William R. Roberts
State President, Verizon Maryland and Washington D.C.

William R. Roberts was named Verizon regional state president for Maryland and Washington D.C., in December of 2007. He oversees all of the company's telephone operations in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Previously, Mr. Roberts was president of Verizon Maryland, a position he held since July of 2000.

Mr. Roberts began his career with The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland, now Verizon Maryland, in 1980 as a business office manager.  He has held positions of increasing responsibility in operations, human resources, marketing, public affairs, and government relations.

Mr. Roberts serves as a board member of the Baltimore Development Corporation; Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond; Greater Baltimore Committee; Kennedy Krieger Institute;  Medstar Health; and the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  He also is on the board of trustees for Villa Julie College, and Morgan State University Board of Regents.

Born and raised in Talbot County on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Mr. Roberts graduated from Morgan State University and attended graduate school at Howard University and Eastern Michigan University.  Mr. Roberts also has two honorary doctorate degrees - a Doctorate of Human Letters from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a Doctorate of Public Service from the University of Maryland University College.

Mr. Roberts is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and has completed executive and leadership development programs at the University of Richmond (Va.)-Robins School of Business; the Institute for Public Service in Washington, D.C.; and at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, N.C.