ACDS NAMED AS FINALIST IN 2nd ANNUAL LONG ISLAND IMAGINE AWARDS Long Island Imagine Awards Winners to Be Announced on Tuesday, May 6th at the Crest Hollow Country Club

Plainview, New York – [April 10, 2014] – ACDS and Executive Director, Michael M. Smith, was named a Finalist in the Leadership Excellence category in The Second Annual Long Island Imagine Awards.

Winners will be announced during a gala event at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. Nominated organizations, their constituents and the Long Island business community are expected to attend.  

More than 120 entries were submitted for consideration in 5 categories, including Innovation, Leadership Excellence, Social Entrepreneurism, Rising Star, and Social Impact.  Michael M. Smith and ACDS are one of four finalists in the Leadership Excellence category.

ACDS was originally founded in 1966 by a group of parents on Long Island who were seeking services for their young children with Down syndrome. Since then they have grown and evolved into a lifetime services agency that serves families of individuals with a wide range of disabilities, from before birth until late adulthood. ACDS programs deliver on their mission statement – to serve individuals with developmental disabilities throughout their lifetime.  

Smith said of the honor “ACDS being a finalist for the Imagine Award for Leadership Excellence is a reflection of 10 years of hard work by a team of very talented and committed staff, with the unflinching support of a dedicated Board of Directors.”

Finalists were chosen by Long Island business professionals during preliminary judging. Members of the Awards' Distinguished Judging Panel selected the Imagine Awards winners from among the Finalists during final judging.

“Being named a Finalist in The Long Island Imagine Awards is an important achievement,” said Ken Cerini, Founder of the Long Island Imagine Awards.  “It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of recognition for their innovation, leadership, entrepreneurism, and sustainability. Congratulations to all of the Finalists on their achievement.”

Details about Long Island Imagine Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at http://www.ceriniandassociates.com/imagine-awards.

About ACDS

ACDS, located in Plainview, NY is dedicated to providing lifetime resources of exceptional quality, innovation and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. ACDS has been providing programs and services in and around Long Island since 1966. ACDS currently serves over 1000 children and adults, providing services that include Early Intervention and preschool special education programs, respite and recreation programs for children, teens and adults, adult Medicaid service coordination and eight supervised group homes in Nassau County. For more information, please visit acds.org or call 516-933-4700.

About The Imagine Awards
The Imagine Awards was created in 2012 by Managing Partner, Ken Cerini of Cerini & Associates, LLP.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Imagine Awards recognize outstanding performances in the Long Island Community.  Learn more about the Imagine Awards, visit http://www.ceriniandassociates.com/imagine-awards.