Make It Eight:

Eighth Year for Communities of Excellence a Success

Published July 2016

On May 13, the eighth annual Communities of Excellence (COE) Conference and Gala was held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach. As it states on the COE website, www.communitiesofexcellence.net, the purpose of the awards is a “celebration of excellence.” The awards “recognize outstanding communities and the volunteer board members who invest their time to improve the quality of life for their residents.” This year, there were more than 450 attendees at the event.

The founders of the Communities of Excellence Awards are the law firm Becker & Poliakoff and the Florida Community Association Journal (FLCAJ). There are 12 categories that communities can enter and out of all these categories, a winner for Condominium Community of the Year and HOA Community of the Year are chosen. Winners are chosen from small communities (up to 400 units) and large communities.

The list of 2016 Communities of Excellence Awards winners follows:

Water Conservation

• Large (401+ units): On Top of the World Communities, Ocala
• Small: Island Place, Tampa

Energy Efficiency

• Large: Flagler Pointe, West Palm Beach
• Small: Tuscany Cove Master POA, Naples

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™

• Large: (two-way tie)
     – Saturnia Lakes, Naples
     – Starkey Ranch, Odessa
• Small: The Reserve at Belmere, Windermere

Civic Volunteerism & Advocacy (Presented by VolunteerFlorida)

• Large: Royal Harbor POA, Tavares
• Small: River Dance Condominium, Bradenton

Communications & Community (Presented by Hotwire Communications)

• Large: Timber Pines Community Association, Spring Hill
• Small: Pines of Delray West, Delray Beach

Family Friendly Programs & Initiatives

• Large: Egret Landing at Jupiter, Jupiter
• Small: TerraLargo, Lakeland

Disaster Preparedness

• Large: Cascades at St. Lucie West, Port St. Lucie
• Small: The Solaire at the Plaza, Orlando

Safety & Security (Presented by ADT Community Association Program)

• Large: Valencia Pointe Homeowners Association, Boynton Beach
• Small: Old Marsh Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens

Financial Innovation

• Large: Turtle Cay HOA, Riviera Beach
• Small: Tuscany Bay Homeowners Association, Boynton Beach

“The Comeback Kid”

• Large: The Quarter at Ybor, Tampa
• Small: River Dance Condominium Association

Trendsetter Award

• Timber Pines Community Association, Spring Hill
• Valencia Reserve, Boynton Beach
• Spruce Creek Golf & Country Club, Summerfield

Community Video Showcase

• Cypress Head, Parkland

Community of the Year (Condominium)

• River Dance Condominium, Bradenton

Community of the Year (HOA)

• Timber Pines Community Association, Spring Hill

The deadline to enter your community for the next COE Awards is January 31, 2017 (noon et). Winners will be announced May 2017 at the Ninth Annual Conference and Awards Gala. To learn more about Communities of Excellence, visit www.comm-unitiesofexcellence.net.