Larry Weis is the president and chief executive officer of AutoCom Associates.

Prior to forming AutoCom in 1995, Weis served as director of communications for the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), an organization established by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors in 1993 to foster joint high-technology research among the three auto companies and their suppliers. A former business columnist with 29 years of experience in automotive and high-tech communications, Weis was public affairs manager for Ford Motor Company’s Ford Division — the auto industry’s largest marketing division with more than 4,400 dealers and annual sales of nearly 2.5 million vehicles — from 1989 until 1993.

During his career at Ford, Weis also served as public relations manager at Ford Truck Operations and held similar positions at Ford Diversified Product Operations (now Visteon) and the company’s former agricultural and industrial equipment business (Ford Tractor Operations). Prior to leaving Ford, Weis helped coordinate the development of Internet and new media communications strategies.

A former director of the Public Relations Society of America’s Detroit Chapter, Weis helped found PRSA’s Cyberforum in 1994 to provide Internet and high-technology training for area public relations professionals.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Weis was a business columnist with the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. He also served for two years as an agricultural advisor assigned to the U.S. Peace Corps in Venezuela.

Active in a variety of trade and community organizations, he is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), a member of PRSA’s Counselors Academy, a founding member and officer of PRSA’s Automotive Council and a member of PRSA’s National Technology Section.

Weis also is a member of the Automotive Public Relations Council (APRC), the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the Automotive Press Association (APA) and the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). In addition, he serves as an advisor to a number of charitable and cultural organizations in Southeastern Michigan and is a recipient of PRSA’s “Silver Anvil” Award, five National Agricultural Marketing Association publicity program awards and PRSA-Detroit Chapter “Citation” and “President’s Commendation” awards.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in pre-legal studies from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in English from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Mich.