was recruited to Verizon when I was an associate at a law firm. I didn’t know much about telecom, although oddly enough I clerked for Federal District Court Judge Harold H. Greene, who presided over the antitrust suit that led to the breakup of AT&T and the creation of companies like Verizon. He’d moved on to other cases of course by then, but I recall he had quite the collection of Modified Final Judgement/Tunney Act binders!
Q: Tell us about the various places you’ve worked through the years.
A: I am lucky enough to have spent almost my entire career at Verizon and most of that in the Public Policy & Government Affairs organization – I will be here 24 years in June. I started in 2002 as an FCC lawyer and then was promoted to lead the Federal Regulatory team in 2009. In 2015 I took over leadership of the entire group. Before Verizon I was an associate at Williams & Connolly in DC where I was a litigator. I also worked at Record World in the 90s. Maybe my favorite job ever.
Q: Have things unfolded in your career more or less the way you planned?
A: Definitely not. When I started at Verizon, I never thought I would spend my entire career at the company, nor did I think I would get the chance to lead a major organization and be part of the executive leadership team. At the beginning of my career, I felt a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about my career decisions. I hadn’t developed the confidence to know that if I followed my own deep knowing and intuition, I would create my own luck and opportunity. That came later, after some hard-earned life experience. Thank goodness for it however, because I honestly landed my dream job.
Q: What’s the most interesting or challenging thing that you’ve done in your current position?
A: Transaction/merger regulatory approvals have been the most interesting and challenging, particularly in the last few years. They are also the most rewarding because they are so important to the strategic direction of the company. I also really enjoy spectrum issues and working on spectrum auctions and policy through the transitions to 4G and 5G have been fascinating.
Q: Is or was there something interesting or someone who surprised or impressed you during your career and why?
A: Our team at Verizon constantly surprises and impresses me. My favorite part of being a leader (and what I am sure I will remember far more intensely than FCC orders or legislative victories) is watching people change, evolve, and thrive when they feel that their leadership and their peers believe in them. When I eventually retire, knowing that I had a hand in mentoring and developing the talents and careers of these folks, knowing that me being there at those pivotal moments with individuals mattered is what I’ll remember and be proud of.
Q: What do you enjoy reading?
A: Reading is one of my passions. I bounce between lowbrow and highbrow – lately I love reading about history and art history. My recent faves are The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It. It is an oral history of the players from the very earliest days of the sport. The writer spent ten years tracking down these incredible players that everyone had forgotten and documenting their stories. Many of them ended up in the Baseball Hall of Fame after it was published in 1966.
Q: Is there something (a hobby or other tidbit) people don’t know about you that you are willing to share?
A: I love learning and am always taking up new hobbies and classes to expand my perspective and call in some fun and joy. I tend to spend time and personal energy on intentional learning, focusing on areas where I’m not an expert and I have to approach it with a beginner’s mind. For example, I took several improv classes at the DC Improv last year and I plan to take a few more this year. I also just spent a week in March at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY to amp up my cooking/baking game. My classmates for the week were from all over the world and we all were all thrown into a sort of bootcamp of lectures, demonstrations and then hands-on meal prep.
Q: Can you share your perspective on the pitfalls to avoid or other career advice for those who are just getting started in the communications field?
A: This is a big one for me – I get this question often and I almost always say the same thing. Ask for what you want. If you want a new opportunity, a promotion, a different work assignment, or honest feedback, you have to ask. Bosses aren’t mind readers and they need to hear from you directly. Naming your aspirations out loud is an important part of this process. Opportunities rarely just show up fully formed and waiting for you; you help create them when you are clear with your leadership (and yourself) about what you want and where you want to go. And it is not a good sign if that kind of honesty and dialogue about career development isn’t welcome or encouraged in your organization.
Q: How has your life changed as a result of COVID-19 and what are you looking forward to doing next?
A: Verizon has a new CEO and new leadership team. It is an exciting time to be at the company; the pace of change internally (and externally) is incredible. I am looking forward to being a part of that transformation. Personally, I love amusement parks and I am excited about my yearly trip to Hershey Park with my two teenage nieces coming up soon.
Q: How long have you been an FCBA member, and what to you is the value of FCBA membership?
A: 24 years! I joined the FCBA the same month I joined Verizon in 2002. We have a large team here in DC and all of us are members – obviously the social/networking part is critical and the CLE programming is top-notch. But from a personal perspective, I think the FCBA Pipeline Program has been the most impactful. Verizon was one of the first companies to sign on and we have had the honor of welcoming many wonderful interns to our team as a result.
I also think back to how significant and helpful to me the relationships I formed with others in the FCBA has been and continues to be. As a younger lawyer I was able to get experience outside of the company presenting on panels, and meeting people from the Hill, the FCC and elsewhere, a couple of whom are at Verizon today! It’s a wonderful association for all of these reasons.