Member of the Month - 2006 December 2006 Member of the Month – Dorothy (Dot) Atchison, EA Dot Atchison is no stranger to multitasking. In addition to running a successful business, she devotes much of her time and energy to the NATP Alabama/Mississippi Chapter, having served in many different positions over the years in addition to being recognized as Chapter Person of the Year. Congratulations, Dot, on being chosen as the NATP Member of the Month for December!
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. After preparing returns for family for about 10 years I started preparing them for the public and have done so for over 30 years. Like so many, I started "at the kitchen table" and officially started my business in 1985. Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. Atchison Business Center is located in Jackson, Alabama. That's down in LA (Lower Alabama) about an hour NW of Mobile. I own my office and have two full-time employees. I have one office manager and who is also a preparer (AtxP), and a receptionist who maintains my files and is a real "jack of all trades." Each of them is very crucial to my business—as is my maintenance supervisor (my husband, Carl). Q. Please indicate the type and number of returns filed. A. I prepare over 600 returns...most are individuals but I also prepare C and S Corps, 990, fiduciaries, an occasional 706 and 709, and partnerships (ugh!). I file approximately 98% of eligible returns electronically. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. When my youngest child started school I went to work as a secretary for a realtor and then worked accounts receivable for a timber broker. Each experience contributed greatly to my tax prep knowledge in those and related areas. Nerves of steel and infinite patience are required of tax preparers—these I gained from driving a school bus for a year! Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. A local accountant was very gracious in my beginning years. He would answer questions and/or guide me to resources. I attended a NATP EA seminar and met another accountant from Alabama. We remain friends and he still very kindly sets me straight on issues that involve accounting situations that are beyond my knowledge. Remembering that, I mentor local preparers just starting out and am a NATP mentor. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. My office offers bookkeeping for small businesses and we have a large number of payroll accounts—from full payroll service including check writing to monthly, quarterly, and year-end reporting. I earned my securities and insurance licenses but learned early on that I could not do all the paperwork required for a competent job for investment clients and still do my best work for my tax clients. So I have not maintained them. I had the privilege of representing NATP for three years on the IRS Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC). I am currently on the IRS Practitioner Council in Alabama. I am also a member of NAEA and ASEA. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I learned of NATP when I was looking for a source of more training. This organization has carried me through over 20 years—earning my EA designation and making me aware there is more to tax prep than just filing out a form. There is always something more to learn and NATP provides the information. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I am a charter member of the Alabama Chapter and served on the Board of Directors (BOD) for 10 years. Two years ago we became the Alabama/Mississippi Chapter NATP. I continue to serve on the BOD and am currently Vice President and Government Relations Committee Chair. Through the years I have also served as President and Secretary. I have been instrumental in publishing our chapter newsletter and that is still a favorite activity. I am one of the first NATP Achievers and am a volunteer with NATP in several areas. I actively participated in efforts by NATP and others in contacting Alabama legislators requesting (successfully) safe harbor language be included in Senate Bill 305 (re: Uniform Accountancy Act). I had the privilege of being part of the Presidents' meeting in 2001 in St. Louis that resulted in the organization of the Chapter Advisory Council. I served as secretary for that initial meeting. The Alabama Chapter selected me Chapter Person of the Year (CPOY) in 1996-97 and was I honored to be named CPOY at the National Conference. I am the current CPOY for the AL/MS Chapter. I have attended 10 of the last 12 conferences and participated in the Chapter Showcase (Chapters on Parade) each year. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What aspects of membership do you find to be the most beneficial? A. Because our profession requires continuous learning, I recommend NATP because it delivers. On the national level there are numerous seminars, Symposiums, the National Conference, and workshops in many locations across the country offering constant updates as well as clarification of problem areas of taxation. On the state level, our chapters offer instruction of state and local tax changes and rulings. We share information on what is going on in the states and what we can do to influence proposals that relate to tax issues. Education is paramount, but I believe the camaraderie, networking, and socializing are also important. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything NATP could do to better prepare them? A. NATP has been working for many months addressing the issues dealing with registration, regulation, and monitoring of tax preparers. Until that is finalized, it is our biggest challenge. With its many seminars and workshops, its national conference, and the state meetings, NATP provides the continuing education needed by any tax professional—whether beginning or established, EA, CPA, attorney or unlicensed. NATP can continue offering these educational opportunities and hope more and more preparers take advantage of them. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. Carl and I have been married for 50 years! We grew up and still live in rural Alabama—yep, high school sweethearts! We have three children—Joy is a pediatric endocrinologist in Birmingham, Al is Transportation Manager with Warrior and Gulf Navigation Company in Chickasaw, AL and Traci is an Occupational Therapist in Maryville, TN. Joy and Al each have two daughters—Maggie and Lily, Emily and Anna. Traci is a newlywed and just moved from Tennessee to Charleston, West Virginia. Carl is retired from the Corps of Engineers but his career on the river began with WGN. There are also Poo and Squeaky—two stray cats who adopted us. We are active members of River Hill Baptist Church in Salitpa, the community where we live and where Carl grew up. I am active in the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce and the Jackson Civitan Club. I am currently secretary of the Civitan Club and in the past have served as president, president-elect and Lt. Gov. of Area 4 of AL-West FL District. I am clerk of our rural water system, which is another activity channeled through my office. We enjoy traveling (mostly to NATP meetings), watching the Atlanta Braves and New Orleans Saints on TV, keeping up with our 40+ cows, and reading (when precious time is available). Of course we enjoy being with our children and grandchildren but with distance, their schedules, and our schedules, we have to really take advantage of each opportunity. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. I have no plans of retiring. If health problems require it, I hope I recognize them and find a competent person to care for my clients. The farm keeps Carl going. I think our active lives keep us healthy and we seem to always be planning ahead for something. We enjoy life and especially being with our children and grandchildren when we can. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. My Savior, my family, my work, my friends, my cats, my books…and giving back whenever I can because I have been given so much. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. We all have done at least one stupid thing—here is (one of) mine: the one occasion I literally shed tears with a client—long-time client, low income, off from work because of injury, just got a new job in a town a distance away, needed transportation—refund to be down payment on car. Well, I had that refund directly deposited to the "usual" account, not knowing she had closed it until after the fact! I learned to never take any information for granted, and to ask the same questions every year! I happened to know the bank manager—she knew us both, and was willing and able to intercept the check – thank goodness! Q. Anything you'd like to add? NATP has been so good to me! I know the more we give to the organization, the more we receive—in knowledge, skill, and lifelong friends. I urge every member to VOLUNTEER!! There are several areas open and needing volunteers…everybody wins. For any questions or comments, you can contact Dot at abctax@earthlink.net.
