2007-2008 goals and objectives: teamwork, excellence, and integrity.

On August 14, 2007, the Board of Directors of Tax Executives Institute adopted the following goals and objectives for the fiscal year.

Founded in 1944, Tax Executives Institute has grown from an organization of 15 tax professionals to a professional association of more than 7,000; from one location in the United States to 54 chapters around the globe; and from a single country to 28. For more than six decades, TEI has devoted itself to enhancing and improving the tax system and to serving its members, their employers, and society generally. It has done this by facilitating interaction among, and the training of, members and their staffs, by effectively advocating its members' views, and by promoting competence and professionalism in both the private and government sectors.

The letters T, E, and I stand, of course, for Tax, Executives, and Institute, but since the organization's founding, TEI's activities have been marked by many principles and attributes that begin with those letters:

T ... for timely, technological, transnational, and more than anything else--TEAMWORK.

E ... for educational, expanding, ethical, empowering, and more than anything else--EXCELLENCE.

I ... for innovative, intelligent, inclusive, and more than anything else--INTEGRITY.

Regardless of which word one associates with the three letters of TEI's name, for 63 years the Institute has succeeded because it has done more than be characterized by one attribute (or three). It has succeeded by adapting to changing times, by "being involved," and by standing up for in-house tax professionals. During the coming year, TEI will build upon the success of its first six decades--and enhance its own brand--by undertaking a number of initiatives to advance its traditions of teamwork, excellence, and integrity.

Teamwork

Build a larger, more inclusive team of tax professionals throughout the world.

* Explore the establishment of separate chapters in China, Australia, India, Mexico, and South America. (The South America Chapter might be organized in Miami.)

* Establish a mechanism for reaching out to tax students (directly or through tax professors). For example, consider (a) creating a special student or professor membership, which would allow students to attend chapter (or Institute) programs at a discount; (b) expanding chapter scholarship programs; and (c) providing discounted (or complimentary) Tax Executive subscriptions to students and professors.

* Review TEI's current five-year experience requirement to determine whether it still meets the goals of TEI and, if it is retained, consider alternatives to afford less experienced professionals (including former student members) a continuing opportunity to participate in TEI activities.

* Continue efforts to increase TEI's demographic diversity and expand the Institute's outreach to colleges and universities, especially those with significant minority student bodies, to promote taxation as a career. For example, consider developing materials for use by chapters in visiting colleges and universities and, as appropriate, provide financial support to chapters.

* Continue efforts to expand the involvement of Senior Tax Executives in TEI. Establish a working group to consider (a) revamping the Senior Tax Executive Conference into a smaller, roundtable group discussion format, (b) renaming the meeting the "Chief Tax Officer's Conference," and (c) concentrating on more management and strategic topics with a goal of attracting the same participants annually. In addition, create other opportunities for Chief Tax Officers to network with one another.

* Develop a contact plan to recruit more Chief Tax Officers as active members and participants in TEI's programs and leadership positions.

* Develop and implement communications strategy to promote the benefits of belonging to, and becoming more active in, TEI.

Equip the expanded team with technological and other tools to better serve their companies and the tax community.

* Replace TEI's website to better serve member needs. For example, TEI will explore ways to use the website to facilitate industry-based networking, complementing the interchange that occurs at conferences.

Excellence

Adapt structure and processes to reflect emerging trends and challenges.

* In recognition of the ongoing importance of financial reporting, establish a separate Financial Reporting Committee. The committee will not only conduct sessions at conferences and seminars, but also coordinate advocacy work on proposed rulemaking by the IRS, SEC, FASB, IASB, and Treasury as it relates to accounting for income taxes and other financial reporting matters.

* Expand interaction with OECD and other international organizations (such as the IASB), drawing on the resources and expertise of members of the European Tax and Asia Tax Committees.

Review and modify the structure and content of educational programs to meet changing member needs.

* Conduct at least four web-based educational programs or other distance-learning programs to broaden participation by members who are unable to attend in-person programs.

Expand and enhance advocacy program.

* Continue our advocacy efforts with federal, state, local, and international tax authorities.

* Continue regular meetings between senior leadership and both Commissioner of Internal Revenue and senior officials of the Large and Mid-Size Business Division to improve TEI's relationship with IRS.

* Maintain periodic contact with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy.

* Continue the advocacy scorecard and communication of our advocacy successes.

* Maintain regular advocacy conference calls among committee chairs, President, Senior Vice President, and staff to focus the Institute's overall advocacy agenda.

* Develop and implement a communications strategy to promote member involvement in TEI's advocacy efforts. For example, TEI will revise its Advocacy "How To" Guide.

Renew corporate governance goal of maintaining effective succession planning process at the Chapter and Institute level to identify and mentor future leaders.

Integrity

Reinforce efforts to promote professionalism, ethical conduct, and social responsibility of all TEI members.

* Review educational programs to ensure that appropriate attention is devoted to enhancing professionalism.

* Adopt responsible positions in respect of proposals to narrow the tax gap, affirming TEI's support for sound tax administration and good tax policies.

* Develop and implement communications strategy for promoting members' commitment to professionalism.

Identify means of fulfilling TEI's social responsibility.

* Establish a blue ribbon task force to review and make recommendations about the charitable use of a portion of TEI's fund balance. Among other things, the task force will consider whether TEI should form a tax-exempt grant-making private foundation that would make donations to both tax and nontax related charities and worthy causes; the task force will also suggest alternative decision-making mechanisms (and decision-makers) for determining whether, how much, and to which organizations contributions should be made.