Southeastern Association of Tax Administrators
58th Annual Conference - Williamsburg, Va. - July 13-16, 2008
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SEATA Virginia Staff
Janie Bowen
Janie was born in Charlottesville, but ended up working in Richmond because "I was wandering down I-64 towards the beach when I saw Richmond and decided to stay."
Okay, maybe that's not precisely true, but it sure sounds romantic, doesn't it?
Janie does love the great state of Virginia. "I love the fact that I get to live sandwiched between mountains and the ocean. We are truly superior to all other states," she grinned.
When asked what first drew her to TAX, she said, "If you get drawn to TAX, I worry about you. Most of us just fall into TAX. I wanted to work in the public sector, and TAX is where the good job was. It was never my intention to stay more than one or two years. My long-term career objectives were to be part of local government. A city manager. I'm thankful that didn't come to pass."
Janie has many hobbies, most of which revolve around music. "I just love live music," she said. "I listen to music 24 hours a day, basically. I'm also a road warrior. I follow live acts all over the state." She also plays a little herself. "I try to play the keyboard, the guitar, and the harmonica," she said.
Janie also loves to talk, laugh, and make shrinkydinks. This reporter can say from experience that, no, she won't fire you for not knowing what a shrinkydink is, but she will raise an eyebrow at you. (She's wearing shrinkydink earrings in her photo).
She also loves what she calls low-brow art. She's not an artist herself, really, though she tries. "I would love to be an artist, but I can't draw stick figures," she said, adding, "My artwork, like my musical endeavors - well, like all my other artistic endeavors, really – is at the 6- to 7-year-old level."
She claims to have few talents, other than "extreme patience with borderline sociopaths," but she does admit to not taking herself too seriously – a quality important in her position as Tax Commissioner. This claim is obviously remarkably true, as she sang with the TAX band "The Revenuers" at Employee Recognition Day, where she won the audience over with her vocal rendition of "Restaurant Rumors."
She's also a "zebra fanatic," and she collects zebra items – though it's fair to say life is not just black and white for her.
Had she not become a Tax Commissioner, she said, her other career aspirations would include "being a roadie or a music promoter – a booking agent for bands."
Ron Holt
Ron Holt is TAX's Deputy Commissioner and SEATA Co-Chair. When he's not "enabling others to do what they do," (what a nice way to put it, Ron!) he's off camping. "Not in a tent with one of those sleeping bag things," he said, grinning. "In an RV." He enjoys camping in Virginia state parks, and in North Carolina.
When asked what fun facts others might not know about him, Ron laughed, "If there's something like that you still don't know about me, I'm certainly not going to tell you!"
Then he added, "Wait. I hired Janie. What about that?"
In regards to his recent accomplishments, Ron said, "I've been able to shift all SEATA responsibilities from me to Lisa, and even Lisa doesn't recognize it. I'm probably most proud of that."
Perhaps that's what the giant red "easy" button on his table is for.
Karen Byrd
Karen Byrd was raised in Farmville, Virginia, which we believe explains one of her primary hobbies: travel. She also loves to cook and to read, and when those don't keep her busy enough, she has three sisters and two brothers to call for entertainment. She claims she has a good sense of humor, and "used to be athletic." She's also a music junkie, like many other TAX folks – "I'm a groupie for my husband's band," she said. The name of the band? "Hurricane Johnson." …We're not touching that one.
Josh Cane
Josh Cane is responsible for creating and maintaining the SEATA website. (Yes, he's the guy who made the records spin). Josh said he came to TAX because he wanted to "hide in plain sight," though, who he thinks he's hiding from with a picture like the one above, we can only guess.
In his spare time, Josh writes – novels, short stories, and some poetry – and reads. When asked to name something humorous about himself, Josh's first response was "The nose is real." Then, he brought up the movie Roxanne – apparently, he fancies himself either Cyrano de Bergerac, or Steve Martin – we're not entirely sure which.
He's also a presidential trivia buff; he took this reporter through a game in which I had to name six capitals named after presidents. Then, he serenaded the office with a rendition of a song called "Mediocre Presidents" which appeared in an episode of "The Simpsons" (a show he loves). … In our opinion, he should definitely stick to the trivia.
