Quality Affordable Housing Rehabilitation Kept 150 Elderly Residents in their Homes, Created New Construction Jobs and Contributed to Local Economic Development

Miami, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/14/2012 -- Elderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation (EHDOC), a national leader in providing quality affordable housing for senior citizens, will hold the grand opening of the Mildred and Claude Pepper Towers Senior Housing Community on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 11 am. Located at 2359 N.W. 54 Street in Miami, the $9 million rehabilitation consists of 150 one-bedroom units for low and very-low income elderly residents.

Over a 15 month period, the Pepper Towers rehabilitation created approximately 100 union construction jobs as well as support jobs (administration, support, etc.)

"Pepper Towers is a unique example of a successful rehabilitation utilizing a combination of public and private financing sources," said Steve Protulis, EHDOC's Executive Director. "We are grateful to all the parties involved who worked toward a common goal of keeping these seniors in their homes during the rehabilitation in a safe environment with minimal disruption." The 'tenant in place' rehabilitation team took great care to facilitate the process for each elderly tenant. In a single day, a construction company packed up the resident's belongings, tore out and replaced their kitchen and bathroom, and returned them to their unit by the end of the day.

Named in honor of former Florida US Senator and Congressman Claude Pepper, a well-known advocate for the elderly, Pepper Towers operates under a 100% project based Section 8 HAP contract. Built in 1978, the property has maintained 100% occupancy with a substantial waiting list of more than 800 people. Residents on average pay $150/month for each one-bedroom unit and the remainder of their rent is subsidized by HUD. EHDOC has meticulously maintained the property, with no vacancy issues, but after 30+ years of operations, the property was in need of substantial renovations.

In 2010, EHDOC successfully executed a recapitalization which provided $9 million for renovations. It also resulted in the lower interest rate on property's debt and preserved the property as affordable housing for lower income seniors for at least the next 50 years. Total project funding consisted of a variety of sources, nearly $11 million in equity raised through the sale of low income housing tax credits allocated by Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC). In addition, a new HUD insured mortgage through Wells Fargo was taken out in the amount of $4 million. Lastly, the project was awarded $2.3 million in federal stimulus monies through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The $9 million renovations budget provided sufficient capital to completely overhaul all units, common areas, offices and sitework. Multiple green/sustainable design and construction techniques were also incorporated into EHDOC's redevelopment strategy. Because this is an elderly development, ADA, FHA, and Universal Federal Accessibility Standards and guidelines were strictly followed.

The property boasts amenities such as a new exercise room, computer room, theater room, library, crafts room, screened porch and new pavilion with a shuffleboard court and BBQ area. Notable improvements, geared toward senior living and their safety and security, include new kitchen cabinets and countertops in all units; new full-size Energy-Star rated appliances and range hoods; Energy-Star rated ceiling fans in all bedrooms and living rooms; new tile flooring; new low-flow kitchen and bathroom plumbing fixtures; bathroom tubs/showers with grab bars; new high efficiency windows and sliding glass doors; low VOC paint throughout; Energy efficient lighting in all units and common areas; a Modernized emergency call system; and two new elevators.

Elderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation (EHDOC) builds and manages affordable shelter for seniors. Its current portfolio includes 54 multi-family communities and has 1 new construction project under development, comprising nearly 5,000 apartments, in 15 states in the US plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, including six in south Florida. Formerly known as the National Council of Senior Citizens Housing Management Corporation, EHDOC is a national leader and advocate at all levels of government in promoting independent living and life enrichment for seniors. Its services include Property development, Community management and Social and health services coordination. For more information, visit http://www.edhoc.org.

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Coral Gables, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/10/2012 -- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, one of the premier conservation and education-based gardens in the world and a recognized international leader in both Florida and international conservation, has named Leslie Bowe as Director of Corporate Relations. With his new position, Mr. Bowe assumes leadership of corporate outreach including serving as liaison with various local service clubs and organizations.

Bowe is the former Vice-Mayor of the Village of Pinecrest, and was elected in 1996 to its founding Village Council credited with establishing well-regarded municipal services including police, parks and recreation, building and planning services, and public works. He has tremendous experience in community relations as evident in achievements that include the incorporation of the Village of Pinecrest, the Pinecrest Village Seal and the Pinecrest Village Street Signs.

About Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. Considered the greatest tropical botanic garden in the world, Fairchild exhibits some of the tropical world's rarest and most beautiful plants within the tapestry of an iconic landscape design. Fairchild is a one of the world's best science, conservation and education-based gardens and a recognized international leader in both Florida and international conservation. It has conservation programs in over 20 countries throughout the tropical world including the Indonesia, South America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. Fairchild's palm and cycad collections are considered the best collections in the world and are nationally recognized by the American Public Gardens Association. It is also home to the American Orchid Society. The Fairchild Challenge is the largest science-based education program in the U.S. reaching more than 150,000 schoolchildren. Fairchild hosts popular events like the Chocolate, Mango, Orchid, Food and Garden, Ramble and Edible Garden Festivals, as well as an internationally acclaimed Art Program, GardenMusic Festival, concerts, plant shows and sales, and evening events and is the cultural and community hub in South Florida. Fairchild is a not-for-profit organization with 45,000 members and over 1,200 volunteers. For additional information, visit http://www.fairchildgarden.org.

