A strong team, a clear vision, and an effective program.

• Author: Ashby, Robert L.
• Position: President's Corner

The fall has been an exceedingly busy and productive time for TEI. October brought not only the Institute's 56th Annual Conference and the selection of a new Executive Director, but also unanticipated work on pending economic stimulus legislation. November saw the Institute not only appoint a new General Counsel and Director of Tax Affairs, but also take up technical issues as diverse as INDOPCO and the Internet Tax Freedom Act. And December featured not only the Institute's annual liaison meetings with Canadian officials, but also a joint conference on tax simplification and outstanding educational offerings on basic international taxation and the new U.S.-U.K. tax treaty. Complementing these myriad activities were the efforts of members, the association, and the tax community as a whole to move forward in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the subsequent anthrax scare.

A Strong Management Team

Perhaps the most important events of the year was the selection of a new management team for the Institute. Succession planning is an important task for all organizations, and outgoing Executive Director Mike Murphy worked tirelessly with the volunteer leadership to help TEI achieve its objective of a smooth transition. During the Annual Conference in Boston, the Board of Directors unanimously agreed that Timothy McCormally, TEI's longtime General Counsel, should succeed Mike Murphy as Executive Director. Timothy's tireless efforts in TEI's behalf during the past two decades are the stuff of legend, and I was exceedingly proud to announce his appointment at the conference's Tuesday night banquet. I was also gratified, as I know Timothy and his wife, Judy, were, by the enthusiastic response the announcement received, not only within TEI but throughout the tax community. Having worked closely with Mike Murphy for the past 10 years and having become the organization's institutional memory long before that, Timothy is well qualified to lead the organization in 2002 and beyond. I look forward to working with him in the months and years to come.

Timothy's appointment created a vacancy at the top of TEI's legal staff, and after a long search, the Institute named Fred Murray to become its new General Counsel and Director of Tax Affairs. Fred's credentials are detailed in a story elsewhere in this issue, but I would be remiss if I did not at least mention not only his extensive law and accounting firm experience, but also his tenure with the IRS...