Northwood alumna, entrepreneur, trustee chair, and Artisan Tile president honored for building opportunity through leadership, craftsmanship, and service
Northwood University honored Jennifer Tenaglia Panning ’92, president of Artisan Tile Inc. and chair of the Northwood University Board of Trustees, as a member of the 2026 Class of Outstanding Business Leader Award honorees during the 46th annual Outstanding Business Leader Awards Gala on April 18 at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
Panning, a Northwood alumna who founded Artisan Tile in 1995, has built one of Michigan’s premier specialty contracting companies while remaining deeply connected to her alma mater as a trustee, philanthropist, scholarship donor, and advocate for free-enterprise education.
“Jennifer Panning has achieved remarkable success, but what makes her especially meaningful to Northwood University is that she has never forgotten this special place,” said Northwood University President Kent MacDonald. “As a Northwood graduate, she has built an impressive company and career, while continuing to give back in ways that directly impact our students and campus. Through scholarships, generous support, and the visible mark her company has left across Northwood, Jennifer has helped strengthen the university for those who follow her. She is a wonderful example of someone who used her education to build something meaningful and then chose to come back and help others do the same.”
Growing up in Hartland, Michigan, Panning learned the value of hard work, responsibility, and entrepreneurship at an early age. At 9 years old, she launched her first business: a newspaper route that introduced her to deliveries, billing, customer service, collections, and the daily realities of owning and operating a business.
Encouraged by her father to give college a try, Panning met a Northwood recruiter at Hartland High School and found the business-focused education she was seeking. With help from a private donor scholarship, she enrolled at Northwood, worked her way through college, and graduated in 1992 after studying marketing, management, and automotive aftermarket.
Panning later credited The Northwood Idea with giving her not only a degree, but also a framework for thinking about business, leadership, and opportunity.
After graduation, Panning began her career in the corporate world and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she met her husband, Scott. When Scott’s career later brought them to Ohio, she realized she wanted to build something of her own. After conversations with her father, Pat, Artisan Tile was founded March 25, 1995, with a small loan from Scott’s 401(k) and a borrowed truck.
The early years required sacrifice. According to remarks delivered at the Outstanding Business Leader Awards Gala by Northwood student Karley Baker, Panning endured eight months without a paycheck, relied on one shared car, sold a home, and used credit card advances to keep the business moving.
“But Jennifer didn’t flinch,” Baker said. “Jennifer built Artisan Tile knowing there would be risk. And she continued to walk through doors that hadn’t yet been opened for her and proved she belonged there.”
Artisan Tile grew quickly, increasing sales 1.5 times in its first full year and then doubling sales over the next five years. Panning’s leadership, vision, and willingness to take on major challenges helped establish Artisan as a leading specialty contractor whose work can be seen across Michigan.
The company’s projects include Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s McNamara and Warren Evans terminals, Little Caesars Arena, the Shinola Hotel, the Dearborn Inn, the GM Renaissance Center, Comerica Park, the Pistons Performance Center, and projects at Northwood University, Wayne State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan.
“Today, if you’ve flown through Detroit, caught a game at Little Caesars Arena, stayed at the Shinola Hotel, or walked the Mall Walk of Northwood University, you’ve walked on or seen Artisan’s work,” Baker said during Panning’s introduction.
Panning credits Artisan’s success to the craftsmanship and commitment of the company’s crews, as well as the support of her late husband and business partner, Scott, and her late father, who introduced her to the trade and stood beside her at pivotal moments in the company’s history.
Her commitment to Northwood has remained a defining part of her story. Seven years after founding Artisan Tile, Panning and Scott established the Artisan Tile Endowed Scholarship at Northwood University to support middle-income students. The gift reflected Panning’s gratitude for the scholarship that helped make her own Northwood education possible.
“Her commitment to Northwood has never wavered,” Baker said. “For her, this wasn’t just a donation — it was a deliberate investment in Northwood students. Students who are driven, hardworking, and shaped by an education that prepares them to lead, build, and create opportunities of their own.”
Panning’s service to Northwood continued beyond philanthropy. In 2014, she was recognized as an Outstanding Alumna and joined Northwood’s Board of Trustees. She now serves as chair of the board, helping guide the university with the same direct, fair, and driven leadership style that helped build Artisan Tile.
Since 1981, Northwood University’s Outstanding Business Leader Awards have recognized exceptional leaders whose careers reflect individual freedom, personal responsibility, earned success, ethical leadership, and the power of free enterprise. Proceeds from the annual gala support the Outstanding Business Leader Endowed Scholarship Fund, expanding opportunities for students preparing to lead with purpose, character, and conviction.
“The Outstanding Business Leader Awards are about more than recognizing business success,” said Advancement Vice President Murray Kyte. “They connect our students with leaders whose lives demonstrate the values Northwood seeks to advance. Jen Panning’s story is especially meaningful because she has lived the full Northwood cycle: she received scholarship support as a student, built an extraordinary career, created opportunities for others, and now invests in the next generation.”
Panning was introduced at the gala by Baker, a finance and marketing student from Washington Township, Michigan, who is enrolled in Northwood’s four-year bachelor/MBA track. Baker was selected through a competitive student speaker process that drew more than 50 applicants this year.
The student-centered experience reflected one of the hallmarks of the Outstanding Business Leader Awards: Northwood students are not simply spectators. They meet honorees, ask questions, conduct interviews, introduce leaders from the stage, and build the confidence and professional connections that can shape their futures.
“That kind of connection is exactly what Northwood does,” Baker said. “It builds a network that stretches far beyond these walls, one shaped by shared values, a belief in free enterprise, and a conviction that business, done right, can change lives.”
This year’s Outstanding Business Leader honorees represented an array of industries, including entertainment, entrepreneurship, construction, manufacturing, motorsports, and automotive retail. Prior to the gala, honorees met with Northwood students during a roundtable conversation designed to provide mentorship, career insight, and real-world leadership lessons.
To learn more about the Outstanding Business Leader Awards, visit the awards’ webpage.
