Dr. Claudia Hillinger honored with distinguished German American award of excellence

“Dr. Claudia Hillinger is a shining example of an executive in the German American community who is making a significant impact not only in South Florida, but around the globe,” said Michael Claus, president of the German American Business Chamber of Florida. “The research being conducted at the Max Planck Florida Institute could hold the key to achieving major advancements in the understanding and treatment of neurological disorders. Claudia has played a vital role in making the Institute a reality, creating jobs, putting Florida on the map for the right reasons, setting an example and paving the way for more companies to locate here. We are proud to honor her with the 2012 Distinguished German American Award of Excellence.”

More than 75 guests attended the event, including Martina Stegmeier, president of the German American Chamber of Commerce South; Ilona Vega, director of international business development for Enterprise Florida; Oskar Willumsen, president of the German American Social Club in Miami; and Kurt Freiter, president of the German American Club of the Palm Beaches.

Dr. Hillinger was introduced by Michael Claus and German Consul General Eva Alexandra Countess Kendeffy, who is a past recipient of the Award of Excellence and was also part of the original group of business leaders who traveled with Governor Jeb Bush to Munich to invite the Max Planck Society to open an Institute in South Florida. After the presentation, other past award winners joined Dr. Hillinger on stage to be recognized, including Kirsten Kuhnert of Dolphin Aid; Dr. Juergen Eisermann of South Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine; Dr. Hans Graber of the Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS); Madhu Mehta of India Silk USA Inc.; and Walter Loy a member of the GABC board of directors.

Dr. Hillinger is vice president of institute development for MPFI and president of its nonprofit fundraising arm, the Max Planck Florida Foundation. She established the Institute from its inception in July 2008, growing it from a one-person venture into a 66-person, fully functional scientific research organization. This is the very first time in its 60-year history that Germany’s Max Planck Society has opened a facility in the United States. MPFI’s primary focus is on cutting-edge research in the neurosciences and integrative biology that may hold the key to understanding human behaviors and provide new treatment methodologies for a host of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and schizophrenia.

A native of Munich, Dr. Hillinger has led and supervised the planning and pre-construction work for an innovative, 100,000-square-foot biomedical research center and laboratories, which is located near Scripps Florida on six acres at Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) MacArthur campus in Jupiter. Scientists will begin moving into the new building this summer and the formal grand opening is scheduled for Dec. 2012. Dr. Hillinger is also the point-person for external relations for the Society in Florida, including management of the popular public lecture series, which concluded its second season in March; several educational outreach programs and scientific collaborations with academic institutions around the state; bringing special exhibitions like the interactive Science Tunnel and the Images of Science photography display to the United States; and numerous presentations about the Institute and the bioscience community around the state.

Sponsors of the GABC Award of Excellence reception were Lufthansa German Airline and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Silent auction contributors were Fritz & Franz Bierhaus; Sixt Rent a Car; Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; Airbus; and the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.