Fourth Annual Florida Communities of Excellence Winners Announced

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL--(Marketwire - Apr 2, 2012) - The Florida Communities of Excellence Awards were presented to 23 community associations in front of a sold-out audience of board members, managers, residents and corporate underwriters on March 30. The Awards culminated a day of Continuing Education Classes and Educational sessions underwritten by two dozen companies serving the community association industry in Florida.

This is the fourth year for the Awards in which communities representing more than 300,000 Florida residents have already participated.

Sponsored by the Florida Community Association Journal and the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff, the Awards recognize communities from across the state for outstanding achievement in 10 categories, including a new category that celebrates community revitalization. Winners are chosen from smaller communities (fewer than 400 units) and larger communities by an independent panel of judges, including representative of leading state and local government departments and agencies.

"The Awards have grown every year and this was by far our biggest event," said Jim McMurry, publication director of the Florida Community Association Journal. "Today, the event is recognized as the largest annual gathering of community association leaders in the state."

For brief descriptions of each of the Award-winning entries, please visit http://www.flcaj.com/pdfs/2012COEWinners.pdf. This year's winners:

The Comeback Kid (Presented by BB&T Association Services) - Recognizing communities whose boards and managers have developed and implemented successful turnaround programs by revitalizing distressed properties.

• Large, 400+ communities: Sterling Hill Homeowners Association (Spring Hill)
• Small (Three-way tie): Anclote Point Town Homes (Tarpon Springs), Sandy Key Owners Association (Pensacola), Edgewater Condominium (Coral Springs)

Civic Volunteerism & Advocacy - Supporting local and regional non-profit and charitable causes.

• Large: Lake Ashton (Lake Wales)
• Small: K. Hovnanian's Four Seasons at Delray Beach HOA

Family Friendly Programs & Initiatives - Promoting family participation and well-being.

• Large: Victoria Park (DeLand)
• Small: Nova Village (Davie)

Best Web Site - Promoting positive community relations through effective communications.

• Large: VillageWalk of Sarasota
• Small: Brandywine Condominium Association (Ft. Myers)

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ - Environmentally sound landscape, wetland, preserve, and lake management policies.

• Large (tie): Baldwin Park (Orlando), Wellington at Seven Hills (Spring Hill)
• Small: Eagles Landing (Clearwater)

Energy & Water Conservation (Non-Landscaping) - Energy and water management and conservation programs.

• Large: IslandWalk of Naples
• Small: Carbonell Condominium (Miami)

Disaster Preparedness - Protecting lives and property, as well as for community restoration in the aftermath of an emergency.

• Large: Pelican Cove (Sarasota)
• Small: Sea Colony (Palm Coast)

Safety & Security (Presented by Envera Systems) - Programs to protect and ensure the safety of residents and property within the community.

• Large: The Homes of Fountainview (Tampa)
• Small: Country Creek HOA (Davie)

Financial Innovation (Presented by The Continental Group) - Policies and procedures to ease the impact of financial burdens during challenging economic times.

• Large: Ibis Property Owners Association (West Palm Beach)
• Small: Tuscany Bay (Boynton Beach)

Trendsetter Award (Presented by Associa) - Innovation in any area not covered in the existing categories.

• IslandWalk of Naples
• Homeowners of Palm Hill (Largo)
• Vanderbilt Country Club (Naples)

Community of the Year (Condominium) - Pelican Cove (Sarasota)
Community of the Year (HOA) - Ibis Property Owners Association (West Palm Beach)

This year's awards are supported by these companies, which are dedicated to meeting the needs of residents of condominiums and homeowner associations:

• Diamond-Level: Associa, BB&T Association Services, The Continental Group, Envera Systems.
• Gold-Level: Association Financial Services, G4S Secure Solutions, OpticalTel, Orion Contracting
• Silver-Level: AAII Services, Atlantic|Pacific Management, Aquatic Systems, BankUnited, The BCH Group, Campbell Property Management, Condominium Concepts Management, Converged Services, Inc., Devcon Security, Driveway Maintenance, Empire Roofing, First Southern Bank, KW Property Management & Consulting, Nord Enterprises, PD Painting, ValleyCrest

About The Florida Communities of Excellence Awards
The Florida Communities of Excellence Awards is a unique recognition program that shines a spotlight on the positive and productive initiatives taking place in condominiums, homeowners associations and cooperatives across Florida. Now in its fourth year, the independently judged program enables the top communities in the state to promote their accomplishments and raise their profiles while documenting their success and enabling others to learn from their examples. For more information, please visit www.communitiesofexcellence.net