TEI's 2012-2013 chapter presidents meet in Ottawa.

In late June, Tax Executives Institute held its 2012 Leadership Seminar in Ottawa, Ontario, welcoming incoming chapter presidents, regional vice presidents, and Executive Committee members to Canada's capital for two days of orientation and planning sessions. The historic Fairmount Chateau Laurier was also the site of the last meeting of the 2011-2012 Executive Committee, which was chaired by outgoing President David M. Penney.

While the Institute's "changing of the guard" did not occur until mid-August (at the Annual Meeting of Members), the June meeting presenting the informal "passing of the baton" from Mr. Penney to Carita R. Twinem of the Wisconsin Chapter. Ms. Twinem presided over the Leadership Seminar, which offered an unparalleled opportunity for TEI's rising leaders to share ideas and insights and become better-versed in the practical How-To's of chapter management, including membership recruitment and retention, meetings and event planning, financial management, and liaison and advocacy. Equally important, the meeting gave participants to meet the Institute's senior leadership and staff and to discuss the Institute's recently approved Vision 20/20 Strategic Plan as well as its operating plans for the year.

Although women and men serving as chapter president have already spent several years in chapter leadership position, their new role as their chapter's CEO offers them a new perspective on how chapter activities support, relate to, and are supported by Institute-level activities. The Leadership Seminar is designed not only to deepen and reinforce their basic understanding of TEI's "rules of the road" but to give them ideas on how to expand and improve upon their chapter's own programs. This was done by formal breakout sessions on membership (including the identification and mentoring of new members and leaders) and education (including the "when, how, and who" of planning and...