Annual Arkansas Federal Tax Institute (LIVE WEBCAST)

Michelle C. Mann, CPA, is a Tax Senior Manager with HoganTaylor in Little Rock and has over 40 years of experience in all areas of taxation. She is a specialist for the firm in nonprofit organization taxation and state taxation. As a leading expert in the field, Michelle frequently writes articles and delivers presentations on nonprofit taxation issues. She was previously director of state and local taxation for Alltel, a communication company acquired by Verizon Wireless in 2009, and held various tax positions in the Alltel organization for over 25 years. She began her career with Price Waterhouse. Michelle completed a Master of Science in Taxation with a Graduate Certificate in Accounting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (and was named Outstanding Graduate from the UALR College of Business) and has a BBA in Accounting from Texas Christian University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants and an associate member of the Arkansas Society of Association Executives.

Paul focuses his practice in the areas of corporate and individual taxation, private wealth management and tax controversies.

He has a broad commercial practice with an emphasis on federal and state income tax matters, mergers and acquisitions, estate and business succession planning, and representing lenders, community development entities ("CDEs"), and borrowers in syndicated financing transactions involving traditional bank financing, USDA and SBA guaranteed loans, and federal and state new markets tax credits.

In addition, Paul represents businesses in state tax controversies before the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration in matters involving claims for exemptions or credits from state and local taxes, and assessments of taxes generally. At the federal level, Mr. Parnell represents businesses and their owners in all stages of an IRS examination, from the initial audit through the United States Tax Court and subsequent appeals if necessary.

Through his commercial practice, Paul also represents and advises fiduciaries of trusts and estates holding closely held business interests through the probate and trust administration process, including obtaining valuations of the business interest, advising with the implementation of the business succession plan to ensure the continued efficient operation of the business, and preparing and filing of the federal estate tax return when necessary.

No Biography Available

Storme Sixeas delivers critical insights on federal tax policy and politics for Deloitte's clients across a broad spectrum of industries, analyzing legislative proposals and providing political intelligence based on ongoing interaction with Congressional members and staff. Prior to joining Deloitte in 2015, Storme served as a House of Representatives leadership aide on Capitol Hill and then spent a dozen years as a corporate policy lobbyist, covering issues including tax, trade, federal contracting, and technology policy. Before entering the government relations and policy arenas, Storme spent several years in financial and technology journalism, working in various reporting and editing capacities, including at the Financial Times Group in London. After growing up around the globe as an Air Force brat, Storme earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA in financial management from George Mason University. Storme is a past chair and current board member of the Tax Coalition, a professional organization for women in tax policy from Capitol Hill, the Administration, and the private sector; and she is the US chair of the British-American Project, a transatlantic leadership network lovingly referred to by its members as "organized serendipity." She is also the founder of DC's most politically diverse co-ed book group, the Bibliophages, now in its 18th year; is an avid swimmer; and can crew a sailboat in a pinch.

Matt Boch serves as Chief Commissioner of the Arkansas Tax Appeals Commission. He was designated chief by Governor Sanders in 2023 and appointed by Governor Hutchinson in 2022 as a commissioner. Before joining the Commission, Matt practiced tax law in Little Rock and before that in Chicago, focusing on state and local taxation and economic development. Matt is a member and former Chair of the Tax Section of the Arkansas Bar Association and an honorary member of the Arkansas Society of CPAs. He is a former chair of the Arkansas Tax Advisory Committee. Nationally, Matt is a member of the American College of Tax Counsel, and he sits on the State and Local Taxes Executive Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation and on the Planning Committee of the National Conference of State Tax Judges.

Bio as of 2023

Dr. Michael R. Pakko is Chief Economist and State Economic Forecaster at the Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Pakko received his B.A. from Michigan State University in 1984 and a PhD from the University of Rochester in 1994.

Before coming to Little Rock in 2009, Dr. Pakko spent 16 years as a research economist and officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, where he published research on a variety of topics, including international trade, economic growth, macroeconomics, and public policy.

In addition to his research and forecasting responsibilities at AEDI – including the annual Arkansas Economic Forecast Conference – Dr. Pakko is an adjunct professor at the UALR College of Business, and he maintains the Arkansas Economist website at http://www.arkansaseconomist.com/.

Practice Areas: Taxation Law; Estate Planning Law; Probate Law; Banking Law; Employee Benefits Law; Business Law.

Personal Information: Born Rison, Arkansas, July 4, 1956.

Education: Hendrix College (B.A. 1978) University of Little Rock School of Law (J.D. 1996) Southern Methodist University School of Law (LL.M. (Taxation), 1998)

Bar Information: Admitted to bar 1996, Arkansas and U.S. District Courts, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, 1996. Arkansas Bar Association Board of Governors. Tenured Delegate Arkansas Bar Association House of Delegates. Past President Arkansas Bar Association Tax Section. Secretary/Treasurer Arkansas Bar PAC.

Honors: Associate Editor, UALR Law Journal, 1995. Arkansas Bar Association Lawyer Legacy Award, 2006. Arkansas Society of CPAs, Mac Angel Award, 2006. Best Lawyer's in America, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates (2006-2009)

Memberships: Jefferson County and American Bar Associations (Member of Taxation and Business Section). Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants (CPA 1982-Inactive).