James L. Tolley

Tolley_James-LSCHRANZ LECTURER 1988

James L. Tolley worked as vice president of public affairs for Chrysler Corporation where he was chairman of the national commission to restore the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which eventually raised $456 million. He also served as Director of Public Relations for GM’s Chevrolet Motor Division beginning in 1975 when it was the largest manufacturer and distributor of motor vehicles in the world. Tolley is an active member of PRSA and IPRA. He is accredited and the recipient of the PRSA’s prestigious Silver Anvil Award for the introduction of the fuel-efficient Chevette. Tolley served on the board of the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. He was named Public Relations Professional of the Year” in 1985 by the readers of PR News for his work at Chrysler.Currently, Tolley is the Owner of a corporate public and government relations consulting firm in Sarasota, since 1988 with such clients as GE, Dayton-Hudson, Deloitte & Touche and Chrysler. Tolley received his bachelor’s degree from Lafyette College in Pennsylvania and earned his masters degree from Clark University in Massachusetts. Tolley served two years in the military after he received his master’s degree.

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