November 2006 Member of the Month – James Franklin Zion Getting involved in the local tax community is important to Frank Zion, as evidenced by his involvement in the NATP California Chapter and the Internal Revenue Service's Stakeholder Liaison Relations Council in Central California. His contributions to the success of California tax professionals is just one of the reasons James has been chosen as NATP's November 2006 Member of the Month. Congratulations, Frank!
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. I have been preparing tax returns for 22 years. Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. The name of my business is JVC Financial Service. It is located in Clovis, California. It is a "one-man" operation now. Over the years, I have had as many as 10 seasonal employees. Q. Please indicate the type and number of returns filed. A. I prepare almost 200 1040s, including 1040EZs, and just a few 1120s, 1065s and 1041s. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I worked as a controller for agricultural firms. I also worked at Kaiser Engineers as a staff accountant and Outdoor Advertising as the office manager. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. When I first began working, I had a mentor who led me into accounting and into the tax profession. I am currently mentoring a young tax professional. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. Yes, I am a member of the Internal Revenue Service's Stakeholder Liaison Relations Council in Central California. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I attend the annual conference of the California Chapter and was very impressed with the education I could get concerning California tax laws. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I am currently on the California Board of Directors, serving as Treasurer. I have also served five terms as Vice President and three as Treasurer. I served on the National Nominating Committee in 2005. I have attended national conferences in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Reno, Orlando, Minneapolis and Boston. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find to be the most beneficial? A. I recommend joining NATP because of the excellent seminars, and also because of the fact that we are kept up-to-date through newsletters and journals. But the main reason is because of the desire of the staff to help in any way they can. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything NATP could do to better prepare them? A. The biggest challenge is understanding how the IRS is handling collections and tightening the tax gap. I think that NATP is doing all that can be done at the present time. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. I am married. We have three children and six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. I like to bowl and play golf whenever I can. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. My goal is working in the tax profession, helping new preparers for as long as my health will allow me. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Family, enjoying my children and grandchildren. For any questions or comments, you can contact Frank at fzion@meridiannut.com.
October 2006 Member of the Month – Sandra S Barrett (Sandy), EA Sandra Barrett understands the importance of relationships – whether networking with other tax professionals or spending time with her family and friends. For her, NATP provides a great opportunity to foster relationships with her peers, in addition to providing the continuing education tax professionals need.
Congratulations Sandra, on being chosen as the October 2006 Member of the Month! Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. 13 Q. What is your business name, where is it located, do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. Red Rock Taxes is located in my home in Sedona, AZ. I own 100%. I have no additional staff. Q. Type and returns filed: A. I do approximately 150 individual returns (1040) and just a handful of 1065s, 1120s, 1120Ss, etc. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I have been a teacher, self-employed in sales, and in human resources. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Did you mentor others? A. My mother and father were the best mentors possible. My father taught me that honesty and integrity are absolutely essential. My mother taught me that life is to be enjoyed. I try to mentor others. It is important to me that the profession develops expert preparers. When I worked for other people, I mentored the newer-to-taxes people in the offices and also taught tax classes including beginning, advanced and annual updates. Now I work with other preparers in my community who do not have as much experience as I do. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. I have Series 6 & 63 licenses, so I offer my clients investment opportunities through HD Vest. I am a Certified Senior Advisor, so I help seniors find the best advice they can on a variety of topics. I represent taxpayers before the IRS and do tax planning for both my individual and business clients. I am also a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents and the Arizona Chapter of Enrolled Agents. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I was looking for a professional organization that offered quality continuing education. I renew because I have made lots of friends through NATP and I believe in the importance of continuing education and in networking with other professionals. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I have attended National Conference for many years (with a couple of years off here and there). I attend my local seminars and serve on the board of the Arizona chapter. I am an instructor for NATP, formerly teaching the 1040 & 1040 Extra seminars and now teaching at Arizona seminars. I edit our state newsletter and assembled the state's Yearbook for 2005. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to other professionals? What aspects do you find to be most beneficial? A. I recommend NATP because I believe that all tax professionals need to stay current in their education and NATP offers a wide variety of education for every level of preparer. I also recommend NATP because it is a very friendly organization where the person I recommend can make friends with other professionals. The availability of research is very important, but the most important thing to me, living in a small town without the associations found in big cities, is the friendships with other preparers who I can call on when I need a quick consult. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today, and what could NATP do to better prepare them? A. I think that the tax laws have become so complex that it is almost impossible to stay current and to understand all of the laws impacting clients. New preparers are faced with much more difficult returns than when I started. I don't know how you get enough knowledge to prepare even the simple returns—when "qualifying child" alone is a confusing term. NATP could build on its introductory class so that it would provide even more information for new preparers. H&R Block and other regional/national tax firms have a 60+- hour course—and that probably isn't enough. Lobbying Congress to completely revise the tax code is probably the most important thing that NATP could do. