Parry-Jones, Day, Adams, Gayle and Hall to be Honored at Sales & Marketing Executives of Detroit Gala, April 23

    TROY, Mich., Feb. 12 Richard Parry-Jones, group vice
president of product development and quality for Ford Motor Co.; Joseph C.
Day, chairman and chief executive officer of Freudenberg - NOK; Roger Adams,
general manager of the Buick Motor Division for General Motors Corp.; Monica
Gayle, co-anchor of FOX 2 News; and Ronald Hall, president and CEO of
Bridgewater Interiors, L.L.C., are being honored along with Detroit's top
sales and marketing representatives at the Ninth Annual Distinguished Sales &
Marketing Awards Banquet on April 23, 2001 at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in
Dearborn, Mich.
    The event, sponsored by the Sales & Marketing Executives of Detroit
(SME/D) and the Detroit Free Press, celebrates the exceptional achievements of
sales and marketing professionals and executives in the Detroit area.
    "Through innovation, leadership and dedication, these recipients have
helped create and enhance business and civic life in Detroit and the
surrounding communities," said Kimberly Ziomek, sales manager for Borg Warner
Cooling Systems, who serves as SME/D Vice President for the Distinguished
Sales & Marketing Awards Banquet.
    Ford's Parry-Jones will receive SME/D's prestigious Marketing Statesman of
the Year award for 2001.  This award acknowledges Parry-Jones' passion for
detail, engineering excellence and driving dynamics, evident in the successful
launching of such products as the Lincoln LS, the Ford Escape and the Ford
Focus under his direct and active oversight.  The LS is Motor Trend magazine's
Car of the Year and the Focus has swept Car of the Year honors in the U.S.,
Canada and Europe.
    Day will receive the Marketing Innovator of the Year award for 2001.  This
award recognizes his advanced business and marketing approaches.  Through his
efforts, the global Freudenberg and NOK Group has differentiated itself as
"The Technology Specialist" and has introduced innovative warranty reduction
and total sealing concepts.  The company has also emerged as the global
benchmarking company for the practice of lean business systems.  Day, as
chairman of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), is also
leading efforts to give automotive suppliers a unified voice on important
industry issues.
    General Motors' Buick General Manager Adams was named Communicator of the
Year for 2001 by SME/D.  With experience in brand management, marketing, and
research and development, Adams worked and contributed to solidifying the
much-heralded relationship between the Buick Motor Division and pro golf
sensation Tiger Woods.
    The Humanitarian Award for 2001 honors FOX 2 News' four-time Emmy award-
winning journalist Gayle for her contribution and involvement to the "Working
Women" project, which produces daily television news segments exploring the
issues facing today's women.  The project won FOX 2 a 2000 Emmy award for
Community Outreach.
    Bridgewater Interiors' Hall will receive the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award
for 2001 for his leadership in the creation of this joint venture minority
company -- established in 1999 between a minority business group and Johnson
Controls -- as well as his involvement in business and civic affairs.  Hall is
known for turning the Michigan Minority Business Development Council (MMBDC)
into one of the premier minority business organizations in the country and for
linking numerous minority businesses with major corporations.
    Tickets for the gala black-tie award banquet cost $125 for members, $150
for non-members and $1,500 for corporate tables seating 10 people.  For
information on tickets, event details or sponsorship and advertising
opportunities, call Meeting Coordinators at 248-643-6590, or visit SME/D's
website at http://www.smedetroit.org .