Today Heather is lead color and trim designer for Buick. This week, the luxury small crossover Buick Encore was introduced as the newest member of the growing Buick lineup.

Heather stayed close to home when she went to college at Lawrence Technological University, and she remained in the area when she got her first job after college with GM Design. In the eight years since then, she’s been collaborating with and visiting GM Design studios around the globe as she’s worked on some of Buick’s hottest models.

Heather points out the saddle-and-cocoa color combination with accent stitching on the seat.

Heather says she started working on the Encore almost two years ago. It’s a typical part of her job that she works on future vehicles, and she also works around the world. She explains “The color and trim (group) works collaboratively with our global counterparts. We look at the future trends in fashion, interior design, architecture, and we come up with several ideas and proposals of color combinations, variance of hue, saturation of colors that we explore.”

Heather mentions the international aspect of her job is one of the best parts of working for GM Design. “I love working on global programs and working very closely with every region. I think it’s very exciting for us seeing the different cultures, working with the different cultures and sometimes traveling over there, getting to meet face to face with them and seeing how they live, how their culture is.”

Heather speaks from a design viewpoint when she says, ““Warm expressive wood does really well for us in the Buick.” And she speaks from a car fan viewpoint when you ask her how she wants the new Buick owner to react. She says, “As the customer opens the door, they should say, ‘Wow! I want to get in that vehicle.’ And when they get in, they should have a feeling of luxury and sophistication.”

The saddle-and-cocoa color combination shown on the Encore at the NAIAS is right in line with the latest fashion trends, but Heather is already thinking ahead to the next stage. She says, “Color is one of the easiest things to change out and refresh for future models. We can change that out pretty quickly and still keep up with the fashion industry.” But the scope of the auto industry means the color and trim team needs to be constantly looking to the future. She states, “Our job is critical in determining what those future color positions and spaces are going to be, working several years out. It’s very important for us to understand where those color placements are going.”

The Detroit native continues to tap sources around the globe to predict future trends for Buick.

Our team here at the Faces of GM is about to take a break over the Christmas/New Year’s period, but before we go, we’d like to thank you for making 2011 a great year for us. We’ve produced more than 80 stories, introducing you to employees, dealers, customers and friends of GM, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. Sometimes we talked about great cars or trucks, and other times we showed you great people contributing to great communities.

Looking back over the year, we selected a few of our favorite stories that we thought you might like to look at again, or check out for the first time. Each of them highlights an aspect of how GM touches so many lives across the country and around the world.  Feel free to post your own comments on the blog.

- After a killer tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, we brought you the story of how the Crossroads Chevrolet-Cadillac dealership helped the community and its employees deal with the devastation.

- We also introduced you to Seattle, Wash. dealer Brad Brotherton who uses social media to touch his local community and has found his business growing as a result of what he’s doing online.

- Homeless advocate Mark Horvath was given a GMC Terrain for a year to help him deliver his message about homelessness in the U.S. and Canada. People in two countries became aware of an often-hidden issue as a result of his work.

- Chevrolet previewed the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu (which should be at your dealerships in early 2012) and we met aerodynamics engineer Suzy Cody, a mother of two who drives a Camaro and skates on a roller derby team. We enjoyed bringing you the story about her passion for her job and her family.

- And in recognition of the 10^th anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies of the last generation, airbrush artist Mickey Harris created a special tribute to the heroes of 9/11, by telling the stories of that event through images painted on a Chevrolet Silverado. The response from the people on the streets of New York City near Ground Zero showed us how that vehicle touched the hearts of so many.

Thanks again for stopping by our blog and making 2011 a record-setting year in terms of stories and page views. We look forward to 2012, and bringing you more about the people and products that make GM an integral part of so many homes, families and communities. Happy New Year! See you in January.

