Year-end review: progress on many fronts ... due to the efforts of many, many people.

• Author: Penney, David M.
• Position: President's Corner

Early in 2011 when Paul O'Connor of the New England Chapter was in the middle of his term as TEI's president and I had been named to succeed him, I approached him and several past TEI presidents for advice as I developed my goals for presentation to TEI's Board of Directors. Their collective observations and recommendations not only confirmed the Institute's good fortune to have had them as its leaders, but they have relevance for me far beyond TEI. First, they said, be prepared for the year to go by incredibly fast. "You'll look at the calendar one day, and it will be March." Second, and related to the first, they urged me to resist the temptation to do too much. "Pick a few things," they recommended, "and concentrate on doing them well. They can--they should--be important things, but focusing on a few big projects will be more effective than 'trying to do it all.'"

Third, every single person I talked to, without exception, reminded me that I didn't have to do it alone. "You have a great team of volunteers at all levels of TEI--chapter, region, and at the Institute level. And you have a staff that is second to none in skill and loyalty. Trust them to embrace your goals as their own--indeed, to refine and improve upon them. Be confident that your team will work diligently to move the Institute forward." Finally, they said, have fun. O It was sound advice. As I reflect on my term as TEI's 2011-2012 President, I am filled with satisfaction and gratitude--satisfaction for what the Institute has been able to accomplish and gratitude for the support and efforts of everyone who made our progress possible.

First things first: Yes, the year goes by very fast. Second, what the Institute has accomplished this year is due to the efforts of a dedicated cadre of volunteer leaders and a talented staff. Importantly, TEI's leaders don't do it for themselves. They plan educational meetings, they work on advocacy projects, they build up the organization, they assist on special projects--they do all of these things--for the Institute and its 7,000 members. They do all that they do for the vision of our founders. I thank them all for their service to the organization.

Vision 20/20 Task Force

The vision of our founders--advancing the role, stature, and professionalism of in-house tax professionals by education, networking, and advocacy--is why TEI is special. And it was to ensure the founding vision that one of the Institute's major initiatives this year was the development of a new strategic plan for the organization.

The core purpose of TEI's Vision 20/20 Task Force was to define the "ideal TEI" for today and the year 2020 and to develop a strategic plan that allows the Institute to remain responsive to the needs of the in-house tax community. The last time the Institute undertook a strategic planning initiative was at the turn of the century. It was then that the Institute formally defined itself as "the preeminent association of business tax professionals" and adopted the mission of making TEI "an association of business tax professionals serving its members and their employers through education, networking, and advocacy."

It wasn't...