WASHINGTON, DC—Bill Oliver, senior vice president of public affairs for AT&T Services, will retire effective June 30 following 19 years as an officer for the telecommunications giant.

Oliver began his career with the AT&T family of companies in 1994 as vice president, corporate public relations, having previously headed the communications function at TRW, Weyerhaeuser and PACCAR, and served on the senior staff of the Secretary of Defense.

At AT&T, he led PR for consumer business as well as directed the company's extensive global PR operation in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He then focused on the company’s effort to help achieve critical federal and state public policy objectives after passage of the Telecom Act of 1996. In 2005, following completion of the AT&T-SBC merger, he was appointed to his current position and helped to create the company’s public affairs operation.

"Bill helped create the entire concept of corporate public affairs, and over the years has refined it into an essential component of our company's legislative and regulatory success," says Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president, external and legislative affairs at AT&T Services.