Leading Business Executive to Deliver Thomas More Lecture on Faith, Work and Civic Life at Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. – Maggie Wilderotter ’77, president and chief executive officer of Citizens Communications, will give the annual Thomas More Lecture on Faith, Work and Civic Life on Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Citizens Communications Company is the second largest rural local exchange carrier, or RLEC, with about 2.5 million incumbent phone lines in Arizona, Minnesota, New York and 20 other states scattered around the U.S. The company also runs a competitive carrier that challenges the former telephone monopoly in several western states.

Prior to assuming her current role at Citizens, Wilderotter was senior vice president of Worldwide Public Sector at Microsoft. Reporting to Bill Gates, she was responsible for strengthening customer and partner outreach in the government and education markets, as well as working across Microsoft’s business divisions on developing and coordinating forward-looking strategies.

Wilderotter was also president and chief executive officer of Wink Communications Inc., which provides a complete end-to-end system for low-cost electronic commerce on television, executive vice president of national operations for AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and chief executive officer of AT&T’s Aviation Communications Division. She also served as senior vice president of McCaw Cellular Communications Inc. and was a regional president managing the company’s California, Nevada, and Hawaii Region.

Due to her contributions to the television industry, Wilderotter has received national accolades. She is one of 20 leaders ever to have been honored twice the prestigious Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership by the National Cable Television Association.

Wilderotter, who serves on the board of trustees at Holy Cross, has been actively involved in the leadership of a number of not-for-profit organizations.

The Thomas More Lecture honors a graduate of Holy Cross who exemplifies the College’s dedication to the integration of faith and learning. It is sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.