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc? A. I have four grown children, who have six children, with a seventh due in February. My husband is a tax software programmer, which makes for interesting conversations between us. I don't understand programming and he doesn't understand taxes, yet we are both involved in taxes! I am involved with, and serve on the board of, the Sedona Chapter of the National Association for Women Business Owners. I also am Membership Chairman for the Sedona Referrals Club. I enjoy reading, swimming, and hiking—and there is no more beautiful place to hike than Sedona, AZ. Prior to all of the above, I received a B.S. from Hanover College, Hanover, IN, with majors in English and Psychology and a M.Ed. from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio. I am a graduate Fellow from NTPI, as well as a Certified Senior Advisor. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. Personally, I am in business for myself so that when one of those four children or my in-laws needs me, I can tell my boss that I am taking off and not be fired. I want the ability to be with them if they need me—for example, when the grandchildren were born, I could take off to be there or to help with their siblings. I started this practice (Do you ever get to be a professional or do you always have to practice?) two years ago with the idea that I would not grow it any bigger than the clients I could serve by operating out of my house. Now, as the business reaches the limitations of operating out of my house, I am considering growing it further in an office elsewhere. It is a tough decision. There are advantages both ways. Q. What kinds of things are important in your life? A. Obviously by my other answers, my family is very important to me. None of my children or in-laws lives within 6 hours driving time, so flexibility to take off several days is critical to me. My business is very important. As all self-employed people know, you put your heart into it, and, if you don't watch it, it can become all-consuming. Spending time talking and visiting with friends and family is very important. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. I have had many embarrassing moments in my tax career. I personally believe that there is one client each year that keeps you humble. This is the return that the client finds an error on—probably a small error that makes no difference, like his/her middle initial being wrong. Sometimes when you correct that simple error, you make another error—social security number wrong, child's name spelled wrong. You seem doomed not to get the return right no matter how hard you try. If you have any comments or questions for Sandra, e-mail her at sbarrett_ea@msn.com.
September 2006 Member of the Month – Steve O'Rourke, EA To say Steve O'Rourke has a background with NATP would be an understatement. As a former NATP staff member and as a current instructor, Steve has been contributing his knowledge and talent to NATP for nearly 20 years, in addition to running his own successful tax practice. And with all this going on, he still manages to find time to root for his favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs. Congratulations Steve, on becoming NATP's September Member of the Month!
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. 28 Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. I own O'Rourke Tax Service, Inc and during tax season I employ 11 staff members, four are year-round employees. Q. Please indicate the type and number of returns filed. A. Approximately 2,600 returns are filed per year including individual, small business, rentals, farms, corporations, partnerships, trusts, etc. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I worked in the banking business for several years before doing taxes full-time. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. One of my mentors when I started in the tax business was LaVerne Forster, who hired me to work full time on the NATP staff. She helped me tremendously at enhancing my tax knowledge. I feel I have lots to offer others entering the tax profession. I mentor the various staff members at my tax office as well as some NATP members when I teach courses. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. I teach several weeks every year for NATP, which forces me to keep on top of various levels of tax law. I'm also licensed to sell securities through Genworth Financial Securities Corp. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I was approached by NATP to work full-time for them in 1986 and I've been associated with NATP ever since. NATP provides outstanding benefits, including education and research. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I've been involved in almost every facet of the organization. Besides being a full-time staff member for several years, I've been an instructor for almost 20 years and I also served a three-year term on the National Board of Directors. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. NATP is the tax association for all tax professionals, not just a select group such as enrolled agents or CPAs. NATP is a great organization, providing valuable membership benefits such as monthly and quarterly publications and educational opportunities throughout the year. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. A huge challenge for tax professionals today is competition for online filing with the IRS, the state Department of Revenue, and other such organizations providing e-filing services. Taxpayers are looking for inexpensive ways to e-file their tax returns but not sacrifice service. Through education and effective partnering with Washington DC, NATP can help tremendously. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. I'm single (divorced) with a 26-year-old son. I came to Wisconsin for college in 1969 from Illinois where my sister and one of my brother's reside. My other brother lives in Florida. I'm quite involved in my church as a parishioner and lector. My favorite sport is professional baseball. I'm an avid Chicago Cubs fan. I also enjoy traveling very much. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. My goals include continuing to plan for retirement. I enjoy helping my clients with all their financial needs and I'm always trying to find effective methods to meet their financial goals today and in the future. On a personal level, last year I went to see my favorite baseball player (Ryne Sanberg) get inducted into the baseball hall of fame and I would love to get back there someday soon. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Keeping good relations with family and maintaining rapport with good friends is extremely important to me. Family and close friends are essential to my well-being. Good work ethics and accepting responsibility are also very critical. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. I've had many positive moments dealing with coworkers and clients in my profession. A couple of memorable experiences include getting the letter from the IRS that I had passed the EA exam, as well as the thrill of teaching as an NATP representative for the IRS Nationwide Tax Forums. Q. Would you mind if we add an e-mail link so that members may contact you with comments about this article? A. For any questions or comments, the e-mail address to use is: orourketax@aol.com.
