Greta’s Conference Countdown

June 4

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Weekend. I certainly did. The weather in Wisconsin was absolutely fabulous and I was able to visit with my younger brother, Adam, before he heads out to Iraq this month.

At NATP’s office summer means “Conference.” So, we are all busy pulling together the final details of the event. I can’t believe it is almost here already. It seems like we all just met in Reno.

We are excited to be heading to Austin, TX this year. I know. I know. It will be hot in Austin in July. We’ve heard from several members that Texas in July is a little scary to them because of the heat. Well, don’t let the heat scare you out of attending. This conference is going to be great! Plus, most of the time you will be in the Conference hotel attending awesome education anyway. Ahhhh…but at night the weather will be great and will be perfect for exploring Austin and all it has to offer.

For those who have attended Conference before we do have some changes you need to be aware of:

• Expo Hall. The Expo Hall is now on Day 2 & 3 of the Conference instead of Day 1 & 2. So, for this year the Expo Hall is open on July 20 & 21.
• Charity Auction. The Charity Auction is on Day 1 (July 19) of the Conference.
• Denim & Diamonds Banquet. This year the attire for our closing banquet is denim or diamonds (or both if you really want).

If you have any questions, please refer to our website or call our Member Services team at 800.558.3402.

I’ll see you in Austin!

Greta

Director, Tax Knowledge Center

And the Grand Total Is…

Every year, NATP chooses an organization to be the recipient of its Conference Charity Drive. It’s our way of saying “thank you” to our host city. This year, NATP selected the Angel Kiss Foundation, a Reno-based charity dedicated to helping all families of children with cancer in northern Nevada and the eastern Sierra by providing immediate and continuing financial assistance and emotional support. During the week of Conference, attendees contributed to the cause by participating in the Charity Auction and the Chapter Showcase Raffle and by placing donations into the “collection basket.”

Each year, we are amazed at the generosity of our attendees. This year was no exception. We’re proud to announce a new record in funds raised… a whopping $14,221.50! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who contributed!! For more information on the Angel Kiss Foundation, visit their website at www.angelkissfoundation.org.

P.S. Additional funds were received after the check presentation to Angel Kiss Foundation, which brought the total to $14,294.45!

Julie Tholl DeJan, Executive Director of the Angel Kiss Foundation, accepts a check for $14,221.50 from NATP Board Member, Barbara Steponkus.

It’s a Wrap

On July 24, NATP wrapped up its annual Conference with a closing banquet. After a delicious meal of filet mignon, chicken, herbed mashed potatoes, butter salad, and cheese cake, attendees enjoyed a hilarious evening of entertainment with comedic hypnotist Erick Kand. In this interactive show, Erick had volunteers on stage Disco dancing, exploring Mars, talking to celebrities on their shoe phones, and engaging the police in a high speed chase! It’s been a long time since we’ve seen tax professionals laugh this hard!

"Put some clothes on, man!" Hypnotist Erick Kand has participants convinced that he is standing on stage wearing nothing but his birthday suit!

Lord Godiva is in the building!

Hypnotist Erick Kand is about to tell participants that the audience is au naturel!

Hypnotized into thinking they are riding motorcycles, participants pop a few wheelies!

"Check your rear view mirrors, folks!" After convincing participants that they are speeding down the highway at 100 mph, hypnotist Erick Kand brings a black-and-white into the picture!

Hypnotized into thinking they are space travelers, participants exit their spacecrafts to explore Mars.

Hypnotist Erick Kand has participants exploring Mars for microscopic lifeforms.

Remember the "Robot" dance craze?

Convinced they are washing machines, hypnotized Conference attendees get pretty agitated!

...and even more agitated!

This must be the spin cycle!

Hypnotist Erick Kand has participants convinced that they are typewriters.

Hypnotist Erick Kand promised participants they would awake feeling more alive and refreshed than ever, but not before getting a few more dance moves out of them!

Introducing NATP’s Tax Professional of the Year

For the past six years, NATP has been presenting the Tax Professional of the Year Award to recognize those tax professionals who go above and beyond in service to their community and profession. Candidates for this award are nominated by their peers, and must meet various criteria in order to qualify. Although considered, Chapter involvement is not required to win this award, leaving this opportunity open to our members without a Chapter and our growing number of international members.

This year’s Tax Professional of the Year has gone above and beyond in both her service to her Chapter, and especially her community. She has been preparing taxes for over 30 years, and has been an NATP member for over 20 years. She has been very active in her local Chapter, having been an officer for 14 years and a member of the Board of Directors for 16 years. In addition to her service to NATP, she has a long list of volunteer activities that she performs outside of the tax profession. Congratulations Sandy L. Schroeder EA, CFP, from Brooklyn Park, MN!

Chapter Award Winners

Chapter Awards are presented to recognize individual volunteers and Chapters who go above and beyond the call of duty. These awards are based on activities performed between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008, by the Chapter.  Each Category Award winner received $150 for their Chapter treasury plus a Category certificate.  The Chapter of the Year received a free Conference registration for the Chapter president or the designated Chapter representative plus $250 for the Chapter Treasury and a certificate for the Chapter.

