Profession's top tax award goes to Michael E. Mares.

Michael E. Mares is this year's recipient of the Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award, the accounting profession's highest award in the area of taxation. Mares, a CPA, Accredited in Business Valuation credential holder and an attorney, is a partner with Witt, Mares & Company, but will be leaving his long-time firm and CPA practice to focus on providing training and continuing education for other CPAs.

Over the past two decades, Mares has been a tireless volunteer leader with the AICPA. Most notably, he has served on the AICPA Board of Directors and as chair and a member of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee. In addition, Mares has chaired the AICPA Tax Division's Strategic Planning Task Force, the Strategic Planning Alignment Task Force, the SSTS Tax Shelter Task Force, and the Liaison with State Societies Committee. He also has served on the Tax Forms Subcommittee, the Tax Division Reorganization Task Force, the Statements on Responsibilities in Tax Practice Enforceability Task Force, the Operations Task Force and The Tax Adviser's Editorial Advisory Board.