GM POWERTRAIN DEFIANCE, OHIO, ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS

PONTIAC, Mich. - Two executive appointments were announced today at the GM Powertrain Defiance, Ohio, plant. Edward L. Hoover was named production manager and Kris K. Chand was named manufacturing engineering manager. Hoover will report to Michael B. Hamilton, plant manager, and Chand will report to Hamilton and Alan K. Steffe, manufacturing engineering director for Casting Operations. The positions become effective November 1, 1999.

Hoover, currently manufacturing engineering manager in Defiance, will replace John Lancaster, who was recently promoted to plant manager of GM Powertrain's Massena, N.Y., Castings plant. Chand, will replace Hoover, and make the move from GM Powertrain's Warren Transmission plant in Warren, Mich., where he was superintendent of production.

"We are delighted that Ed will move into the production manager role and that Kris will be joining our operations," said Hamilton. "Their collective experience and knowledge will make a positive contribution to GM Powertrain Defiance and will assist us in continuing to produce excellent products for our customers."

Hoover began his General Motors career in 1974 as a college cooperative student in the then-Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canada (CPC) Group of GM. After graduating from Kettering University (formerly GMI), Hoover worked in a variety of positions in CPC. In 1990, he joined the GM Powertrain engineering staff in Warren, Mich. From there, he worked in GMPT's Romulus Transmission and Flint V8 operations. He joined the staff in Defiance in April 1999.

Hoover received his bachelor's degree in Industrial Administration from Kettering University in Flint, Mich., in 1977. He earned two master's degrees from Detroit's Wayne State University: Advertising and Marketing in 1979, and Business Administration in 1980.

Chand joined General Motors' Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac (BOC) group in the early-1970s. At BOC, he worked in a number of engineering and metallurgy positions. In the mid-1970s, he joined GM's Hydramatic Division and through the 1980s worked in a number of positions as production supervisor, general supervisor, and maintenance assistant superintendent. In 1988, Chand became superintendent of manufacturing engineering for GM's Hydramatic Division in Flint, Mich.. Chand spent three years in New Delhi, India, as managing director for Delphi Automotive Systems' Energy and Engine Management Systems. He returned from India to Warren, Mich., where he has been a superintendent of manufacturing for GM Powertrain's transmission facility.

Chand received his bachelor's degree in 1967 from the India Institute of Technology and his master's degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 1969 from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.