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Miami, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/02/2012 -- Scott Stewart, a District Manager with KW Property Management & Consulting, a leader in turnkey management and consulting, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Southeast Florida Chapter of the Community Association Institute (CAI).

CAI's mission is to provide education and networking opportunities to Board Members, Community Association Managers and Business Partners to enable the successful operation of community associations. For additional information on the Southeast Florida Chapter, visit http://www.cai-seflorida.org.

As District Manager, Scott Stewart's portfolio includes a wide range of properties in south Florida from garden-style associations to high end luxury buildings. He oversees several association managers in diverse associations with complex components including condominium, hotel, commercial space and timeshare. Scott is a licensed Community Association Manager (CAM) and Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA).

KW Property Management & Consulting LLC is a growing leader in turnkey management and consulting across Florida and the Southeast US, with properties from Miami to Jacksonville and Nashville, Tennessee and more than 600 employees statewide. From upscale high-rises to homeowners associations and garden-style townhomes, KW Property Management & Consulting meets the needs of more than 40,000 unit owners. For more information, visit http://www.kwpropertymanagement.com.

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Coral Gables, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/06/2012 -- The South Florida Interactive Marketing Association (http://www.sfima.com/), the region's top forum for interactive marketing professionals, will present its next monthly program entitled Combining Digital Media and Customer Interactions for 'Connected CRM' on Thursday, April 12, 2012, at 6:30pm at The Riverside Hotel, 620 Las Olas Blvd., in Fort Lauderdale. The event is free for SFIMA members with paid membership, $39 for non-members who register in advance and $49 for non-members at the door. To register, visit http://www.sfima.com/events.

The event speaker is Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) expert David Williams, a frequent contributor to the Forbes Magazine blog and the chairman and CEO of Merkle Inc., leading customer relationship marketing firm and the nation's largest privately held agency. Williams has authored numerous articles and white papers about topics such as Connected CRM, Customer Relationship Marketing, Database Marketing and Analytics, Digital Media and Marketing Technology. In this session, he will introduce the skills necessary to implement a connected CRM strategy, which is built upon an organizational commitment to customer-centricity. The concept of connected CRM represents a systematic way to identify, serve and retain high-value customers better than competitors by delivering customer interactions that improve financial results, create competitive advantage and drive shareholder value.

The most important factor affecting the way we market to consumers today is the digitalization of media and channels – and the resulting proliferation of customer touchpoints. Key to the success of any customer-centric marketing strategy is the ability to integrate the online and offline data from these interactions in an effective manner to optimize the customer experience and create greater customer value.

SFIMA develops and executes relevant educational events for its members via nationally recognized speakers, case study workshops and panel discussions.

Founded in 2003, the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association (SFIMA) is a non-profit forum for interactive professionals, businesses and educators. SFIMA is dedicated to the exchange of ideas, information and best practices, as exemplified by case studies and industry leaders that help members grow their interactive marketing activities and successes. SFIMA's goal is to be the primary interactive voice in South Florida, providing lifelong learning, networking and community outreach opportunities. For more information, please visit http://www.sfima.com, http://www.facebook.com/sfima and http://www.twitter.com/sfima.

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Coral Gables, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/12/2012 -- World Trademark Review, the first and only definite guide exclusively dedicated to identifying the world's leading trademark service providers, has ranked the law firm of Espinosa | Trueba, P.L. as one of the best trademark law firms in the world, and has named Board Certified Intellectual Property attorney Jorge Espinosa, one of the firm's founding members, as a top trademark law attorney. For the second consecutive year, both were top ranked and praised for their substantial experience of trademark prosecution and licensing. Espinosa is one of only three attorneys in Florida to receive this distinction.

Florida Board Certified in Intellectual Property, Espinosa focuses his practice on the domestic and international protection of trademarks, patents and copyrights. He is AV–rated Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell, named in Super Lawyers and Florida Trend Legal Elite. Espinosa operates two blogs – LexNimbus, dedicated to the developing law of cloud computing, social networking and the Internet (http://www.LexNimbus.com) and The Gray Blog, dedicated to news, laws and trends involving the parallel market (http://www.TheGrayBlog.com) . He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations & Economics from Florida International University.

Due to its strategic location in Miami, the firm's practice is well-versed in international IP issues including cross border issues, multinational litigation, offshore corporate structures, overseas registration and enforcement in devising strategies for clients. Espinosa | Trueba, P.L. is a certified minority-owned firm founded in 2008 by IP attorneys Jorge Espinosa and Will Trueba.

World Trademark Review (http://www.theipmediagroup.com) identifies the leading trademark law firms and trailblazing individuals in over 50 jurisdictions. These rankings are based on 100s of interviews conducted by a research team over four months and inclusion is based solely on this research. Many of these jurisdictions contain multiple individual tables focusing on litigation, prosecution and commercialization as well as anti-counterfeiting experts.

The law firm of Espinosa | Trueba, P.L. focuses on Litigation and prosecution of Trademarks, Patents, Copyrights, Trade Secrets, Contracts in Restraint of Trade, Customs & Border Protection, Anti-counterfeiting, Cloud computing, Social Networking, Computer law and Internet law. For more information, visit http://www.etlaw.com.

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