At and Around TEI.

• Author: McCormally, Timothy
• Position: Less Taxing Matters

During the last couple of months, I have had the privilege of visiting several chapters as well as attending one regional conference. April found me in the Boston area for the New England Chapter's Tax Education Day and in St. Paul for the Minnesota Chapter's astoundingly successful "President's Seminar," a two-day program that attracted more than 300 seasoned and rising tax professionals and provided not only top-notch tax education but also unparalleled networking opportunities. Kudos to Chapter Presidents Tim Wigon and John Schaefer.

After a quick trip to East Lansing, Michigan, for the Institute's Federal Tax Course--which attracted registrants from six countries in addition to the United States--I travelled to Houston to attend the chapter's Fiftieth Anniversary celebration. The meeting, which was held at the Downtown Aquarium, was a marvelous success, attracting more than 100 guests including 11 past presidents of the chapter. One of the more interesting aspects of the evening was that one of the musicians in the band--the drummer--is a former tax executive ... proving that there is life after taxes. After years of working on tax audits, the percussionist of Next Level Band seemed to find real cathartic release in the ability to beat on something (rather than the other way around?). Congratulations to Chapter President Stephany Jackson and event planners Oscar Jones and Tom DeGeorgio for making the evening special.

From Houston, I sojourned westward for the Senior Tax Executive Conference in Scottsdale, which was happily oversubscribed, and then on to Santa Barbara for the Region VIII Conference. The regional conference not only featured a luncheon address by LMSB Commissioner Deborah Nolan and a panel discussion of state tax commissioners, but also valedictory remarks by TEI President Ray Rossi, which formed the basis of his column in this issue. Interestingly, too, the TEI group witnessed a demonstration at the ranch of Monty Roberts, the world renowned "horse whisperer," whose book Horse Sense for People makes a convincing case that in our dealings with both animals and people--at home and at work--it's more effective (and humane) to have them "join up," become our partners, than to try to succeed by dominating the relationship. Regional Vice President Teri Wielenga and her colleagues at Allergan did a marvelous job in planning and running the conference.

My next stop was the Beverly Hills Hotel where the Los Angeles Chapter hosted...