TEI excels because of volunteers.

• Author: McCormally, Timothy J.
• Position: Tax Executives Institute

Elsewhere in this issue, General Counsel Mary Lou Fahey discusses the continuing involvement in the tax system--on a volunteer basis--of TEI's 1964-1965 President, Morris Rinehart. That Morris is 94 years old has not prevented his remaining active--for example, by determining whether his Masonic Lodge was exempt from filing Form 990, but also as by volunteering, along with his wife, Muriel, in the community outreach program of his local police department. Morris's continuing contributions come as no surprise: TEI has succeeded for nearly 65 years because members like Morris (who will observe his golden anniversary as a member next year) continually give back to the organization, the tax community, and society in general.

Chapter Programs Underscore Volunteer Spirit

My recent visits to the chapters have underscored for me the generosity of TEI's dedicated corps of volunteer leaders. In November, I travelled to Louisville to attend a meeting of the Kentucky Chapter on tax controversy developments. The program, which featured excellent presentations by attorneys from Miller & Chevalier, was organized by Cheryl Leistner, who has been a member since 1995. Cheryl's company--YUM! Brands--deserves special mention, not only because of her efforts, but because the chapter's current president, Don Noe, also works there. The company's Vice President, Tax (Pat Roxworthy) is also an active member, and it was through his good offices that the chapter was able to hold its post-meeting luncheon in YUM's suite at Churchill Downs.

My next stop (in January) was the San Francisco Chapter, which was successfully converting its annual IRS Night into a day-time event. Held at the Gap's facilities--thank you, members from the Gap!--the program was expertly coordinated by Marcia DeForest of McKesson Corporation. Josette Castagne-Kwok of Clorox Company made me feel right at home, as did former Institute President Sol Coffino of the Fremont Group who was kind enough to treat me to dinner the night before the meeting. Special thanks also to the participants from the IRS, especially Maria Hwang, the LMSB Director of Field Operations who I discovered calls Hutchinson, Kansas, home. Hutchinson, where I was born, is where Maria's family settled after she spent her formative years in Korea and Uganda. What a small world it is.

Ash Wednesday found me in Quebec City for the Montreal Chapter's Annual Quebec Tax Conference. Because the program was conducted entirely in French...