Board Member - Michael Hissam
- Details
- Last Updated: Saturday, 06 January 2024 21:42
- Published: Tuesday, 12 October 2010 11:10
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Employer info: Delphi-A Ciudad Juarez, Chih., Mexico
Service dates: 1975 - 2009 33.5 years
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Brief Work History:
- Regional director communications Mexico: 1993-2009
- Senior staff assistant, Communications, Packard Electric: 1979-1993
- Adjunct professor: Mass Media Arts and Journalism, Clarion University of Pennsylvania
- Owner/President of Trans-National Executive Communications since 2009; communication consultant, executive
Brief Volunteer History:
- DSRA Board member, media and internal/external communications - 2010-current
- Producer, DSRA On-the-Line audio/video updates
- El Paso Foreign Trade Association – Board Member 1995-2009
- Advisor, School of Marketing and Business – University of Texas at El Paso
- Paso del Norte Group - member (communications committee)
Specific Skills:
- Communications strategist; media relations, internal communications media; media awareness training; podcaster; writer
- Issue analysis; key message development
- Government relations – messaging
- DSRA internal and external/media communications; On-the-Line audios/videos producer
Other Qualifications:
- Internationally recognized for communications innovation, leadership
- Executive communications coaching
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Michael J. Hissam
Michael J. Hissam, president and founder of Trans-National Executive Communications, leads a bilingual, multi-faceted large- and small-business consulting and executive communication skills team based in El Paso, Texas. Prior to forming his own enterprise, Hissam directed public relations, communications, and regional media relations departments for General Motors and Delphi since 1979, with an emphasis on Mexico and border trade issues. During that period, he served as an instructor and consultant for corporate executive communications skills development. He has served as news director at several radio stations in Cleveland and northeastern Ohio.
In addition to his work for GM and Delphi, Hissam was an associate professor of journalism and mass communications in the Kent State University system in Ohio. He earned three “Gold Quill of Excellence Awards” from the International Association of Business Communicators, as well as more than a dozen awards for internal and external communication initiatives from General Motors. Additionally in Ohio, he taught Spanish for continuing education programs for five years.
Based in Ciudad Juarez/El Paso and New Mexico since 1993, he worked with or was interviewed by many leading U.S. and international news media. He addressed governmental (cabinet, congressional, gubernatorial, presidential candidate, defense) and non-governmental economic development organizations, as well as labor and activist groups regionally and in Washington or Mexico City concerning the maquiladora business model. Additionally, he served 15 years as a director of the Foreign Trade Association and as a resource for the tri-national Border Trade Alliance.
Hissam graduated from Cleveland State University with a business degree specializing in finance and economics. He graduated with a master’s degree in Mass Media and Journalism from the Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He completed the advanced leadership program through the Center for Creative Leadership. He has developed executive and business communication courses concerning media, issue management, and presentation skills — in English and in Spanish. His company also provides internal, external and governmental communication planning services to align communications to business strategies. Hissam may be contacted via webmail or phone/text.