August 2006 Member of the Month – Stephen Bruno Stephen Bruno knows a thing or two about taxes, having 40 years of tax preparation experience in addition to his involvement in the NATP Louisiana Chapter. Stephen cites education as a major benefit of being an NATP member and shares his own knowledge of tax issues through mentoring and networking. Congratulations Stephen, on being chosen as NATP's August Member of the Month!
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. 40 Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. I own Executive Bookkeeping & Income Tax Service at 4621 W. Napoleon Ave., Suite 100, in Metairie, Louisiana. I have one staff member. Q. Please indicate the type and number of returns filed. A. Per year, approximately 50 corporate returns, 25 LLC returns, and 550 individual returns. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I was a Captain on the New Orleans Fire Department while I completed my accounting studies in college. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. For the past several years I have mentored the young woman who recently purchased my monthly accounting practice. We still share an office so I am there to assist with questions or concerns. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. I hold Series 7 and Series 63 Securities licenses and am affiliated with H.D. Vest (Wells Fargo) providing various financial planning services. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I was introduced to NATP while attending a seminar. The information network and continuing educational offerings are very valuable to me. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I was the Louisiana Chapter Vice President for two years, President for two years and on the Board for 10 years. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. Education, research, networking, and problem-solving. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. Fly-by-night and unethical tax preparers. NATP could lobby to require a license and a code of ethics. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. My wife, Gloria, and I have six children and 11 grandchildren. She is a licensed insurance agent and consultant in two states and also holds a Series 7 securities license. I currently serve as treasurer of Kiwanis Club Third District of New Orleans and am a member of the Lionel Collectors Club and Toy Train Operator Society. Obviously, I am an avid train collector. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. I hope to provide the best in customer service and quality advice in the financial area until retirement. Then I hope to continue to assist my clients on an independent consultant basis. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Family. Since Hurricane Katrina I have a whole new priority and have learned just how many of our material possessions we can do without. For several days, we had no word on some family members and had no idea if they had survived or not. Personally, we lost all of our possessions due to three feet of water in our home… and have learned that they were not so important after all. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. During my first experience teaching basic tax preparation I had just begun talking about filing status. I looked down and realized that someone had taken my whole instructor's manual. I had no notes or information at all for that class. Q. Would you mind if we add an e-mail link so that members may contact you with comments about this article? A. stevenbrunotax@bellsouth.net
July 2006 Member of the Month – Delmar C. Gillette What started out as a way to relax has turned into a successful business for Delmar Gillette. With over 30 years of experience in tax preparation, Delmar brings a wealth of knowledge to the Virginia Chapter Board, where he was involved in designing the education program. Congratulations Delmar, on becoming NATP's July 2006 Member of the Month!
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. Since 1972 Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. I own Economic Planning Services, Inc., 827 Diligence Drive, Suite 202, Newport News, VA 23606; I employ five additional staff members. Q. Please indicate the type and number of returns filed. A. Form 1040 – approximately 600 - Forms 1065, 1120, 1120s, 1041, 706 – approximately 50 Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I was a public school teacher for Durham City Schools and Newport News Public Schools from 1969 – 1976 (I also did tax returns for H&R Block for relaxation while teaching school). Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. Betty and Jack Snyder – former owners of H&R Block franchise. I am available for others who are interested in the tax business. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. I teach for the Virginia Chapter of NATP. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I liked the "hands-on" approach of the teaching style of NATP and their continued support of the tax preparation profession. Annual conferences are worth far more than they charge; but don't tell them that! Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. Virignia Chapter Board of Directors and officer, and designing the education program. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. It is a tax preparer-friendly organization, with their feet on the ground rather than their nose in the air. The benefits I find the most beneficial are the annual conference, the research department, publications, and seminars. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. Competition from the "large" tax preparation organizations; "free" electronic filing by the IRS and others. The general public, God bless them, often doesn't have a firm grasp on the complexity of tax returns, the rules, and the changes. Unfortunately, their lack of that knowledge causes them to make mistakes that are not to their benefit as they prepare their returns electronically. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. I've been married since 1969 to my wife, Jean. We have four sons, Jason, Wesley, Brandon, and Adam. I'm active in church as Finance & Stewardship Committee Chairman, Sunday School Teacher, and Deacon. I love to travel and read, although tax rules and changes are not exciting. My favorite activity? Preparing tax returns of course! Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. To be the best tax practitioner to my clients that they will ever have and continue working toward the designation of Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Love of God, providing for family, honesty, integrity, and love of Country. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. With the first tax return I ever did (in January 1972) I tried desperately to itemize deductions for a taxpayer who had only worked for a portion of the year, and the standard deduction was far greater. I still remember the taxpayer's name. Q. Would you mind if we add an e-mail link so that members may contact you with comments about this article? A. adam@widomaker.com
June 2006 Member of the Month – Diane Andrews Diane Andrews knows the value of education in the tax profession; since 1988 she hasn't missed a single NATP Conference! Diane also helps other tax professionals stay up-to-date on the latest issues through Chapter involvement and networking. She even hosts an annual software-users meeting in her office! Her dedication to her clients is also evident – she still serves the very first client she had when she became self-employed 30 years ago. Congratulations Diane on becoming NATP's Member of the Month for June 2006!
