Rose Stuckey Kirk

Rose Stuckey Kirk 
President, Verizon Foundation
Verizon Communications
Basking Ridge, N.J.

Rose Stuckey Kirk has more than 25 years’ experience and an impressive roster of accomplishments in telecommunications.  As president of the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, she leverages Verizon’s technology to address needs in education, sustainability and mobile health care in communities worldwide.

Kirk’s first appointment as a sales and customer-care vice president at Verizon was a defining moment in her career. “I was asked to interview for a job in which I had no previous experience, so naturally I asked why they were interested in me.  I was told leadership and execution were transferrable assets; the specifics of a job could be taught,” she says. “It made me realize that I had the capability to do whatever I was willing to learn.” Upon her appointment, she inherited a team with a huge backlog in customer orders and which was operating at 80 percent of its quota. She turned it around, leading it to exceed its quota and eliminate the backlog.  “Excelling in that role was a huge confidence booster. I used to struggle with self-confidence because I was always fixating on the things I don’t do right and underplaying the value of all I do extremely well. I changed my focus and I now lead with a sense of empowerment and purposefulness,” says Kirk.

Kirk became an advocate for domestic violence prevention after discovering that a family member was a victim. She has spent more than 30 years volunteering in the field. She is a board member for Dress for Success Worldwide, actively supports the work of the Alzheimer’s Association and is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations. Her relationship with her family gives her the biggest sense of accomplishment. She delights in the time she spends with them in what she calls a “Martha Stewart kind of life.”