33. Tracey Edwards

Edwards oversees more than 6,000 employees at Verizon, handling customers from Staten Island to the East End. She’s come a long way from a summer hire operator who began her climb up the telephone pole, so to speak, in 1979. She’s been key to helping Verizon expand its Fios all-fiber network, and was responsible for trying to restore service as quickly as possible after Hurricane Irene knocked out LI last August. As the regional director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Edwards is also doing her best to make sure the next generation of young people have their fair share of opportunity when it comes to pursuing the American Dream.