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. A total of 35 years (five years as an H & R Block employee and this will be my 30th year self-employed). Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. Andrews Tax & Financial $ervices in Higganum, CT. I am the owner, operating out of my home, and have one full-time tax preparer working during the tax season along with part-time receptionists. Q. Type and number of returns filed. A. My business handles approximately 900 1040's and a few 1041's. As my clients age, the probate work has been increasing. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. Not really. While attending accounting school I was a bookkeeper for a local business until we started our family. Income tax preparation for many preparers is a second or later-in-life career, but I started in my early 20's. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. Two different office managers at H & R Block were very helpful and one encouraged me to teach the Block class, which I did for a couple of years. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. In 1998 I became licensed in securities and insurance with H D Vest. I have also been a member of the New York/Connecticut Association of Tax Professionals since 1993. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. After Block, it was necessary to find an organization that would meet my educational needs. The first organization's class I attended did not fit my type of client, nor did the class taken at the community college on taxation really help. Finally, after attending NATP's Fall 1040 Workshop in 1984, I found my "home" and have continued my membership ever since. Education is an important issue to me and NATP continues to fill my needs. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I was a board member of the Connecticut Chapter for at least eight years. During that time I was secretary for three years and served on a variety of committees. Since 1988, I have attended every National Conference (not only for education, but as an opportunity to travel), and have attended a couple of Escapes (now Symposiums). I also participated in the Achievers Club. Since 1992 I have continued to organize Connecticut events at the National Conference (Connecticut Luncheon, Chapter Showcase, etc). In 1997 I was awarded Chapter Person of the Year for Special and/or Community Activities and served on National Committees of Education and Nominating. Annually, my office hosts a software user group meeting of NATP members. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. All tax preparers need to keep current with tax laws and NATP provides that information. They also offer refresher classes on a variety of subjects. Meeting and networking with other tax preparers with similar clients, tax programs, and other issues is very beneficial. Over the years we have shared many ideas (picking each others' brains) and have been able to make referrals for clients we cannot service. I think NATP is doing a fine job with their current programs, i.e. email notices informing of new developments, the NATP website, and continuing education. The research and state volunteer program has also helped me over the years. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. Changing technology is my personal "favorite" (only a few years ago did I offer e-filing), ever-changing tax laws, and finding enough time during tax season. NATP can help the legislature pass rules that are equitable and help preparers through classes or other licensing requirements. NATP needs to continue to care about the small preparer, remembering why and how the organization was formed. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. I am a graduate of the Hartford Institute of Accounting (1967) and received my BS at Central Connecticut State University (1987). I married in 1967 and have two married daughters; no grandchildren yet. One daughter is a sales tax revenue examiner for the State, the other is a graphic designer (with no math ability at all; can't even balance her checkbook – takes after her father). My husband, Lou, is now retired. My parents have a cottage in Maine that our extended family has continued to enjoy together since the 1950's. For over 25 years I have been a member of the women's auxiliary of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company and still am. I was a Board member and treasurer of the Haddam Volunteer Ambulance for 14 years and continue as a member of the auxiliary of HVAS for over 20 years. I also continue to serve on the Durham Public School reunion committee, holding reunions every other year as well as my own class reunion committee every fifth year. During these memberships I served in a variety of officer positions and on numerous committees. I am active in my church, currently on the vestry committee. Past duties include Sunday school teacher, youth group leader, audit committee, fund raisers, etc. Over the years, among other things, I served on our town's board of finance, the Haddam Home Business Association, and was a Girl Scout leader. With the little time I have left, I enjoy traveling, playing cards, and snowmobiling. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. I wish to continue serving my tax and investment clients for many years to come. I consider myself very fortunate because I enjoy what I do. I am proud of my high client retention; I still have the first client I did when I became self- employed. I am not looking to grow my tax business but do wish to continue growth on the investment side. I don't really expect to retire, just to slow down. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Family, friends, community and, of course, my business. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. Through the years many clients have become friends; I have laughed with them and also cried with them. Recently a client introduced me to his new wife, who also happened to be his third wife. I mentioned to her that I had been doing his taxes for over 20 years; she quickly responded "Gee, that's the longest relationship he's ever had with a woman."
May 2006 Member of the Month – Owen Oatley A past president of the Florida Chapter, and previous Chapter Board Member, Owen is accustomed to working with others to enhance the careers of tax professionals. Whether it's through the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel or by initiating a tax workshop at his local community college, he always believes in the value of public service. Congratulations, Owen, on being chosen as NATP's May Member of the Month!