Leslie Cole
Leslie Cole heads up the registration team, "a huge effort encompassing e-mail, partially the SEATA website, registration forms, registration processes…it crosses all the teams, really."
At home, she has two boys that keep her busy with all of their activities. They participate in all kinds of sports, she says, including dirt biking. When she manages to find some time for herself, she enjoys cooking, reading, quilting, and traveling to places like Florida and San Diego.
Leslie also enjoys a little dirt biking herself, and baking. Leslie says she'll "do just about anything once," and that she is a "very good multitasker," which we suppose explains why we caught her riding her dirt bike in the kitchen while she was baking an apple pie. Well, okay, not really, but it really wouldn't surprise us.
Ed Cooper
Ed Cooper, Gift Bag Project Leader, first became involved in SEATA back in 1997. "They selected me to go to a vendor show, to solicit donations for the SEATA conference. See, they knew I wouldn't have any shame about asking folks to donate," laughed Ed.
And who better to lift boxes of vendor donations than Ed? Fun fact: Ed was a body builder at one time, and still is, to some degree.
When he isn't soliciting vendors, he loves to fish, to exercise, to participate in Bible study, and to people-watch. "I love people. That's one of my favorite things about Vegas – the people watching I get to do," he said. He also loves children, and has four of his own. "We only have one boy," he laughed. "We couldn't handle more than one boy. One is enough!"
When asked about his other skills, he said he enjoys doing what he says barely passes for dancing. "I'm a horrible dancer, but that doesn't stop me. I'm the first one out on the floor, having a great time. I have two left feet, but I just don't care."
He'd also like to meet up with anyone else at SEATA interested in exercise. "If anyone has a desire to exercise – if you want to work out, we can coordinate some kind of exercise challenge," he said.
Well, okay, Ed, as long as the "competition" doesn't involve lifting boxes of SEATA merchandise.
Joel Davison
Joel Davison is in charge of communications for the SEATA conference. As a child in New England, one of his fondest memories is gathering sap from the maple trees in his front yard, and boiling it down into syrup in a wood stove in his basement.
Joel's less-sticky hobbies include playing his guitar, writing songs, spending time with his children, and going on Civil War trips with his brothers (to places such as Gettysburg and Antietam). He also loves reading about Civil War history.
One of Joel's primary claims to fame is his conversation with Dan Aykroyd on Sunset Boulevard.
"I was riding down Sunset Boulevard when I saw what looked like Dan Aykroyd walking down Sunset Strip. I followed him a little way, and sure enough, it was Dan, wearing his Blues Brothers outfit, on his way to a shoot. I got out of the car and said 'Hey Dan!' He turned around with a smile on his face, because he knew I'd been following him. He took the time to talk to me. He was really nice – asked me what I was doing in California. I wish I'd thought to say 'I'm on a mission from God!' like in the Blues Brothers movie, but I didn't. He autographed the back of a sales receipt for me, and wrote 'Blues is better. –Dan Aykroyd.' I still have it."
Just don't shake his hand, Dan. It's still got maple syrup on it.
Richard Dotson
Richard Dotson has been a member of the SEATA exchange committee since 1994. Because of that, he said, he was selected to do the Sales and Use Tax breakout session, and sponsor the gifts.
Richard really enjoys gourmet cooking. (Sorry, ladies, he's married!) He also enjoys sports, playing tennis, and participating in scouting activities with his son.
One of Richard's favorite things to make is "a chicken breast stuffed with spinach and topped with swiss cheese, with angel hair pasta and alfredo sauce." He also enjoys baking pies, though he says nothing can compare to Marita Winks' baking. "She's the master baker around here," he said. "I love making something unusual, like a pineapple coconut custard pie," he added.
As a child, Richard's interests were much less kitchen-inclined. "I rode motorcycles as a kid," he said. "In our neighborhood, there were lots of undeveloped areas, so we rode motorbikes – with very little power, like 125CCs. One day we were racing in a field and I went to pass a guy and hit a fallen tree. I fell off and dislocated my shoulder. My mother had some choice words for me." That was the beginning of the end of Richard's motorcycle hobby – and, we surmise, a step toward the beginning of his love for gourmet cooking.