He’s also a guy who is committed to social media. He says, “Here at Brotherton, we’ve taken a real hard look at social media and how it can help our business to communicate with the customer and get this dialog going about what’s going on in the marketplace.”  His advice for other dealers? “Make sure you’re not yelling at your customer to come in and buy a car.” Brad says that dealers first need to have a dialog and establish a relationship with people online. Hopefully, the discussion will eventually lead to buying a car.

Brotherton also has a YouTube channel to connect with customers.

Brad personally handles the marketing and social media for his dealership. He says, “We’ve got great people here. The managers we have allow me to be able to go out and be kind of the marketing and community outreach person for the dealership.” And he enjoys doing it. “It’s a lot of fun so you tend to focus on the things that are more fun to do.”

The Brotherton dealership uses all the familiar tools: Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Yelp all offer opportunities to interact with potential customers. When people talk about their Cadillac, Buick or GMC, a dealer can learn what they like or don’t like. Sometimes Brad will comment when he sees someone unhappy with their non-Brotherton product. He says, “When somebody says, ‘I hate my BMW’, we can go in and say, ‘Here at Brotherton Cadillac, we can certainly understand where you’re coming from. Would you consider looking at the GMC Denali or the new Terrain or the Buick LaCrosse?”

Miss Washington Brittney Henry talks with GM V.P. Terry Woychowski and Brad at a dealership event. Brotherton is a long-time supporter of the Miss Washington organization.

Social media also allows the Brotherton dealership to tap into friends of friends. Charitable organizations that the Brotherton store has supported for years now offer cross-promotion and linking opportunities online. Jenni Hogan does local TV traffic reports and has nearly 34,000 Twitter followers. Brotherton has worked with her to put together mobile tweetups where they drive a vehicle to a location, and people meet up to drop off charitable donations. They did one for Toys for Tots, where they collected 17,000 toys. And it was done through Twitter. Brad says it doesn’t cost much and, “There’s folks that I’ve met through those campaigns that would never know us otherwise.”

He hopes that once people learn about Brotherton, they’ll appreciate the community involvement and friendly approach, and ultimately want to buy their next car or truck from him. It’s a strategy that seems to be working.

Recently the FutureMidwest 2011 conference moved to Detroit’s Eastern Market for their third annual conference. Once again, people discovered what great things can happen with preparation, planning, planting and hard work as the digerati of the region analyzed the current state of digital business and looked to the future. This is the second year of GM sponsorship, and this year Buick was one of the major sponsors.

FutureMidwest 2011 organizers promoted the event this way: “Professionals with extensive digital, marketing and strategic backgrounds will teach attendees what they should expect to see in the coming years and how to successfully capitalize on the trends with marketing and business strategies.”

Buick was one of the sponsors of FutureMidwest 2011 because – as Buick spokesman Phil Colley says – the people at the conference are a perfect fit for the fastest-growing luxury brand in the U.S. “This conference has a lot of forward thinking people, who are innovators. People here are re-inventing Detroit from a digital perspective. That’s similar to what Buick is going through right now.” To further highlight that reinvention message, Buick invited filmmaker Erik Proulx to talk to the participants.

Erik shared the premiere of a 15 minute “short” of his still-in-production movie, Lemonade: Detroit. It is a sequel to his first film, Lemonade, which focused on people who had lost their jobs and then reinvented themselves. Erik says while Lemonade: Detroit is more focused geographically, it’s more wide-ranging in scope. “Lemonade: Detroit is about the whole city that’s actively reinventing itself. The automotive industry is just one part of this city’s identity. This film is about all those things. The entrepreneurs and the philanthropy and the arts and everything that goes into making the fabric of the city is really what this film is all about. It’s looking forward and not back, and not thinking about where it’s been, but where it’s going.” In other words, thinking about the future – which made it a perfect fit for FutureMidwest 2011.