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. Over 25 years. Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. My business is located in Daytona Beach, Florida. I am the sole owner of the business. There is only one other staff member employed in the business. Q. Type and number of returns filed. A. I prepare less than 300 tax returns per year. Many of the returns I prepare are those of investors in securities or real estate. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I worked in the audit division of the Internal Revenue Service. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. I would probably not describe it as mentoring, over the years, I have continued to talk on a regular basis with other professionals and we have learned a lot from each other. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. I recently spent three years as a member of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. For the last few years I have been involved in putting together, under the auspices of the Florida Chapter of NATP, a full-day workshop at the local community college. There are speakers on a variety of topics of interest to tax professionals. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. The members that I knew and member benefits prompted me to join NATP. I have enjoyed and benefited from my associations with other NATP members and I find the research department to be extremely useful. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I am a past president of the Florida Chapter of NATP and I was also on the Board of Directors of the Florida Chapter of NATP for a number of years. I have attended various National and State Chapter seminars and workshops over the years. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. The chance to meet other tax professionals and discuss various tax-related issues with them is a great benefit but the member benefit I find the most useful, by far, is the research department. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. Keeping up with new tax laws as well as new clarifications and interpretations of both new and existing tax laws. Changing uses of technology in the preparation of tax returns also presents an ongoing challenge. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. I am single. My brother and his family live near by, as well as my mother. I enjoy doing home repairs and maintenance, reading about current events, puns, and spending time with my terrific nephews. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. Professionally, I would like to be able to be even more selective in the work I take on, such as situations that I might find especially interesting involving the representation of clients before the Internal Revenue Service. Like many individuals, I have wondered what to do in my spare time now, in the near future, or when I retire or semi-retire. The experiences I had and the satisfaction I got from the time I spent on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel has given me at least part of the answer. If you are not already performing some type of public service through various organizations, groups, etc., on the local, state or national level, I hope you will give it a try. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Family, friends, and being a worthwhile member of the community. Q. Anything else you'd like to share? A. I also have a Master's Degree in Political Science from Florida State University. Additionally, I was a Union Steward for the National Treasury Employees Union.
April 2006 Member of the Month – Jo Ann Kinney, EA Jo Ann Kinney knows a thing or two about laws. In addition to keeping up with the latest tax laws in her tax preparation business, she also enforces community laws through her job as a Detroit Police Detective Sergeant. Even with her busy schedule, Jo Ann still finds time to regularly attend NATP educational workshops; she has only missed one national conference since 1986! She also served on the Michigan Chapter Board, in addition to other committees.
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. I have been preparing taxes for 27 years. My tax profession started with H&R Block. Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. I am the owner of Multi Business Association, located in Detroit, Michigan. I have two staff members. Q. Type and number of returns filed. A. My business does approximately 850 returns a year including Forms 1040,1065, 1120 and 1120S. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I have been a Detroit Police Detective Sergeant for 31 years and have been assigned to the Homicide Section for 19 years. I am the commanding officer for the Homicide Task Force, which consists of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Police Department, and Michigan State Police. I also have a real estate broker license, and a life insurance license. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. My mentors are Marilyn Meredith, and Sue Voth. Marilyn is an outstanding person; she shares her knowledge with everyone through teaching. Sue does the same. She is a great person and she has a wonderful, bubbly personality. NATP is also my mentor because NATP has encouraged me to be the best that I can be. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. I have served on the board of NATP Michigan Chapter, and I have also worked with NATP National committees, and served as a volunteer on the Bylaw Committee. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I received information about NATP courses through the mail; my first conference was in Florida in 1986. I was so impressed with the people and the courses. I've only missed one national conference since I have been a member. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I participated in the formation of the Michigan Chapter, and was interim vice president and secretary. I served on the board for 10 years. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. Education is very important these days because of the many tax law changes occurring every year. NATP also benefits us in networking with other members because we need each other to grow in our profession. I am proud to be a part of the NATP family. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. The biggest challenges facing tax prepares today involve taxpayers filing their own tax returns over the internet and not being aware of possible benefits due to them. It seems easy to just enter the information online but they often lack the knowledge that tax professionals possess in order to prepare an accurate return. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. I am married and my husband is a retired Detroit Police Lieutenant. I have one adult daughter and three grandsons. I love to travel, enjoy playing darts, and I plan to learn how to play golf when I retire from the Detroit Police Department in 2006. Q. What are your goals for the future, both personally and for your career? A. My goals for the future is to enjoy the rest of my life, and continue to attend NATP conferences in order to learn all that I can so that I can give my clients the best service possible, for as long as possible. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. My family, friends, and careers. I take pride in every goal I have set for myself. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. I remember when I first started electronic filing, and everything was computerized; it was a big change from doing taxes by hand. A client came into my office and stated to me that he needed a rapid refund because he was about to lose his home. I processed his return and submitted it through electronic filing. I wasn't very comfortable with this and was actually rather nervous since it was my first time filing electronically. The next day I received an acknowledgement that my client was approved for the rapid refund. Being new at this, it took me a whole day to learn how to print the check, and after trial and error I decided to call the software company for assistance and they walked me through the process. I told my client that his check would be available in 48 hours. The check came in within 24 hours and it took me 24 hours to print the check. The bottom line is that my client was very happy and pleased because he was able to save his home from going into foreclosure and I learned how to print rapid refund checks. I would like to say "thank-you" to the person or persons who nominated me for Member of the Month; that was a kind gesture on your part and it let me know that someone is thinking about me. Thank so much!!! Congratulate Jo Ann on her achievements by contacting her at JOANNKINNEY5@AOL.COM.
