Larry Cummings Named New President of AYES

DETROIT, June 24 -- The AYES Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Larry Cummings as President and Chief Executive Officer of Automotive Youth Educational Systems, Inc. (AYES). Mr. Cummings replaces Donald I. Gray, who is retiring.

Based in Troy, Michigan, AYES is a nationwide school-to-career initiative that connects secondary schools offering high quality automotive/autobody technology programs with the local new car dealerships in their communities. Working together, the schools and dealerships provide top-notch educational experiences for young students who may be considering a career in automotive service. The comprehensive AYES strategy helps dealerships recruit and develop good entry-level technicians, to help satisfy a continuing demand in the industry for qualified personnel.

Larry Cummings was most recently the manager of e-government services, Intelenet Commission, for the state of Indiana, where he provided oversight for the expansion of services to citizens through convenient electronic access to information. Prior to holding that position, he was a consultant with McMillan/Doolittle of Chicago, Ill., offering services to various automakers related to enhancing dealer relations and competitive processes.

His consulting career followed 22 years as owner, president and CEO of Larry Cummings Oldsmobile-GMC in Crawfordsville, Ind. The rural dealership was notable for both its relatively high sales volume and the attainment of exceptional customer satisfaction ratings. While a dealer, Mr. Cummings served as a member and officer of national dealer councils and dealer marketing groups. Before becoming an automotive dealer, Mr. Cummings served for 14 years as a staff member in the Washington, D.C. office of Senator Birch Bayh, and also was president of Helicopter AirLink Corporation, a charter flight service operation.

"AYES is a vital strategy in redefining technical education to meet the rising expectations of auto dealers and their customers in the 21st century," Mr. Cummings observes. "These are challenging times, but I am fortunate to be building on the success of AYES to date, and the hard work of its dedicated staff."

Since the creation of AYES in 1995, Donald Gray has become well known nationally among both automotive dealer associations and educational organizations. AYES was initially started by General Motors, but was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1996. Today it is supported by 12 leading auto manufacturers, the National Automobile Dealers Association, numerous state/metropolitan dealer associations, various state departments of education or workforce commissions, and the U.S. Department of Labor. Mr. Gray has served as president and CEO of AYES since 1999.

Commenting on Mr. Cummings' appointment, Mr. Gray noted: "Larry Cummings brings a wealth of relevant experience to assume the CEO position at AYES. I share the confidence of the AYES Board of Directors that he will be successful in leading the AYES organization in the years ahead."

More information about AYES is available on the Web site at www.ayes.org.