New Leaders Head BellTel National Retiree Association

From BellTel

One of the nation’s largest non-profit retiree advocacy groups, the Association of BellTel Retirees, is pleased to announce the election of a new President and Chairman of the Board, following the retirement of past President, Founder and Executive Director, C. William Jones.

Founded in 1996, the Association of BellTel Retirees is today, a 130,000 member non-profit advocacy group working for the protection of Verizon retirees’ pensions and benefits, the Cold Spring Harbor, NY based organization has members in all 50 states.

Long-time board member and previously Executive Vice President Jack Cohen of Yorktown Heights, NY was also elected to become the group’s new Board Chairman.

“Many people are surprised by the accomplishments of our group of retirees. Our focus for the future is to continue on the success that the group has already achieved and enact more changes for the betterment of Verizon retirees for decades to come,” said Cohen. “If we do not protect our economic interests and those of our fellow retirees, we have no one to blame but ourselves. I am honored to be selected to serve as Chairman of this very impactful retiree organization.”

Mr. Cohen has been a part of the Association since 2002 and on its board since 2008. He joined the Association when he learned about the group’s ability to combine management and non-management retirees’ goals to preserve their healthcare benefits and the group’s legislative efforts. He began his career at New York Telephone and retired from NYNEX.

John “Jack” Brennan of Hillsdale, NJ, who for the last 12 years, served as the Chairman of the Association will step into the role of President and Executive Director.

“We are deeply grateful for the leadership of our outgoing President, C. William Jones, who founded and led the Association since its inception,” said Mr. Brennan. After 18 years, Mr. Jones has retired but will remain Board Member Emeritus.

“This is an organization that time and again has taken on the world’s largest telecommunications company and defeated it in the shareowners proxy three times and caused eight additional corporate bylaw changes at the company. Not even top Wall Street connoisseurs have come close to matching that record. I am deeply honored to be a part of that past success and to be chosen to lead the organization going forward,” said Mr. Brennan.

Mr. Brennan helped expand the original Association following NYNEX’s merger with Bell Atlantic and for each successive merger and spin-off the telecom did. Mr. Brennan first joined the Association because of concerns about fellow retirees’ economic survival. He retired from Bell Atlantic in 1991 and began his career with the telephone company with New Jersey Bell when he was 17.

The Association advocates for some quarter million union and management retirees in order to protect the pensions and earned healthcare benefits that they earned during their careers. The organization works through litigation, state and federal legislation, pension fund assurance, proxy proposal campaigns, and negotiation with the company and other key stakeholders.