Toyota Motor Sales, USA Announces Corporate Communications Reorganization

TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 17 -- Toyota Motor Sales, (TMS) USA today announced organization changes within its Torrance-based Corporate Communications Division. The division, previously named External Affairs, has been restructured and renamed in order to better define its responsibilities and more efficiently direct company communications.

``The new division title and organization more accurately reflect the broad base of communications and strategies we develop for multiple audiences, both inside and outside the company,'' said Irv Miller, group vice president, corporate communications.

Along with the name change, the division has been realigned into four primary functional areas, reporting to Miller:

    --  External Communications, reporting to National Manager Mike Michels,
        is responsible for all product news activities for the Toyota and
        Lexus sales divisions as well as corporate media relations.  The
        Toyota Division product news department will continue under the
        guidance of National Manager John Hanson. Holly Ferris, previously
        Lexus Public Relations Administrator, has been promoted to Toyota
        Product News Manager, reporting to Hanson. Nancy Hubbell will continue
        as National Manager of Lexus Division public relations.  Julie
        Alfonso, previously Toyota Product News Manager, reports to Hubbell as
        Lexus Public Relations Manager.  Xavier Dominicis joins the external
        communications group as National Media Relations Manager, covering
        general TMS business issues with added responsibility for diversity
        communications.  Dominicis was previously National Manger, Corporate
        Contributions & Toyota USA Foundation.

    --  Field Communications, headed by National Manager Joe Tetherow,
        oversees Toyota's group of regionally based communications offices and
        public relations agencies in key markets, including the Northeast,
        Southeast, Washington, D.C., the Midwest, Gulf States, the Southwest,
        southern California, northern California and the Pacific Northwest.
        This network provides local service to news media and will work
        closely with Toyota and Lexus regional sales offices and dealers.
        Regional contacts continue to be:
        Midwest (Detroit):        National Manager John McCandless
        Northeast (New York):     Manager Wade Hoyt
        Washington, D.C.:         Manager Martha Voss
        Southeast (Miami):        Manager Bill Ussery
        Gulf States (Dallas):     Hopkins & Associates Public Relations
        Gulf States (Houston):    Bates Worldwide Public Relations
        San Francisco Bay Area
         & Pacific Northwest:     Michael Dobrin Public Relations

    --  Internal Communications, led by National Manager Ron Kirkpatrick, is
        responsible for internal audience communications, including employee
        communications, flagship publications, executive communications,
        intranet Web sites and the Toyota USA Archives and Vintage Vehicle
        Museum.

    --  Strategic Planning & Administration, directed by Corporate Manager
        Gloria Jahn, is a new department with responsibilities for business
        development, strategic and long-range planning, division
        administration, corporate philanthropy and the Toyota Video Production
        Center.  Reporting to Jahn is Tracy Underwood, who is promoted to
        National Manager, Corporate Contributions & Toyota USA Foundation.
        Rhonda Glasscock, formerly Community Relations Senior Administrator,
        has been promoted to Corporate Contributions Manager, reporting to
        Underwood.

Also reporting to Miller is the TMS Regulatory Affairs and Safety Planning Department, led by National Manager Michael Love. This group is responsible for long-range planning related to environmental and safety regulations.

Established in 1957, Toyota Motor Sales, USA is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer services arm of Toyota in the United States. Based in Torrance, TMS employs approximately 6,200 employees nationwide and this year will sell more than 1.7 million vehicles through approximately 1400 Toyota and Lexus dealers in the 49 continental states.