The CompTel/ASCENT Alliance will hold its annual membership meeting and board elections 5 p.m. today. This is the first round of board elections since the Alliance was formed in November. Thirty-one nominees are vying for one of 21 seats on the consolidated board (see list below).

The membership meeting is open only to Alliance members and only voting members may take part in the board elections, immediately following the membership meeting.

The elected Alliance board comprises six representatives in each of the medium and large company segments and nine representatives from among the small company members. Voting members in good standing with the Alliance as of the time they cast their ballots are eligible to vote for candidates not exceeding the number of seats available in their membership category.

Elections for directors representing small companies (annual revenue less than $25 million) will be in Room 213-A; elections for directors representing medium companies (annual revenue between $25 million and $250 million) will be in Room 213-B; and elections for directors representing large companies (annual revenue more than $250 million) will be in Room 213-C.

Only one person per voting member company may vote. Anyone wishing to vote must present Alliance staff with valid identification and proof of employment at the voting member company.

If unable to attend the meeting, voting members can participate in Early Bird voting in a special voting area near the registration center until noon today. However, if a second ballot is required due to a tie or other circumstances, Early Bird voters will not be able to mark a second ballot unless they attend in person.

A call for nominations was sent to all voting members in December and nominations for candidates for the board of directors closed Dec. 31.

@dek:CompTel/ASCENT Alliance Board of Directors Nominees 2004

@subhead:Large Member Category

@body:Annual revenue above $250 million<$>

Company Name Title

AmericaTel Alejandro Vargas Executive VP & Corporate CLO

AT&T Barbara Peda SVP, Product Management/Marketing

Covad Communications Susan Jin Davis VP, Government & External Affairs

ITC^DeltaCom Drew Walker President & COO

MCI Jim Lewis SVP, Law & Public Policy

PaeTec Communications Joe Ambersley Executive VP, Business Development

VeriSign Vernon Irvin Executive VP

Z-Tel Communications Rob Curtis President

@subhead:Medium Member Category

@body:Annual revenue between $25 million and $250 million<$>

Company Name Title

Broadview Networks Eric Roden COO

Cinergy Communications Corp. Al Cinelli Chairman

FiberNet Telecom Group Inc. Thomas Brown SVP Sales & Marketing

FPL FiberNet Neil Flynn President

Grande Communications Jerry James President

InfoHighway Communications Joe Gregori CEO

Lightyear Communications Sherman Henderson President & CEO

New Edge Networks Dan Moffat President & CEO

NewSouth Communications Jake Jennings VP, Regulatory Affairs

nii Communications Richard Burk President & CEO

Progress Telecom/EPIK Communications Joe Stockwell President/Ron Mudry President & CEO

TSI Communications Jerry Easom VP, Industry Relations

Xspedius Communications Jim Falvey SVP, Regulatory Affairs

@subhead:Small Member Category

@body:Annual revenue under $25 million<$>

Company Name Title

Alliance Group Services Thomas Coughlin Chairman of the Board

American Farm Bureau Inc. Casey Wojciechowski General Manager

CIMCO Communications William Capraro CEO

El Paso Global Networks Bryan Neskora President

Granite Communications Robert Hale Chairman of the Board

Homisco/VoiceNet Ron Contrado President

Looking Glass Networks Inc. Lynn Refer CEO

PPL Telecom LLC David Kelley President

Remi Communications David Malfara President & CEO

USCarrier Telecom Philip Forbes Executive VP