Qwest announced today that another member of the its senior management team is leaving the Denver-based telecommunications company.

Gary Lytle, Qwest's senior vice president of federal relations, is retiring.

Lytle's pending departure comes a month after chief executive Dick Notebaert announced his retirement. Former executive vice president of operations Barry Allen retired in June, and former chief financial officer Oren Shaffer retired in April.

Lytle will be replaced by Shirley Bloomfield, who has more than 20 years of industry experience and recently served as vice president of government affairs at the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association in Washington, Qwest said today in a statement.

Lytle, who had held the position since July 2002, will remain with the company through the transition period, Qwest said. Bloomfield will join the company Aug. 20.

"As a well established member of the senior management team, Gary provided a depth of knowledge and years-long relationships in establishing Qwest's presence in Washington as a national communications provider," Notebaert said in a statement.

Qwest recently won the right to bid on Networx, the largest ever government telecommunications contracting program, worth up to $68 billion over 10 years.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6387695