Contact:
Lois Whitehead, Public Relations Manager
212-719-8405
lwhithead@nysscpa.org

NEW YORK, NY, March 3, 2006 -- The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Council of Community Services of New York State, Inc. are seeking nominations for the 2006 Michael H. Urbach, CPA Community Builders Award.

The criteria for the award is as follows:

• CPA must be a member in good standing of the NY State Society of Certified Public Accountants;
• CPA must have demonstrated exemplary volunteer board leadership and service benefiting charitable organizations by serving as President/Chair on at least 3 boards of directors and whose board service has resulted in significant and positive organizational impact including, but not limited to, financial turn-around, growth and/or organizational re-structuring; and,
• Preference will be given to nominees whose board leadership accomplishments have been with community-based charities.

The award, initiated in 2004, was named in honor of Michael H. Urbach, CPA who was the first CPA to serve as New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance, Chaired the State Employees Federated Appeal and was a former partner and executive vice president of the international CPA firm of UHY Advisors Inc. Urbach had a significant impact on New York’s nonprofit community through board participation and leadership. Award recipients have been Sherwood H. Levitan, CPA from Middletown (2004) and Paul Battaglia, CPA from Batavia (2005).

Nominations addressing the candidate’s qualifications must be submitted in writing and received by June 1, 2006. Submitters are strongly encouraged to include letters of support from the charities who have benefited from candidate’s volunteer leadership.

Seven packets of nomination materials should be sent to Urbach Community Builders Award Committee, Council of Community Services of New York State, Inc., 272 Broadway, Albany, New York 12082.

The successful candidate will be notified no later than July 18th. The Award will be presented on October 5th during the evening dinner of CCNYS’ Camp Finance 2006 to be held at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. Camp Finance 2006 is a financial management conference for nonprofits in the state.

For any questions, contact Doug Sauer, CCSNYS, Executive Director: 1-800-515-5012, ext 103; dsauer@ccsnys.org.

About The Council of Community Services of New York State, Inc. (CCSNYS)

CCSNYS is a 501(C)(3) membership-based, mission-driven, statewide association of diverse charitable nonprofit organizations. CCSNYS is a member of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations, the National Association of Planning Councils, the Alliance for Nonprofit Management and the Alliance for Nonprofit Governance.

CCSNYS unites nonprofits from all sub-sectors in the State of New York with a common mission to provide a strong, energetic training component, comprised primarily of on-staff nonprofit experts. The Council is the information and advocacy clearinghouse for the New York nonprofit sector, providing members a strong collective voice.

About the NYSSCPA

Representing 30,000 CPAs, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) is the oldest and largest state accounting organization in the nation.

Incorporated in 1897, the Society is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to establish and maintain high standards of integrity, honor, and character among certified public accountants. Its members are CPAs working in public practice, industry, government and education in a state that serves as the home of Wall Street and major financial institutions.

The New York State Society of CPAs is located at 3 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. To learn more about the Society call 800-633-6320 or visit the Society’s website at www.nysscpa.org.