BellSouth chief financial officer Ron Dykes announced his retirement today after 34 years with the company. The 58-year-old will resign at the end of the year, to be succeeded by senior vice president of finance Pat Shannon, who currently serves as chief financial officer for the company’s domestic operations.

Dykes joined “Southern Bell,” as it was known in 1971, after completing his service to the U.S. Army’s Signal Corps. With a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University and an MS and MBA in management, he held various network operations and planning roles.

He was also instrumental in the formation of Cingular Wireless, where he serves as chairman of the board of directors.

He was named CFO of BellSouth in 1995.

Shannon, 42, doesn’t share his predecessor’s background in engineering. He joined BellSouth as controller and vice president of finance in 1997, having previously held various financial and corporate development positions at US West. A certified public accountant, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Georgia and worked for accounting firm Arthur Andersen through most of the 1980s.