TORRANCE—Toyota Motor Sales USA has restructured its external affairs division and changed its name to corporate communications “to better define its responsibilities and more efficiently direct company communications,” according to Irv Miller, group vice president. Four new functional areas will each report to Miller.
 
External communications will be led by national manager Mike Michels and will be is responsible for all product news activities for the Toyota and Lexus sales divisions as well as corporate media relations. The Toyota news department will continue to be led by John Hanson, with Nancy Hubbell serving as national manager for the Lexus division.
 
Joe Tetherow will be the national manager leading field communications, which oversees the company’s regionally based communications offices and public relations agencies in key markets.
 
Internal communications will be led by national manager Ron Kirkpatrick, and will be responsible for employee communications, flagship publications, executive communications, intranet websites and the Toyota USA Archives and Vintage Vehicle Museum.
 
Finally, corporate manager Gloria Jahn will lead a new strategic planning and administration department, responsible for business development, strategic and long-range planning, division administration, corporate philanthropy and the Toyota Video Production Center. 
 
Also reporting to Miller is the Toyota regulatory affairs and safety planning department, which is responsible for long-range planning related to environmental and safety regulations.
 
“The new division title and organization more accurately reflect the broad base of communications and strategies we develop for multiple audiences, both inside and outside the company,” says  Miller, group vice president, corporate communications.