JAMES FARMER

Vice President -- Merchandising, Advertising and Communications

General Motors Acceptance Corporation

James Farmer is vice president of Merchandising, Advertising and communications for General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC). He oversees GMAC's advertising and lead-generation activities, media and public relations, internal and dealer communications and relationship marketing.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Farmer earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, in 1967. In 1994, he completed the Executive Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Farmer joined GM in 1976 at Delco Products Division in Dayton, Ohio, after nearly 10 years in advertising, sales and marketing at Chrysler Corporation, Airtemp Division in Dayton. He was named supervisor of personnel and public relations at Delco Products in 1977. Farmer moved to St. Louis in 1980 and was promoted to community relations manager, GM Public Relations Staff, and one year later, was named assistant regional manager in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1983, Farmer was promoted to manager, Middle-Atlantic Region, GM Communications & Marketing Staff, Washington, D.C. He moved to Detroit in 1987 as manager corporate projects on the GM Communications & Marketing Staff. He was promoted to vice president, Corporate Communications, Saturn Corporation, in 1992 and was given additional responsibilities as group director, Communications, NAO Small Car Group in 1995.

In 1998, Farmer was promoted to North American Vehicle, Sales, Service and Marketing Group (VSSM) as group director of Public Relations and Communications. In 1999, he was named general director, Corporate Marketing and Constituency Communications GM Worldwide Communication Group. Farmer was named to his current position in July 1999.

Farmer is a member of Public Relations Society of America, International Association of Business Communicators, National Association of Black Journalists, Capital Press Club and numerous automotive press associations. He is a trustee, Central State University Foundation; advisor, Hampton University School of Business, Hampton, Virginia; advisor, Tennessee State University School of Communications, Nashville, Tennessee; a member of the executive committee, International Student Exchange program, university of Illinois at Chicago; and on the advisory board of the Institute for Excellence, Employee-Management Communications, New York.

Farmer also is aboard member of Automotive Retailing Today (ART); a member of 100 Black Men of America; corporate liaison to The Council on Competitiveness, Washington, D.C.; and the United Negro College Fund Board.

GMAC, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, is one of the world's largest financial services companies with business lines in automotive finance, commercial and residential mortgages, and insurance. At March 31,1999, GMAC's owned assets and serviced automobile receivables exceeded $140 billion and combined serviced assets of the GMAC Mortgage Group exceeded $250 billion.