Crain's 2004 Newsmaker of Year Edsel B. Ford II to Speak on February 16; Luncheon Sponsored by the Women's Economic Club and Detroit Economic Club

WHO: Crain's Detroit Business named Edsel B. Ford II its 2004 Newsmaker of the Year for his leadership in creating Campus Martius Park. Ford is Chairman of the Detroit 300 Conservancy, the group behind Detroit's new town square featuring an ice rink, fountain, gardens, and stages for live performances.

WHAT: Ford is the keynote speaker at the annual luncheon sponsored by the Women's Economic Club and Detroit Economic Club.

  WHEN:    Wednesday, February 16, 2005
           12 p.m. Lunch
           12:25 p.m. Program begins

  WHERE:   Cobo Conference Center
           Downtown Detroit

WHY: Edsel B. Ford II is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company and, as a consultant, is active in company affairs and corporate dealer relations. Additionally, Ford is the sole owner of Pentastar Aviation, an aviation services provider headquartered at Oakland County International Airport and the majority owner of Marketing Associates, a Detroit-based marketing services organization.

Women's Economic Club is a one-of-a-kind organization in the U.S. and one of the largest and most prestigious business forums in the Midwest. It has more than 1,800 members, including professionals from large and small businesses, government and non-profit organizations.