Chapter of the Year Category Award winners are:

Administration: Pennsylvania Chapter
Education: Minnesota
Communications: New Jersey
Membership Growth & Retention: Texas Chapter
Special and/or Community Betterment Activities: Georgia Chapter
Chapter of the Year: Arizona Chapter

The Chapter Person of the Year Awards are based on contributions individuals made from January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008.  Each Category winner will receive a $100 credit on his or her NATP member account and a certificate. The Chapter Person of the Year attends next year’s National Annual Conference free of charge, plus receives $150 in spending money.

Winners of the Chapter Person of the Year Category Awards are:

Membership Growth & Retention:  Kelly Nokleby, EA, ATP, MN Chapter
Chapter Leadership:  Teresa Steiniger, EA, VA Chapter
Education: Susan Spaur, CPA, AZ Chapter
Community Betterment Activities: Wesley Mott, EA, AL/MS Chapter
Relationships with Other Taxing Bodies: Marilyn Ayers, CPA, NJ Chapter
Chapter Person of the Year: Kathryn Keane, EA, ABA, NY Chapter

Kathryn Keane, Chapter Person of the Year

Arizona, Chapter of the Year

New York Chapter Donates Flag to National

New York Chapter President, Kathryn Keane, presented NATP CEO, Kathy Stanek, and NATP President, Mike Whittle, with a flag that was flown over the NY Capitol Building in Albany. The flag will be flown over the National office the week of November 9, 2009, in celebration and recognition of New York as being NATP’s first chartered Chapter.  The New York Chapter was chartered on November 13, 1987. Eventually, the flag will be encased and displayed in the Chapters meeting room at the National Headquarters in Appleton, WI.

NATP Announces Slate of Candidates for 2010 National Board

The following six NATP members were nominated to run for the Board of Directors in 2010. Look for their bios in the September issue of the TAXPRO Monthly. Chapter Presidents will vote for NATP Board of Director candidates on behalf of their Chapter members. Election results will be announced at the December Board of Directors meeting.

Sally Fahey, EA - Endicott, NY

Ann McNeer, EA, ATP - Columbus, GA

Dot Atchison, EA - Jackson, AL

JoAnn Wilder, EA - Collierville, TN

Peggy Beasterfeld, EA - Topeka, KS

Mike Whittle, EA, MBA - Lake Havasu City, AZ

Become a National Board Candidate

Members of NATP’s National Board of Directors met in a Q&A session with individuals who are interested in becoming a National Board member. Current Board members provided information on the required duties, such as visiting Chapters, working onsite at Conference, participating in Board meetings, and being involved in workgroups. The current Board members also provided information on the candidate application process. Individuals who are interested in joining the Board should have volunteer experience. The next opportunity to join the National Board will be for 2011. Application forms will be available in February 2010. For more information, please contact Kathy Gillis at the National Office. Her e-mail address is kathyg@natptax.com.

Word Up

One of the great pleasures of attending Conference as a staff member is talking to attendees and instructors. We thought it would be interesting to ask some of them what career  they would choose if they ever left the tax profession. Here’s what they had to say:

“I’d be an all-inclusive party planner: decorations, customized favors, baked goods, food…”

Katherine J. Kredit, EA, ATP, ATA – Phoenix, AZ

 

_________________________________________

“I would be a “Mr. Fix It.” I like remodeling and household projects and would love to do this kind of work all the time, if I could just make a living at it.” 

Tom O’Saben, EA, CFP – Maryville, IL

 ________________________________________

“I would be a Notary Public because it would give me time for my family, and also more fishing.” 

Carmen Garza – Victoria, TX

_______________________________________________

“I’d love to teach full-time, but I’d need my masters and I don’t have that kind of time. So, I’d be a florist. I love flowers and making arrangements.”

Kathryn Keane, EA, ABA – Brooklyn, NY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________________________

Then we asked what NATP can do to make the 2010 Conference in Austin, TX the best ever. Here’s what they told us:

“Continue to have feed-back from the IRS to give us a heads-up on all future changes. Have some of the same good speakers. This year’s speakers were very knowledgeable. Keep the same format used for this year’s Conference.” 

Alfreda Brooks and Hazel Brodie – Baltimore, MD 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________________________

And on a lighter note:

“Have lots of TexMex on hand, and throw in a Mariachi Band for good measure!”

Burton Carter, EA – Kingman, AZ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________________

“Schedule group walks down by the river… and have plenty of margaritas on hand!”

Debbie Connell, EA – Tucson, AZ

From an Instructor’s Point of View

Tom O’Saben and I joined the NATP staff last year as Training Specialists.  We teamed up yesterday and taught Current Developments. Overall, the attendees liked this new team approach because we got the chance to bounce a lot of ideas off of each other.

Today we managed to get up early and sit in on the sunrise sessions and were impressed at how well-attended they were. Kudos to all those who thirst for knowledge!

When we’re not teaching, we’re attending sessions on our own. One of the most educational sessions for me so far, has been AMT. With all of its complexities, AMT still remains a challenge for most tax professionals. When I’m not teaching or attending sessions, I’m mingling with my colleagues and assisting attendees with their needs, answering tax questions and directing them to class.

As always, Conference has been a very rewarding experience for me and I look forward to seeing everyone again in Austin. In the meantime, if anyone has a followup question, please feel free to contact me at sorourke@natptax.com.

Steve O’Rourke, NATP Staff