The Novogradac Community Development Foundation Honors Special Achievement in the Field of Community Development

San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) October 18, 2012

The Novogradac Community Development Foundation (NCDF) today honored the winners of its fifth annual Community Development Awards at a ceremony held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, La. The awards were presented before a large audience of community development professionals attending Novogradac & Company LLP’s New Markets Tax Credit Conference.

“The NCDF’s award winners and honorable mentions serve as truly inspiring examples of the innovative and effective ways in which the New Markets Tax Credit program has helped to serve the economic needs of distressed communities throughout the country,” says Michael J. Novogradac, managing partner of Novogradac & Company LLP. “By building upon the success of extraordinary projects such as these, the industry can surely continue to grow in vitality, ambition and impact, providing our nation’s neediest communities with the infrastructure needed to thrive. I congratulate this year’s winners and invite all with a deserving project to submit their nomination next year.”

The NCDF awards honor the outstanding contributions of individuals at the federal, state and local levels who have had a particularly positive impact on community development, as well as community development entities (CDEs) that have made particularly exceptional community development investments in small businesses, operating businesses, real estate, and metro and non-metro areas.

Winners of the individual awards have a substantial impact on the advancement of community development, policy agenda and legislative priorities. The recipients are:

•     Nancy Whitworth, director of economic development for the city of Greenville, S.C., 2012 Public Executive of the Year
•     State Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Fla., 2012 State Legislator of the Year
•     U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., 2012 Federal Legislator of the Year

The winning CDEs were selected for their well-executed vision, level of measurable community impact and commitment to bringing economic vitality to the regions of the country that need it most. The winning projects and their supporting CDEs are:

Metro QLICI of the Year:

•     Urban Health Plan, South Bronx, N.Y.

o    ESIC New Markets Partners Limited Partnership, Nonprofit Finance Fund, Stonehenge Community Development LLC

•     Honorable Mention: San Antonio Food Bank, San Antonio, Texas

o    National New Markets Fund, Texas Mezzanine Fund

Non-Metro QLICI of the Year

•     Jordan Lumber and Supply, Mount Gilead, N.C.

o    CDE: AMCREF Community Capital

•     Honorable Mention: Schulz Xtruded Products LP, Tunica, Miss.

o    CDEs: SECDE Ventures LLC; Wells Fargo Community Development Enterprises Inc; National Community Fund LLC

Operating Business QLICI of the Year

•     Resinall Corporation, Hattiesburg, Miss.

o    CDEs: SECDE Ventures LLC and Munistrategies LLC

•     Honorable Mention: Meredian Bioplastics Inc., Bainbridge, Ga.

o    CDE: AMCREF Community Capital

Real Estate QLICI of the Year

•     225 Centre Street, Boston, Mass.

o    CDEs: Building America CDE and Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation

•     Honorable Mention: Better Family Life Cultural, Educational and Business Center, St. Louis, Mo.

o    CDE: MBS Urban Initiatives CDE

Small Business QLICI of the Year

•     Gulf Coast Agricultural and Seafood Co-Op, Bayou La Batre, Ala.

o    CDE: AMCREF Community Capital

•     Honorable Mention: 2011 Grow America Fund

o    CDEs: Grow America Fund, Carver Community Development Corporation

The Novogradac Community Development Foundation is a not-for-profit entity that addresses the issues of community and economic development, housing and the preservation of America’s neighborhoods. The NCDF fosters the development of knowledge, supports beneficial public policy and disseminates community development information in its endeavors to establish positive change in the nation’s communities.