We work hard to create a great place to work for V Teamers, and Seramount knows a great company when they see one.

Seramount is a leader for assessing the ways companies value their employees by providing a variety of equitable and inclusive benefits for them and their families. For 22 consecutive years, Verizon has been recognized as a 100 Best Company. Ranking high for our benefits and childcare programs, parental leave time, mental health resources, paid time off, and company culture.

In addition, Verizon has also ranked with the top companies for Seramount’s Best Companies for Dads list, launched three years ago. The Best Companies for Dads reviewed 400 answers to questions from the participating companies that focus on paid gender-neutral benefits, emergency back-up child-care resources, bereavement leave, and more. This study reviewed programs and policies that would help parents thrive within a supportive family-friendly culture.

Each year, Seramount invites companies ranking in its 100 Best Companies list to participate in selecting their Working Mom of the Year and Working Dad of the Year. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team invited employee resource group (ERG) members based in the U.S. to nominate someone who inspires fellow V Teamers to be their best selves inside and outside of work.

Let’s toast our 2022 Working Mom and Dad.

Huge congrats to Kia Wilson and Cory Harrelson. They were among dozens of proud V Team working parents who were nominated to be Verizon’s Working Mom and Working Dad of the Year for 2022, and were selected for the honor from so many inspiring nominations.

Kia and Cory were the top voted candidates and we’re proud to share excerpts from their nominations!

A mentoring mom committed to mentoring fellow V Teamers - Meet Kia

As a mother of six, when her youngest was only two, Kia Wilson, Sr. Product Experience Manager with Consumer Group, was selected to be the Global Operations Lead for WAVE (Womxn’s Association of Verizon Employees). Upon starting in her new role, our country was in the wake of two crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and a social justice crisis. Tirelessly working fulltime and helping her children learn from home due to country-wide lockdowns, Kia continued to excel in her job performance as well as with her volunteer work with WAVE. Kia worked closely with her partners to develop and execute on 400+ international programs in 32 countries. As with all of our employee resource groups (ERGs) WAVE is an extra-curricular volunteer activity requiring countless and selfless hours. Kia never skipped a beat and was active in intersectional collaborative ERG work and she was selected to WAVE leadership.

Kia has helped mentor women into leadership roles and ensures WAVE members benefit from varied self-growth events. Always enthusiastic even when faced with her own challenges, she is a great mentor for our Regional Leads and girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Kia aligns our strategy with DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), while also supporting our learning and development practices for women, and so much more.

Kia always shows up for her family and Verizon with addictive energy and unparalleled contributions. She’s an inspiration and fully deserves recognition as Working Mom of the Year!

Overcoming personal adversity while still making an impact: Meet Cory

Cory Harrelson is a District Manager in Consumer Sales who recently moved into a new role as a Consultant on our DE&I team. He’s been a great mentor to others as a member of Verizon BOLD (Black Originators Leaders and Doers), where he holds a leadership position as the Global Volunteerism Chair, as well as with the rest of our ERGs. He highlights a new peer, friend or someone he admires on his Instagram daily in order to say something nice and show support. Cory’s kindness and positive impact are contagious, inspiring others around him.

Cory is committed to being the best dad to his three daughters, especially their growth, development and individuality - he always encourages them to do more for others. He’s a supportive husband, impactful member of his community, and an inspiration to those who don’t even know him — which speaks volumes.

He has overcome personal obstacles — he has PKD (Polycystic kidney disease) and has had a kidney transplant that saved his life. He shares his health journey on his Instagram, but he also shares the good and bad days with humility and transparency.

The first words of his bio read “Make every moment matter.” He is what every employee and human being should aspire to be and truly deserves to be Verizon’s Working Dad of the Year!

Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and finalists!

Learn more about Verizon’s empowering culture.