Buick picked up the theme of the conference as it linked its products to the future, giving participants hands-on time with the upcoming 255-horsepower Buick Regal GS and the Regal with eAssist, a fuel-saving technology which improves overall fuel economy by 25 percent. The eAssist technology will be available on both Regal and LaCrosse later this year. Buick also offered test drives in current products such as the Regal Turbo and LaCrosse outside Eastern Market. Two Buick LaCrosses and an Enclave were also provided as shuttle vehicles for Inside Detroit-hosted tours of the city.

Reinvention and the future are clearly driving passions for both the presenters and participants at FutureMidwest 2011, and for Buick as well. You can check out the trailer of Lemonade: Detroit, and find out more information, on www.lemonadedetroit.com

Just before Father’s Day, we asked our fans on the General Motors’ Facebook page what their favorite memories of driving with their Dads were. We were so impressed with the responses that we put together a video montage of some of the comments and posted it on Facebook.

Fans responded so well to the video that we wanted to feature it as the first post of the new Faces of GM site.  Enjoy!

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Mario with his classic Corvette

Early start in the business: My love affair with the auto business started as a child growing up in Chicago. I used to go with my dad car shopping at an Oldsmobile dealership. He was raised in Cuba, so I would act as his translator. The owner of the dealership always said he wanted to hire me one day.

Keys to success: I’ve always worked hard at my job. My greatest traits would probably be my willingness to listen and an attitude to never quit. Love what you do, do what you love, as many things will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart.

Outside of the dealership: My wife, Bibi, and I have two sons, 21 and 18 years old. I like to play golf, but when I’m not working, I mostly enjoy spending time at home reading and relaxing. I’m also active in the local community through organizations such as Miami Children’s Hospital, St. Thomas University and YPO (Young Presidents Organization).

I think all of us were moved when we saw the news accounts of the earthquake in Haiti. The cause had special meaning to me for a couple of reasons. My dealership is about six miles from Little Haiti, a neighborhood in Miami that’s become a center for the Haitain community.

The tragedy also resonated with me because I’m an immigrant. I came to the United States from Cuba when I was four years old, and have been blessed to live and work in this wonderful country. I was raised in Chicago but moved to Miami as a teenager.

My first job in the auto business was as a sales representative at 20 years old with Braman in Miami. I worked my way up from sales representative, finance manager, general sales manager through every seat, to general manager to partner to managing partner and then president of Braman. In 2001, I bought my own dealership, Brickell Motors in Miami. It was a dream come true.

The auto industry has its challenging moments, but this is a great business because it offers you a chance to meet so many wonderful people. It gives you a chance to be part of a community. Dealerships are important institutions within our communities — they’re the ones who support the Little League teams, the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in our community as vice chair of the board for Miami Children’s Hospital. In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, the hospital sent doctors to Haiti to provide medical care for hundreds of patients. The hospital has brought some of the more severe cases to Miami for treatment.

Our dealership also has been able to assist in the donation by the GM Foundation of 30 GMC Sierra pickups to Haiti. We loaded down two of the trucks at Brickell Buick-GMC with relief supplies – tarps, rice, water and canned food products.

I was pleased to be able to help, and I was proud to see GM step up. The past year has been a difficult one for the company, but GM saw a need and took care of that need by offering its trucks. It stood tall during tough times.

Editor’s Note: The Buick LaCrosse was one of three finalists for  North American Car of the Year, an award handed out annually at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Jim Federico, Global Vehicle Line Executive & Global Vehicle Chief Engineer for Full and Midsize Cars
Career at GM: More than 30 years at GM including key positions in reliability, planning, legal, and engineering, developing many of the vehicle and powertrain systems used on GM cars and trucks today. Previously worked on FullsizeTrucks/Utilities including the Chevy Silverado and Premium rear-wheel-drive cars including the Cadillac CTS, STS and SRX.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University).

When the team heard that LaCrosse was nominated for North American Car of the Year, it was a feeling of confirmation. It was proof that when we bring together our best talents in the company we can produce vehicles that can win.

