Windstream 2011 Annual Report Download - page 139

F-31
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, and for
performing an assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011. Internal
control over financial reporting is the process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. Our system of internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the
maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets;
(ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in
accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention
or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the
financial statements.
Management performed an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31,
2011 based upon criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of
the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on our assessment, management determined that our internal control over
financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2011.
As allowed by SEC guidance, management has excluded the operations of PAETEC Holding Corp., our wholly-owned
subsidiary, from its assessment of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, because it was acquired by
us in a recently completed 2011 purchase business combination. The operations of PAETEC Holding Corp., represent
approximately 19.2 percent of our consolidated total assets and 4.2 percent of our consolidated revenues and sales, as of and for
the year ended December 31, 2011.
The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, has been audited by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein.
Dated February 22, 2012
Jeffery R. Gardner
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Anthony W. Thomas
Chief Financial Officer