TEI grants Honorary Membership to three past Institute Presidents.

The Board of Directors of Tax Executives Institute has voted to grant the Honorary Membership Award to three distinguished past presidents of the Institute: Robert L. Ashby (2001-2002 President), Vincent Alicandri (2008-2009 International President), and Nell D. Traubenberg (2009-2010 President).

2011-2012 President David M. Penney remarked, "TEI's Honorary Membership award recognizes outstanding--and longstanding--service to TEI. Bob, Vince, and Neil have been members of TEI for a combined 90 years. During that time, they have ably represented the Institute as Chapter Presidents, Regional Vice Presidents, Committee Chairs, and, of course, each as International President. I am delighted the Board has awarded them Honorary Membership in TEI."

2012-2013 President Carita Twinem agreed: "Our three recipients are truly deserving of recognition. They have not only done 'the heavy lifting themselves,' in terms of holding local and Institute-level leadership positions, but they have coached scores of other tax professionals--in their own chapters and elsewhere--and made the profession richer by their commitment and hard work. TEI honors itself by honoring them."

A brief summary of each recipient's contributions follows.

Robert Ashby joined TEI in 1983. He served on the Executive Committee, as a Regional Vice President, chair of the IRS Administrative Affairs Committee (where he breathed new life into the Institute's perennial IRS Audits & Appeals Seminar), and became Treasurer in 1998. He was the founder and a charter member of the Nashville Chapter, and served as an early Chapter President. During his tenure as the Institute's President, Mr. Ashby committed TEI to "moving the yardsticks forward," and he clearly delivered on that promise. During his 2001-2002 term, Mr. Ashby led the Institute in dealing with the fallout of 9/11, the collapse of Enron and Arthur Andersen, and the bursting of the "Internet Bubble." He also oversaw the transition from one Executive Director (Michael Murphy) to another (Timothy McCormally). Under Mr. Ashby's leadership, TEI helped shape economic stimulus legislation in the tax arena, while advancing the cause of good tax administration. Internally, he successfully pressed the Institute to revise its membership criteria, allowing it to advance the efficiency of the approval process, which contributed to a substantial expansion of the Institute's membership. It was also during his tenure that TEI implemented its...