It’s amazing how quickly a year, this past year, has gone by. It seems as if just a couple of months ago Wayne Monfries passed the torch, and now it is my turn to pass it to Josie Scalia. “We are in it for a minute.” And that is the beauty of TEI and how we all come forward to participate. We are volunteers with an understanding of what we need as members, with a vast network of colleagues across a broad spectrum of industries and issues, a community we can tap easily with the confidence that people will lean in and support each other.
As I have often said this past year, “TEI is not about any one of us, but about all of us.” I have volunteered for over sixteen years, have been a member for so much longer, and have reaped the benefits of membership far beyond expectation. However, this past year has been extraordinary. I had the ability to travel to various events held at the regional, chapter, and committee levels, as my work schedule allowed. This gave me special insight into how much the TEI staff does, day in and day out, with so much grace and capability. The breadth and depth of ability across the small but mighty team is commendable and to be appreciated. I have no favorites, but a special shoutout to Mike Lowery and to how well he took care of everything and me; there are no words to express my appreciation. The level of commitment and enthusiasm with which our members have come forward—every time—is so admirable. They give, not because of an abundance of spare time, but because of the loyalty and affection they have for this organization and the pride that comes from performing an altruistic job well. However, our member volunteer community has the need and an opportunity to grow. The staff does so much, but as members, we need to come forward. We need to invite our new members to participate and demonstrate the inclusive nature of our membership. What struck me about day one of the EMEA Chapter Meeting this spring was the easy camaraderie one can establish with people you have just met, after spending a member-only day together sharing opportunities and challenges we have in common as tax professionals in this increasingly complex business environment. As I mentioned at one of our seminars, if you liked what you saw, participate; if you didn’t like what you saw, participate.
Looking back at the priorities I outlined in my first letter, we’ve made significant progress with so many longstanding and new volunteers leaning in and giving their unwavering support, and I have no doubt we’ll continue to grow our membership, engage with each other in new and exciting ways, and make our voice heard on key issues around the globe. TEI, more than ever, truly embodies its tagline: Connect. Engage. Impact.
The Institute is unique in many ways, but one that continues to impress me is the power of our community. TEI’s more than 6,500 members seem always to be at the ready not only to discuss the latest regulations or the implementation of new technologies but also to share a story, a laugh, a drink, or whatever’s occupying our minds at the time. No matter the venue—an Institute conference, a chapter or regional event, TEI Engage, or even sometimes just a friendly phone call or text—we’re here for each other, and that is value that cannot be measured.
A few recent TEI events that I was able to attend have really highlighted the strength of our community. The EMEA Chapter Meeting, as I noted to earlier, and the recent Region 10 Conference were outstanding. The participation and meticulous organization at these events were impressive. The sense of community was undeniable. As someone with a mindset of always wanting to do better, I have taken notes at each event of what worked well. I hope we all do that. When we travel from our chapters and regions, please look at what others do and see if it makes sense to emulate. Every tax person knows what SALY stands for, but a good tax professional knows that rinse and repeat isn’t always good. We had many other outstanding regional and chapter meetings, all of which were done well and have continued to raise the bar for how we do things at TEI.
At a macro level, the Annual Conference—which was the 75th Anniversary Celebration—and the Midyear Conference, the Tax Technology Seminar, and the Tax Symposium all made a big splash. The Tax Technology Seminar has catapulted to a next-gen level and attracts so many tax professionals and technology professionals to our midst. The Tax Symposium—a first-time attempt for TEI—was impressive. The agendas for the three separate yet grouped seminars, the caliber of the speakers from all firms, and the ability of members to engage with each other were spectacular.
Engaging with TEI as never before has been a fun and interesting year that I will always look back to with much fondness, appreciation, and pride. Interestingly, I also chose to change employers this year, so it’s been very busy these past few months. As we all know, opportunities don’t come up when we are ready, so we must be ready when they do. I look forward to this next chapter of my career with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. My first week in, I attended an inspirational leadership meeting; the leader of the meeting said that “culture is a team sport.” This really resonated. Culture matters, leadership matters. It may be up to “higher-ups” in a work setting to establish a positive culture, but we must participate. In a volunteer setting, each of us has the ability and the need to establish a positive culture. We are here because we care. Everything can and should be a learning experience, and we all have so much we can learn as we embrace personal and professional growth.
So as TEI grows—and as you all grow as in-house tax professionals—you’ll be in the strong hands of incoming International President Josie Scalia. I am confident Josie will represent us well.
Thank you so much, enjoy the rest of your summer, and I hope to see you all at the next TEI event.
Sincerely,
Sandhya Edupuganty
TEI International President