March 2006 Member of the Month – Anita Hay Anita Hay has seen many changes in the tax profession through 25 years of being in the business. One of the keys to Anita's success has been her involvement in education in order to stay current on the latest tax updates – since joining NATP, she's been to 18 National Conferences! In addition to education, Anita puts great value on networking with fellow colleagues, as evidenced by her four years on the Kentucky Chapter Board.
Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. I've been preparing taxes since January of 1981, so that would be 25 years. Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. My business is Anita Hay Tax Service at 108 Plaza Drive in Albany, Kentucky. I have one full-time employee and three seasonal employees. Q. Type and number of returns filed. A. I do approximately 1,700 individual returns and 50 business returns per year. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. Yes, I retired from Civil Service after 26 years. My last place of employment was with the Corps of Engineers, as a Project Clerk at Wolf Creek Dam. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. Yes, I had a friend who prepared taxes and I started out by typing the returns and checking them for her. Then as I learned more, I would prepare the tax returns. I have mentored three others, by hiring them part time and training them. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. Yes, I do payroll work for about 25 small businesses, and sales tax reports and quarterly reports for some of the local truck drivers. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. I wanted to keep current on the tax changes, so the education part of NATP interested me, and also meeting others in the same profession was important. You learn so much from sharing ideas. I still feel that the education is much-needed, and I definitely enjoy interacting with my professional peers, some who I have seen year after year at events. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. Since joining NATP, I have attended 18 of the Annual NATP Conferences and enjoyed every one of them. Last year I was a member of the Nominating Committee and that was a great experience. Since Kentucky started their Chapter in 1999, I have been an active member. For the past 4 years, I have served on our Board. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. NATP is worthwhile and I definitely recommend it. The Research Department is so helpful - just being able to call and get an answer is great. And the publications and e-mail updates are really beneficial. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. The biggest challenge is keeping up with all the changes taking place, so we can give our clients the best available service. NATP can help just by continuing to do what they do for us. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. My husband, Perry, retired from being a High School Principal after 25 years and is now a full-time farmer. We live on a 150-acre farm three miles from town. We have been married 54 years. We met in Houston, Texas and have lived in Kentucky since 1961. We have two sons, Robert, who is a pharmacist at the local hospital and Richard, who is an attorney in Somerset, Kentucky. We have four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Laura, our oldest granddaughter, is an RN at the hospital here. Sarah is in her second year at the University of Kentucky law school and is in the top 10 percent of her class. Wesley is employed at his dad's NAPA Store and Jordan is a sophomore at college in Georgetown, Kentucky. I have been active in community activities by serving on the Fair Board, also active in our church and serve as choir director. I enjoy reading and love to travel. I also enjoy spending time with my family. I'm thankful for my family, my friends, my church, and my clients. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. I plan to continue preparing taxes as long as my health remains good. I sure plan to attend as many more conferences as I can. Hope to see you all in Boston! Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Family, friendship, honesty, and being helpful to others. Please join NATP in honoring Anita as NATP's Member of the Month for March! Send your congratulatory message to Anita at ahay31@alltel.net.
February 2006 Member of the Month – Hope Brunelli, EA
From frying donuts to running a successful tax service, Hope Brunelli knows a thing or two about what a person can achieve through hard work and dedication. A former National Board member and current Colorado Chapter Board member, Hope has committed herself to excellence in the tax profession for nearly 30 years, and continues to impart her knowledge and values to those around her. Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. 26 yrs Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. I own Brunelli's Tax Service, LLC located in Trinidad, Colorado. I employ one full-time employee and one part-time employee. Q. Type and number of returns filed. A. My business does approximately 900 individual and business returns every year. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. Yes, I've been involved with banking and computers. My husband and I also owned a donut shop; my husband was a coal miner and we purchased the Donut Factory when the coal mines in this area shut down. We both worked at making donuts, but I gradually weeded out of the shop as my other job took up more and more of my time. When my husband became disabled we closed the shop and I worked for a company that sent me to classes to do their tax returns. After that I purchased a local business from a good accountant who I learned a lot from, especially about farm taxes, which has become a big part of my business. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. I mentor others including my son, whom I hope will someday follow in my footsteps, and a special girl who works in my office. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. Development of LLC's, representation before the IRS, offers in compromise, and mergers and acquisitions make up a large part of my services. I also occasionally speak on these subjects. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. Networking with other tax professionals and the education were very much needed because I live in a rural area. NATP also helps me get the answers I need with the research services. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I attend the Annual Conferences and also served on the National Board of Directors. I currently serve on the Colorado Chapter Board. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. I recommend NATP for networking, the broad educational tools, and research services. The research service is a great tool when you can't find the answers on your own. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. The changing tax laws. For older preparers, the ever-changing laws make it difficult to keep up from year to year. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. I am celebrating my 40th anniversary this year. I have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. I am in a local mentoring program for young teens in which we do community activities such as the Fireman's Toy Drive. I also love to travel with my family and friends. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. I live for today; cannot change yesterday, and I have no idea what the future has in store for my little life. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. My family, job, and my friends Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. I have no one to blame but myself for my great success in this business. It shocked me to find out how hard work and commitment can change your life and the respect you receive because of it. Please join NATP in honoring Hope as NATP's Member of the Month for February! Send your congratulatory message to Hope at hopebrunelli@yahoo.com.