We pulled together what I like to call a “global all-star team.” to design and engineer the LaCrosse.  It was an outstanding collaboration among three regions — designers and engineers in the United States, China and Europe.  The end result was the first GM vehicle to be created on three continents.

The 2010 LaCrosse is a luxury sedan that offers all-wheel drive, a suite of advanced personal technologies and safety features, and a choice of three engines. The engine options include a new fuel-efficient, direct injected 2.4L four-cylinder engine that is expected to deliver fuel economy of 30 mpg highway and 20 mpg city – making LaCrosse one of the most fuel-efficient cars in its segment. 

When consumers first see the LaCrosse it has a definite “wow” factor. The exterior balances taut, sculpted lines with sensuous accents and surfaces.  Inside, smoked chrome accents, warm wood, first-class leather and materials combine with ice blue ambient lighting to create an inviting environment.  The new LaCrosse is intended to represent modern elegance. 

The hard work of this global team has helped Buick with its ongoing transformation to modern, premium vehicles that appeal to new and younger buyers.  Enclave was Chapter 1, the sculpted, responsive LaCrosse luxury sedan is Chapter 2, and the European-inspired midsize sport sedan – Regal – is Chapter 3. Which, by the way, was engineered in Germany by many of the same team members that worked on LaCrosse.  But more on Regal another day.

You might remember Lora Herron, a materials engineer we profiled a couple of months ago. Well, here’s more about Lora’s work as it relates to the 2010 Buick LaCrosse: recycled cardboard from GM’s Marion, Ind., plant is converted into a substrate used in the vehicle’s headliner to help make the LaCrosse quieter. Check it out!

Dave enjoying time with his daughter.

Dave McIntyre – Buick LaCrosse product manager
Food finds: I like ethnic varieties and am particularly fond of Indian, Thai and Mexican.  Folks from outside Detroit might be surprised to learn we have great, authentic Mexican restaurants at our ‘Mexicantown.’  When I’m out of town, I love to discover the out-of-the-way places.  I’m a big fan of the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives — that type of restaurant is right up my alley.
Tunes: My iPod is loaded with everything from 60′s and 70′s R&B (Bill Withers, Temptations) to modern alternative (Killers, White Stripes, Beck) and everything in between.
Film fest: As a busy dad of two, I don’t have a lot of time for movies these days, but I love everything from Slumdog Millionaire to Forest Gump and the Tarantino and Coen brothers flicks.

Growing up, I never thought my job would involve visiting car buyers’ in their homes to learn more about their lives, likes and dislikes.

But for the last few years, my role has been to serve as the voice of the customer on the Buick LaCrosse, and part of that is doing what we call “garage visits,” where we met with loyal Buick customers and competitive owners in their homes to gain insights about their lifestyles and brand preferences. Then, we used that info to reinforce or complement what we find in broader industry studies and focus groups.

For LaCrosse, I visited about three customers per day for three days in Atlanta, Chicago and LA. I’d spend about an hour in their homes before we even start talking cars.  We want to know about their favorite possessions, their favorite room, major purchases or home improvements and why.

This can lead to insights about their overall values and specifically relating to cars, how they prioritize quality, value, brands, and more.  After that, we’d go for a drive in their vehicle and ask them what they liked and disliked about it.

When we were developing the LaCrosse, I was constantly involved in ‘negotiations’ with other areas of vehicle development, like engineering, manufacturing, purchasing and design, trying to find the best balance of often conflicting objectives, such as cost, quality and appearance. My role was to advocate for what we believe the customer wants and needs.

The whole family.

I have been involved in the program since its inception.  When I started working on the LaCrosse, I didn’t have any kids… now I am the proud parent of a 4-year old and a 2-year old.

I’ve always been a big outdoors person – boating, biking, golf, etc.  As my kids get older, I’m looking forward to getting them interested.  The other night with a wiffle ball and a plastic bat, my 4 year old daughter got a little ‘baseball 101.’  I was surprised that she could hit it so well…  Look out, Jeter!