From journalism to cars
The truth be told, I had no regrets hanging up my proverbial "quill" and taking up the responsibility of helping tell (not sell) GM's story to the masses. In fact, I took the media bashing as a personal challenge to do my part to show the world that GM would survive and thrive.
Many stories will be shared on this wiki by people with richer histories here at GM. Many stories will focus on the products and technology that helped make GM a global icon. My story is not about cars and trucks. It's about people.
I mention this because I have journalism in my blood to this day. That blood is a healthy skepticism and a desire to understand what is happening around me and then share that with people who are interested in learning more about the world.
Knowing this, you might ask "why would a journalist want to work for GM?" Interestingly enough, the answer is very simple. I wanted to be part of something special.
As a journalist, I covered numerous labor disputes between the UAW and GM, culminating in the 1998 strikes in Flint. Those walkouts and the ensuing changes within GM and the UAW to improve communications gave me hope that the future of the union and company could be positive. In fact, having been an observer of the their history, I was eager to become a more active participant.
That opportunity arose in November 1999 when I was hired by an agency and assigned to a job supporting the Purchasing organization. That was primarily to get my feet wet in PR and learn more about GM from the inside before I was assigned to Labor Relations, a job that spanned four years and ended after the 2003 labor talks.
I used this time to learn much about GM's history, including many things I would have loved to have known as a reporter. Ahh, but some secrets are intended to remain sequestered forever. In any event, my proudest moment was not something I did in PR. It occurred on Feb. 1, 2001, when I was officially hired as a GM employee. I was no longer an outsider; I was an active participant in helping shape and tell GM's story to the world.
Since then I have plied my trade in Labor, went back to manage Purchasing Communications and came back to Labor and Manufacturing to assist with the 2007 contract talks. Along the way, I have developed closer ties with the media than I had during my long career as a journalist.
Now, this brings me back to two years ago. Thinking about the headlines and stories that painted the demise of GM, I was angered, but passionate about helping show people that GM's history would not be defined by an incredible fall from grace. Rather, it would be a story showing how GM changed the course of history by transforming itself into something many people never expected.
Suffice it to say, on the eve of our 100th anniversary, the sentiment toward GM has changed almost 180 degrees. We're not out of the woods yet, but we are making strides in ensuring that our history will continue for many more years.
And, along the way, the impact GM has had on my life is immeasurable. I now look back on my life as a journalist, knowing that I just scratched the surface of understanding the real GM, the real people of GM. I'm a better person because of that decision to be part of GM and I relish the challenges that await in shaping and telling my company's "future" history.