Trendsetter Award
Central Park Wins Prestigious Communities of Excellence "Trendsetter" AwardHollywood, Florida - April 1st , 2011
April Fool's Day, as it turns out, was a great day for Central Park at MetroWest!
Two weeks ago, somewhat out of the blue, we were contacted and strongly encouraged to attend the 2011 Florida Communities of Excellence Conference & Awards Ceremony. We had no idea why...our community wasn't listed as a finalist for any of the awards, but nevertheless the organizers were most insistent that we be present. So we went - but the significance of the date didn't escape us...was this some kind of April Fools prank??
The day began with workshops and continuing education classes...very beneficial! Each of the board members present were able to complete their mandatory Board Member Certification. Roundtable events followed in the afternoon which provided more valuable information and tips to make our community a better, more efficient and more productive neighborhood.
And so to the main event - the awards ceremony. Still, we remained in the dark. Why were we here? Moreover, why were we sat at a reserved table at the front of the room? The evening progressed and finalists in categories such as Financial Innovation, Safety & Security Initiatives, Sustainable Practices and Civic Volunteerism were announced and winners were named. Then finally, just as it appeared the joke really was on us, the MC announced a new award - the "Trendsetter Award" for communities that had managed to make a positive impact by "thinking outside the box". To our great surprise Central Park was recognized and we were called onto the stage to receive this prestigious award.
The judges, it seems, were very impressed by the way we have managed to turn around the community finances in just a few short years following the condo conversion (which could be described as "challenging" at best!). They recognized all the obstacles we have overcome and the hard work that has gone into making Central Park the community it is today. In particular they highlighted our use of stimulus and workforce innovation programs to not only improve Central Park but also provide much needed jobs in the local community, our innovative (and effective!) efforts to increase collection of past due fees, successful collection of unpaid vendor rebates and judicious use of obscure tax incentives available to non-profit organizations.
The award now has pride of place in the clubhouse and we encourage all owners and residents to come on in and take a look, because after all this is your award - it took the efforts of all 400 owners, and all the residents of Central Park to make this a stand out community worthy of statewide recognition!
Two weeks ago, somewhat out of the blue, we were contacted and strongly encouraged to attend the 2011 Florida Communities of Excellence Conference & Awards Ceremony. We had no idea why...our community wasn't listed as a finalist for any of the awards, but nevertheless the organizers were most insistent that we be present. So we went - but the significance of the date didn't escape us...was this some kind of April Fools prank??
The day began with workshops and continuing education classes...very beneficial! Each of the board members present were able to complete their mandatory Board Member Certification. Roundtable events followed in the afternoon which provided more valuable information and tips to make our community a better, more efficient and more productive neighborhood.
And so to the main event - the awards ceremony. Still, we remained in the dark. Why were we here? Moreover, why were we sat at a reserved table at the front of the room? The evening progressed and finalists in categories such as Financial Innovation, Safety & Security Initiatives, Sustainable Practices and Civic Volunteerism were announced and winners were named. Then finally, just as it appeared the joke really was on us, the MC announced a new award - the "Trendsetter Award" for communities that had managed to make a positive impact by "thinking outside the box". To our great surprise Central Park was recognized and we were called onto the stage to receive this prestigious award.
The judges, it seems, were very impressed by the way we have managed to turn around the community finances in just a few short years following the condo conversion (which could be described as "challenging" at best!). They recognized all the obstacles we have overcome and the hard work that has gone into making Central Park the community it is today. In particular they highlighted our use of stimulus and workforce innovation programs to not only improve Central Park but also provide much needed jobs in the local community, our innovative (and effective!) efforts to increase collection of past due fees, successful collection of unpaid vendor rebates and judicious use of obscure tax incentives available to non-profit organizations.
The award now has pride of place in the clubhouse and we encourage all owners and residents to come on in and take a look, because after all this is your award - it took the efforts of all 400 owners, and all the residents of Central Park to make this a stand out community worthy of statewide recognition!
