8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported )  June 29, 2010

FairPoint Communications, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-32408	13-3725229
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

521 East Morehead Street, Suite 500, Charlotte, North Carolina	28202
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code  (704) 344-8150

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

oWritten communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

oSoliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

oPre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

oPre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item  5.02              Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Appointment of Ajay Sabherwal as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

On June 29, 2010, FairPoint Communications, Inc. (the “Company”) announced the appointment of Ajay Sabherwal as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective July 19, 2010.  Mr. Sabherwal will serve as the Company’s principal financial officer.

Mr. Sabherwal’s Professional Background

Mr. Sabherwal, age 44, previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Mendel Biotechnology from 2009 to 2010, Chief Financial Officer for Aventine Renewable Energy from 2005 to 2009 and Executive Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer for Choice One Communications from 1999 to 2005.  Mr. Sabherwal holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Economics from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Pilani, India and an MBA from the Manchester Business School in Manchester, UK.

Item 8.01               Other Events

On June 29, 2010, the Company issued a press release entitled “FairPoint Communications Names Chief Financial Officer.”  A copy of the press release is being furnished by being attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01               Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits
Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press Release, dated June 29, 2010

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
	By:	/s/ Lisa R. Hood
		Name:	Lisa R. Hood
		Title:	Senior Vice President and Controller, Interim Chief Financial Officer
Date: June 29, 2010

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EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:  Rose Cummings

(704) 602-7304

rcummings@fairpoint.com

FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS NAMES CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 29, 2010) — FairPoint Communications, Inc. today announced  Ajay Sabherwal has been appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective July 19, 2010.

Sabherwal, 44, will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Hauser and will be responsible for all aspects of FairPoint’s finance function, including accounting, tax, treasury and investor relations.

Hauser commented, “Ajay brings to FairPoint deep knowledge of the telecom industry as well as financial acumen and veteran leadership. His past experiences as a chief financial officer as well as his years as an equity analyst give him a unique perspective that is valuable as FairPoint emerges from Chapter 11 as a stronger, more viable company.”

Sabherwal’s experience in telecommunications spans 16 years starting in 1989 in Canada with CNCP Telecommunications (the predecessor company of AT&T Canada) where he was a senior manager of business planning. In the 1990s, he was a leading Canadian telecommunications equity analyst with Deacon Barclays de Zoete Wedd and then Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.  In 1999 he became the chief financial officer at Choice One Communications, a competitive local exchange carrier based in Rochester, New York, where he worked for six years.  From there, Sabherwal worked for the next five years as a chief financial officer for two renewable energy companies — Aventine Renewable Energy and Mendel Biotechnology. During his career Sabherwal has also worked for Louis Dreyfus Trading Ltd. in London and Deloitte & Touche Management Consultants in Toronto.

He holds both a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in economics from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in India.  He also earned a Master in Business Administration degree from Manchester Business School in Manchester, UK.  He will be based in Charlotte, N.C.

About FairPoint

FairPoint Communications, Inc. is an industry leading provider of communications services to communities across the country. Today, FairPoint owns and operates local exchange companies in 18 states offering advanced communications with a personal touch, including local and long distance voice, data, Internet, television and broadband services. Learn more at www.fairpoint.com.

Pronunciation guide:

Ajay: ahh jay

Sabherwal: sub her vaal

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