Winners of Fifth Anniversary Florida Communities of Excellence Awards Announced

ST. PETERSBURG, FL--(Marketwired - Apr 8, 2013) - The recipients of the Fifth Annual Florida Communities of Excellence Awards were announced at the annual Communities of Excellence Conference & Awards Gala held in St. Petersburg on April 5. More than 400 people were on hand when the 18 winners were announced as the most outstanding community associations of the year.

Founded by the Florida Community Association Journal and the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff, the Awards are open to all condominium and homeowners associations across the state. The Awards focus on ways that associations are meeting the challenges that communities and neighborhoods everywhere are facing today.

Associations are separated into two size classes as they compete in 10 award categories. Entries are submitted from September to January and a panel of 32 independent experts from professional associations, business groups and state and local government agencies and departments volunteer their time to make the selections.

The 2013 awards drew a sold-out crowd of board members, managers, residents and corporate underwriters to the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel where TV personality and syndicated business columnist Tom Hudson served as emcee for the Awards banquet.

"This year marked an important milestone for the Florida Communities of Excellences Awards, with a record number of communities, sponsors, judges, and attendees," said Alan Penchansky, Executive Director of the Awards. "Now that we've celebrated the Firth Anniversary, we're looking forward to the continued growth of this nationally-recognized program in the years ahead."

Information on all of the winners, including photos and links to websites, is at www.communitiesofexcellence.net/2013-winners.

The 2013 Florida Communities of Excellence Awards 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+ unit communities: Downtown Dadeland (Miami)
• Small: The Sanctuary at Imperial River (Bonita Springs)

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

• Large: Ibis Property Owners Association (West Palm Beach)
• Small: Inlet Condominium Association (New Smyrna Beach)

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

• Large: Fleming Island Plantation (Fleming Island)
• Small: Pointe Alexis (Tarpon Springs)

Communications & Community (Presented by Sentry Management) -- Promoting positive community relations through effective use of email, newsletters, social media, Web site and other communications.

• Large: Ponte Vecchio Homeowners Association (Boynton Beach)
• Small: Solaire at the Plaza (Orlando)

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

• Large: Ibis Property Owners Association (West Palm Beach)
• Small: Sea Woods Homeowners Association (New Smyrna Beach)

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

• Large: The Wind Condominium (Miami)
• Small: Beach Club Three of Hallandale

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

• Large: Ibis Property Owners Association (West Palm Beach)
• Small: L' Hermitage I Condominium (Ft. Lauderdale)

Safety & Security -- Programs to protect and ensure the safety of residents and property within the community.

• Large: MetroWest Master Association (Orlando)
• Small: The Overlook at Baymeadows (Jacksonville)

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

• Large: The Great Outdoors (Titusville)
• Small: Townes of South Gate (Orlando)

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

• McNulty Lofts (St. Petersburg)
• VeronaWalk of Naples
• Ibis Property Owners Association (West Palm Beach)

Community of the Year (Condominium) -- L'Hermitage I Condominium (Ft. Lauderdale)

Community of the Year (HOA) -- Ibis Property Owners Association (West Palm Beach)

The 2013 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, The Continental Group, Sentry Management
• Gold-Level: Castle Group, Florida Shores Bank, Leland Management, SNAP Collections
• Silver-Level: Atlantic|Pacific Management, Aquatic Systems, Association Communication Services, Campbell Property Management, Converged Services, Inc., Devcon Security, Disaster Restoration Specialists, Driveway Maintenance, Envera Systems, KW Property Management & Consulting, PD Painting, Symbiont Service Corp., Tutwiler & Associates, UgMO Technologies, U.S. Security Associates, Vector Security, Westcoast Landscape & Lawns

About The Florida Communities of Excellence Awards

The Florida Communities of Excellence Awards is the recognition program for condominiums, homeowners associations and cooperatives across Florida. 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