TEI from two perspectives.

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

Readers of The Tax Executive know that my father was a newspaper man and know that, having worked in daily journalism for decades, he would be aghast at how behind schedule this bimonthly publication is. I recently received an email from a former member who was channelling my father: After reminding me what the term "bimonthly" meant, he asked whether it was true that the magazine had not been published on time since the Clinton Administration. Noting that the 43rd President is known for his punctuality while his predecessor was the opposite, he wondered whether 2009 would bring "The Change We Need." Its being the eve of the election, I responded in the only way I could: Ya betcha!

From a Former President

One reason to regret the publication delay is that it prevented the more timely sharing of excellent comments by two people who have experienced TEI from different perspectives. (One trick my father did teach me is that, when you're suffering writer's block, there's nothing wrong--subject to the copyright laws!--with borrowing from others.) The first is Bob McDonough, TEI's immediate past president. Bob relinquished TEI's "reins" in August, and his remarks to the Board of Directors upon Vince Alicandri's investiture bear excerpting. Bob spoke eloquently not only of TEI's growth during his 20-plus years of membership, but also of the Institute's continuing relevance and of the people who help advance the organization's mission:

...New challenges on the horizon are increased globalization of our companies, convergence of U.S. and international accounting principles, and continued collaboration of international and U.S. governments. To meet these challenges, TEI must remain relevant and attract and retain new members. Now we realize that Gen X is very different from the Baby Boomers. How do we attract them as employees and persuade them to be involved in TEI?

Mass Inc., a non-partisan think tank in Boston, commissioned a survey of young people to determine what about living in Massachusetts appealed or did not appeal to them. Many of these young people are optimistic about their future. Eighty-seven percent of the survey respondents liked their jobs, with 75 percent reporting that it is important to work for a socially responsible employer.

Two of the goals this year were to reach out to students and adopt a social responsibility program. I certainly hope we continue to communicate with students to interest them in a career in accounting and...