January 2006 Member of the Month – Gerald (Jerry) Coon, EA
Jerry Coon is Vice President in charge of education for the Michigan Chapter. Jerry is credited with the Chapter's excellent seminars, high attendance, and picking topics that are timely and interesting. He goes far above and beyond what is expected to make sure everything is done to the utmost standards and with the highest quality. Jerry has excellent attendance to all of the Chapter meetings, except for the one he missed, which happened to be the one at which he was elected as Vice President (he hasn't missed a meeting since)! He is known amongst his colleagues as someone who operates with the highest of ethics and integrity. Q. How many years have you been preparing taxes? A. I took my first income tax class in 1978 and passed the EA test in 1982. I started my business, Action Tax Service, in 1989. Q. What is your business name, where is it located? Do you own it? How many additional staff members do you employ? A. I am the sole owner of Action Tax Service in Rockford, Michigan. I employ two tax preparers and two part-time bookkeepers. Q. Type and number of returns filed. A. Action Tax Service prepares approximately 1,500 returns per year. A mixture of Individual and Corporate returns are completed, along with a few fiduciary and non-profit returns. Q. Were you in another line of business before doing taxes? A. I graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in business administration and a major in marketing. I began my career as a grocery dept. manager in a supermarket; became the store manager two years later, and moved to taxes two years after that. Q. Did you have a mentor early in your career? Do you mentor others? A. My mentor was Don Burton, District Manager for H&R Block in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He took me under his wing and taught me much about the tax business. I was also very fortunate to work with other great managers who passed on very valuable information. Q. Are you involved in other tax-related activities? A. I am the Treasurer of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and I write weekly tax articles for our local paper, The Rockford Squire. Q. What brought you to NATP and what keeps you as a member? A. When I left H&R Block, I was by myself and realized I needed research help. I also needed education and the give-and-take of associating with other tax preparers. NATP filled all of these requirements then, and still does. Q. What types of NATP activities have you participated in? A. I have been an Instructor for the Michigan Chapter in the past, but for the last few years I have been the Vice-President and Education Committee Chairman and have served on various other committees. Q. Why do you recommend NATP to others? What member benefits do you find most beneficial? A. For the same reasons I joined and continue my membership – research help, education, and association with other tax preparers. All three of these are of great importance to me, but the education portion may be the most important. Q. What are the biggest challenges facing tax preparers today and is there anything you can see that NATP could do to better prepare them? A. Education will always be important. There is a tendency today to allow the software to do some of the work for us, which can be dangerous. We still need to know the rules, and one of NATP's strongest points is education. Regulation / Certification is also a big issue before all of us. NATP represents us and stands up for us in these legislative areas. Q. Can you give a little background on your family, spouse, children, community involvement, hobbies, favorite activities, etc.? A. My wife, Deb, and I have two daughters – Stephanie, 22 and Kimberly, 20. Stephanie is a graduate of North Park University in Chicago and is a first-year medical student at Rush Medical College. Kimberly is a junior at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, majoring in communications. Deb works for Action Tax Service during the tax season. I am the Treasurer for the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, a Paul Harris fellow and member of Rockford Rotary. I served as an elder and a deacon in the Rockford Reformed Church and served as a Treasurer for the North Kent Service Center. My hobbies are usually whatever is in season. In spring and summer I enjoy getting things done around the house and yard, and doing some fishing, boating, golfing, and camping. In the fall I hunt and bowl. Like with most tax professionals, I don't have much free time during the tax season yet I still fit in bowling most weeks. Q. What are your goals for the future personally and for your career? A. My career goal is to hire another full-time preparer who specializes in business and fiduciary returns. Perhaps that will allow me to help more clients with the financial planning portion of my business. My personal goal is to travel to Hawaii for a 30th wedding anniversary vacation. Q. What kinds of things are important to you in life? A. Family is very important to me. Deb and I have been married since 1977 and she, as with all spouses of those of us in the tax business, puts up with a lot of absence during tax season. She is wonderful and extremely supportive. Our daughters are developing into confident, educated, and good people. Stephanie is planning to become an Infectious Disease Specialist and Kimberly, in her second year of college, already has enough credits for Junior status. Church is also very important to me. I have met some of the most giving people at church. Our church emphasizes youth programs and both of my daughters have gone on several mission trips that have helped to shape their lives. I have served as a deacon and an elder. I count it as one of the true privileges in my life when I am called upon to serve communion to the congregation. My work is also very important. People in the community, to some extent, associate the quality of work that Action Tax Service does with my personal reputation. It is imperative that our quality of work is the highest possible. We are a service business and we intend to give every client their money's worth. Q. Did you ever have a "defining moment," an embarrassing moment, or another memorable experience related to your career as a tax preparer? A. When I interviewed with Don Burton at H&R Block in 1978, he offered me a job as his assistant. He told me it was time to leave the grocery store business and he would teach me the tax business. Fortunately, I took Don up on his offer. Q. Is there anything else you'd like to share? I am proud to be associated with the many members of NATP. As Education Chairman, I come in contact with not only the local members, but also National representatives and current and former officers like Kathy Stanek, Sally Fahey, and Fred Kling. They are all top-notch. Every year, the Education Committee in Michigan comes up with great ideas to get new people in the door so we can show them what NATP can do for them. It's a privilege to serve with them. Please join NATP in honoring Jerry as NATP's first Member of the Month for 2006! Send your congratulations to Jerry at jcoon@actiontaxservice.com. | 
