CenturyLink says goodbye to long-time federal leader
By
Nick Wakeman
Diana Gowen will retire as senior vice president and general manager of CenturyLink Government, effective June 30. No successor named.
Diana Gowen is retiring as senior vice president and general manager of CenturyLink Government, Washington Technology has learned.
The company confirmed that Gowen will retire effective June 30 after leading the business for nine years.
She first took the reins in July 2005 when the company was known as Qwest Communications, which was later acquired by CenturyLink.
In a statement released to Washington Technology, the company called her a “strong and effective leader…She and her team have been instrumental in establishing CenturyLink’s reputation as an industry leading broadband, cybersecurity and IT services provider to the federal government.”
A CenturyLink spokeswoman said the company was not commenting on Gowen’s successor.
My assumption is that they are still in search mode for her replacement.
Some of her accomplishments at CenturyLink include winning a spot on the Networx contract for a broad range of telecommunications services. Under Networx, Century link provides services such as Internet Protocol services and private line services to the Defense Department as well as the Social Security Administration’s primary managed data network.
Other significant wins, according to the CenturyLink website, include local service agreements with GSA for federal customers in GSA Regions 8, 9 and 10.
“The company recognizes her excellent work on behalf of CenturyLink and our federal government customers, thanks her for her dedication, leadership and many contributions to the growth and success of our business over the years, and wishes her well on her retirement,” the company said in its statement.
In addition to her leadership role at CenturyLink and Qwest, Gowen was an executive with MCI Government Markets and AT&T. She’s been in the communications industry for more than 30 years.
Gowen has a stellar reputation in the government contracting industry, serving on the board of AFCEA International. She’s also won two FCW Fed100 awards and is a past recipient of GCN’s Industry Executive of the Year award. FCW and GCN are sister publications to Washington Technology.