ABOUT CITE/ Who We Are

Who are we?

The Consortium of Information and Telecommunications Executives, Inc.  (CITE®) is a non-profit, 501c3, employee resource group whose membership is primarily African-American.  Chartered in 1983, CITE® became the umbrella organization for separate local organizations formed in each state in the 1970s to advance the professional development and networking opportunities of African-American employees and provide a forum for community outreach.

Today, CITE® consists of twelve local organizations from Florida to California, including CITE Florida, whose
main membership base is in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg-Metro Area.  CITE® represents more than 3,000 African-Americans employed by Verizon and its subsidiaries.  CITE® is dedicated to community involvement and the advancement
of our youth.
 

The Consortium of Information and Telecommunications Executives (CITE) is one of the most widely recognized employee resource groups within Verizon Communications. CITE strives to raise the level of consciousness of all employees with regard to minority concerns, and advance the professional development and networking opportunities of African-American and other minority employees of Verizon. As such, CITE chose a logo that fully represents every aspect of the organization. CITE's logo is a quilt containing Adinkra symbols. Adinkra symbols were and still are used in Africa as a language and form of communication. Each motif that makes up Adinkra symbolism has a name and meaning derived from a proverb, historical event, human attitude, animal behavior, plant life, or forms and shapes of inanimate and man-made objects. Adinkra symbolism is a visual representation of social thought linked to the history, philosophy and religious beliefs, of the Akan tribe in Ghana and Cote' d'Ivoire.

The Adinkra symbols used in the CITE quilt are:
a wisdom knot of intelligence and ingenuity;
a talking drum for communication, united action and goodwill;
a two-headed crocodile representing unity in diversity and oneness of the human family despite cultural differences;
and twisting for selfless devotion to service, adaptability and ability to withstand and overcome hardships.

The quilt was chosen to represent CITE's African heritage. Years ago, quilts kept families warm and protected. They also helped slaves escape to freedom.

CITE logo colors are black, red, and white to represent the organization's affiliation with Verizon and our rich heritage.