(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 15, 2008 ) Springfield, MO – Michael Wehrenberg was presented with the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award at the Golden Circle Awards Luncheon held on the Drury University campus on September 26, 2008. This award recognizes an alumna/us of Drury University who has earned special distinction in his or her career, reflecting honor on the University and its alumni. The award is given to a person who has not reached the age of 40 and whose record of accomplishment set a standard for life-long excellence.

A Drury graduate of the class of 1999, Michael is the founder and president of Wehrenberg Design Company (http://www.wehrenberg.net). Born on a dairy farm in Loyal, Oklahoma, Michael’s family moved to Marshfield, Missouri when he was 10. From an early age, Michael became fascinated with computers and programming when the field was just beginning to take off. After attending Drury’s Leadership Academy while still in high school, Michael decided that Drury would be the right place for his college education.

At Drury, Michael became an inaugural member of the Drury SIFE team under Dr. Robert Wyatt’s leadership. He was one of the first students to major in visual communications because of his love of graphics, which would eventually lead to the beginning stages of his own design company. With the help of mentors such as Larry Freund, Jan Strube and members of the Breech School of Business faculty, Michael slowly built a business designing websites for Drury organizations and other local companies that were just beginning to understand the importance of having an internet presence.

Michael has been honored with numerous awards, including Springfield Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 (2001) and Drury SIFE Alumnus of the Year (2000). He is actively involved in the community and currently sits on the Ozarks Fighting Back Advisory Board, the Associate Board for the Little Theatre, and is a member of Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast and Schweitzer United Methodist Church.

Mr. Wehrenberg is also a member of the advisory board for Drury’s SIFE team. The founder of the SIFE team on campus, Dr. Robert Wyatt, said that, “in addition to his financial support, Michael has contributed countless hours of his time, providing advice, helpful critique and invaluable connections to his vast network of business associates that have resulted in the SIFE team's ability to maximize its resources. Although Michael says that his work is his passion, he is above all a devoted husband and father and makes a conscious effort to balance his personal and professional lives.”

###

ABOUT WEHRENBERG DESIGN COMPANY

Wehrenberg Design Company (http://www.wehrenberg.net) is a full-service web development and Internet marketing firm located in Springfield, MO. They provide services including: web design, programming, walk-on-web videos, search engine optimization, pay-per-click management and logo design. Founded in 1997, Wehrenberg Design is one of the oldest firms in the area and continues to make a name for itself by providing excellent design, maintenance and optimization services for more than 200 companies and organizations.

ABOUT DRURY UNIVERSITY

Drury (http://www.drury.edu) is an independent University, church related, grounded in the liberal arts tradition and committed to personalized education in a community of scholars who value the arts of teaching and learning. Education at Drury seeks to cultivate spiritual sensibilities and imaginative faculties as well as ethical insight and critical thought; to foster the integration of theoretical and practical knowledge; and to liberate persons to participate responsibly in and contribute to a global community.

For more information contact:

Michael Wehrenberg
President
Wehrenberg Design Company
5088 Cherry Place
Springfield, MO 65809
417-865-7779
michael@wehrenberg.net

or

Susan Kirby
Director of Alumni Relations
Drury University
900 North Benton Ave.
Springfield, MO 65802
417-873-7879
skirby@drury.edu

Contact Information:
Wehrenberg Design Company
Michael Wehrenberg
Tel: 417-865-7779
Email us