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

NEW YORK, NY, August 18, 2006 – The Council of Community Services of New York State (CCSNYS) announced today that Craig R. Sickler will be the 2006 recipient of the Michael H. Urbach, CPA Community Builder’s Award. The award recognizes exemplary achievements as an accountant involved in board volunteerism and charitable work. Sickler is a partner of Sickler, Torchia, Allen & Churchill, CPAs in Kingston.

Sickler has served as chair of the Board of Trustees of the Kingston Regional Health Care Foundation, the Kingston Hospital and the Kingston Regional Health Care System, among other volunteer activities in his community.

“Mr. Sickler provided invaluable leadership through a period of significant growth as Chair of the Kingston Regional Health Care Foundation Board, a major financial turnaround program during his tenure as Chair of the Kingston Hospital Board, and a governance restructure during his tenure as Chair of the Kingston Regional Health Care System Board,” said Cynthia Rozenberg, Vice President, Strategic Planning of The Kingston Hospital, in nominating him for this award.

”His professionalism, commitment and good humor is appreciated by all three boards that he served, and is still serving.”

Sickler, a NYSSCPA member since 1991, is the President and managing shareholder of Sickler, Torchia, Allen & Churchill CPAs in Lake Katrine, NY and has served as NYSSCPA Government Relations Director for its Mid-Hudson Chapter. He lives in Kingston with his wife Jennifer and their three children.

The award, named after the former New York State tax commissioner, is sponsored by the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and CCSNYS. A partner with Urbach Kahn and Werlin, P.C., and the first CPA to hold the state tax commissioner office, Urbach served as president of CCSNYS of Northeastern New York, the Albany Jewish Community Center, and St. Peter’s Hospital Associates and as a board member of the United Way of Northeastern New York and the Albany Boys and Girls Club, among many other organizations.

Sickler will receive his award on October 5th at 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.

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

The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) represents 30,000 CPAs in public practice, industry, government and education in a state that serves as the home of Wall Street and major financial institutions. The Society is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to establish and maintain high standards of integrity, honor, and character among its membership. 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.