Vistage Michigan Bestows Soaring Eagle Award to Corp! Publisher Jennifer Kluge

Sept. 27, 2011 - PRLog -- Jennifer Kluge, president and CEO of the Michigan Business & Professional Association (MBPA) and Michigan Food & Beverage Association (MFBA), is the recipient of Vistage Michigan’s 2011 Soaring Eagle Award. The Soaring Eagle Award is presented annually and recognizes one member’s overall success in business.  

The membership-based organization, which helps business leaders make better decisions and generate better results, honored Kluge during its annual CEO Summit on Fri., September 23 at The Henry Hotel in Dearborn.

Kluge returned to Detroit from Chicago in 1999 to work alongside her father, MBPA and MFBA Founder Edward Deeb.  She has since grown the company, to help the MBPA become one of the largest trade associations in the Midwest.  Kluge later launched the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) and acquired local business magazine, Corp!.  As the magazine’s publisher, she has led the publication through a redesign and editorial makeover, increasing its circulation.

“This past year was a major transition for Jennifer Kluge and the Michigan Business & Professional Association,” said Robert Holland, CEO and chairman of Vistage Michigan.  “Not only did she take over the reigns of the company mid-year, but she also has worked tirelessly to improve her business and personal life.  She is definitely a role model for her fellow Vistage members.”

Since joining Vistage Michigan in 2001, Kluge has been able to look at her business differently, becoming more open to ideas that would allow for her company’s growth and longevity.  Through her membership, she has learned about problems that would have occurred had she not planned for them and had the opportunity to hire additional staff, create new events and a branding campaign.

“Jennifer Kluge is a resilient and visionary leader, deeply committed to what is possible for her company and for all professional members of the MBPA,” said Barbara Grigsby, Kluge’s CE Group chair.  “She infuses realistic optimism into all she does and creates followership throughout the State of Michigan and beyond.  Her creative ‘101 Best & Brightest’ has challenged other business leaders to strive for excellence and provide moments of recognition for companies that achieve new heights.  Jennifer is a true ambassador for Vistage and a wonderful representation of the kind of business leaders Vistage attracts.”      

“I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” adds Kluge. “Vistage has done so much for my business, and for me personally, that really I should be giving them an award.  I am joined by the many members of Vistage that have done so much for our community and region to move it forward.”

In addition to the Soaring Eagle Award, Kluge has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being named to Crain’s Detroit Business “40 under 40” and placing twice as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Great Lakes Central Region.  

The Grosse Pointe resident received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Michigan State University and a master’s in business administration from Loyola University in strategic management and marketing.

She serves on several boards and is active in many community organizations, namely the Human Resource Association of Metro Detroit, Michigan State University Alumni Association, Inforum and National Association of Women Business Owners.  Kluge sits on the advisory board for several “101 Best & Brightest To Work For” and on the Corp!, MFBA and MBPA board of advisors.

Through Vistage Michigan, small business owners and chief executives gain direct and immediate access to unparalleled ideas and thinking.  From one-on-one business coaching, intimate peer-to-peer workshops, and presentations from top industry executives, to advisory boards of CEO peers, extensive online libraries of content and beyond, Vistage Michigan provides its members with actionable knowledge that cannot be replicated by any university, traditional workshop or networking organization.

Vistage Michigan currently operates 13 CE Groups in southeast and northern Michigan, comprised of approximately 15 members per group.

Vistage Michigan is a member-based organization that delivers business resources and personal support to CEOs of small to mid-sized companies in southeast and northern Michigan. For more information on Vistage Michigan please call 586-443-5880 or visit www.vistagemichigan.com.