GTE Chooses New Chairman

President Charles R. Lee has been named chairman and chief executive of GTE Corp., the Stamford, Conn.-based telecommunications company announced Thursday.

Lee, who has been president and chief operating officer since December, 1988, will replace James L. Johnson, who will retire May 1. Johnson will remain on the GTE board as chairman emeritus.

Lee, 51, joined GTE from Columbia Pictures Industries Inc., where he was senior vice president of finance from 1980 to 1983. Before arriving at Columbia Pictures, he was senior vice president of finance for Penn Central Corp., which he joined in 1971.