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Canada-U.S. Business Association Selects Leslie A. Touma President    

27 April 1999

Canada-U.S. Business Association Selects Leslie A. Touma President    

    DETROIT, April 27 -- The Canada-U.S. Business Association
(CUSBA) today announced the appointment of Leslie A. Touma as President of the
organization, which is headquartered in Detroit.  She was previously a member
of the CUSBA Advisory Board and will assume her new role as President in
September, 1999.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990427/DETU018 )
    Touma is the Director of Corporate Relations for Southfield, Michigan-
based Lear Corporation, where she is responsible for the direction and
management of the automotive interiors supplier's government relations,
corporate communications, community relations and marketing communications
functions worldwide.
    "Leslie's leadership abilities will continue to advance CUSBA's mission to
promote stronger business and trading linkages between the U.S. and Canada,"
said Immediate Past President Gary L. Hillier, Ambassador Brokerage Limited.
"Her considerable background in international trade, the automotive industry
and government affairs is an asset to our organization, as it provides a forum
to exchange information and ideas and to build relationships."
    "I am proud to have been chosen to head this important international trade
organization," Touma said.  "I know from my first-hand experience in the
automotive industry how important the substantial trade between the United
States and Canada is to the economies of both countries.  The importance of
this bi-lateral relationship was reinforced in my work as an international
trade advisor to Michigan Governor John Engler.  It will be a privilege to
lead CUSBA into the new millennium."
    Touma joined Lear in 1994 as Director of Corporate Communications and
recently returned to Lear after taking a leave of absence last spring to
campaign as the Republican candidate to represent Michigan's 12th
Congressional District.
    Prior to joining Lear, she served as policy advisor to Michigan Governor
John Engler on international trade issues.  She also served as a policy
analyst on strategic and theater nuclear defense issues at the U.S. Defense
Department.  In that capacity, she was a member of the U.S. Strategic Arms
Control Delegation in Geneva, Switzerland and served at the U.S. Mission to
NATO in Brussels, Belgium.
    Touma earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science from
Kalamazoo College and a master's of arts degree in international relations
from the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies,
Washington, D.C.
    Lear Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is one of the world's largest
automotive suppliers, with 1998 sales of $9.1 billion.  The company's world-
class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by more than 60,000
employees in over 200 facilities located in 28 countries.  Information about
Lear and its automotive interior systems and products is available on the
Internet at http://www.lear.com.