Anthony Ferguson
Anthony Ferguson is TAX's graphic design expert, and he's applying that expertise to the SEATA conference by creating logos, headers and banners. Many of them, you'll notice, feature roller coasters, which not only demonstrate the fun side of Williamsburg, but tell you a little about Anthony himself. "Busch Gardens is one of my favorite things about Virginia," he said. "I'm a roller coaster enthusiast."
He also loves to draw cartoons, and even has his own comic strip, called "Wildlife Cartoons," which you can see at wildlifecartoons.com.
Frankly, we're surprised Anthony tolerates any connection to wildlife at all after an experience he had as a child.
"In middle school, I was cutting grass, and a moth flew around my head and into my ear. It was just fluttering and fluttering inside my ear, and it died there. We went to the doctor, and the doctor said he wanted it to come out naturally. Only, it never did, so we went back to the doctor a second time and made him remove it."
This may bring into question Anthony's love for drawing wildlife, but it certainly more than explains the ten-pound mothball collection in his cubicle.
Kim Frazier
Kim Frazier provides administrative support for the conference. Kim calls herself a "tomboy," and has always been competitive. "If it's something a guy can do, I'm gonna do it, too," she said. In high school and college she participated in sports year round, but now they're just a means of recreation for her. She loves spending time with her two boys, but when she can get a moment away she enjoys yard work, lifting weights, and playing the drums (though she says she's not terribly good at it). "Wait – perhaps I shouldn't advertise the drum part," she said. "Someone might call me on it!"
Mark Haskins
Mark is the only SEATA Committee member who took it upon himself to pose with a gun and some dead animals for his picture. For this, we are eternally grateful.
Mark enjoys spending time with his three grandchildren, hunting, and fishing, and is "really good at compromise – I've been married for 31 years to the same person."
If he could wish for a single talent, "I wish I could carry a tune in a bucket," he smiled.
Mark worked at TAX for many years, left for five years, and then returned. The rumor is that he took several years off to go snipe hunting in the rainforests of South America – at least, that's a rumor we'd like to start.
Listen, Mark – I think I hear the mating call of the elusive snipe right now! Oh, never mind. Let us know when you're done singing to your wife.
Bob Hausenfluck
Bob Hausenfluck is in charge of transportation for the SEATA conference this year. "Here's how I handle that: by staying out of the way of Mark Reed and Sandi Baker," he said. "They do all the work – I just stay out of the way," he added.
Bob held many interesting jobs prior to working for TAX, one of which was administrator of a psychiatric hospital. "People will say that explains a lot," he said.
When asked for other interesting tidbits about himself, Bob said "I'm clairvoyant. Put that in there. Lisa (Tortorella, SEATA co-chair) will love that."
Sharon Kitchens
Sharon Kitchens was so busy working on SEATA projects she forgot to take the rollers out of her hair for the picture.
Sharon said she loves Virginia because "It has anything you could want to do outside – the beach, the mountains, the rivers, the historic sites – everything you could do in California, only fewer people. And the people are really nice!"
Sharon said, "I love animals. I have five dogs, and my husband's a vet." We are unsure if she is counting her husband as the sixth animal she loves.
He was certainly skunked recently.
"My husband is cost effective – by which I mean cheap," said Sharon. "He doesn't like to pay for haircuts, so I use one of those trimmer things to trim his hair. One time I thought we were done, so I removed the guide, and then he wanted this one little place touched up. I forgot to put the guide back on, and the next thing I knew, I had shaved a stripe down the center of his head. He had a reverse Mohawk. I had to shave the rest of it, too. He walked around bald for five weeks."
When she's not giving her husband his "summer cut," Sharon claims she's quite good at home improvements, including laying tile and woodworking. "My husband and I built a 400-bottle wine cellar," she says. "I love wine."
Careful, Sharon. 400 bottles of wine, a hair trimmer, five dogs and a tub of spackle sound like a recipe for disaster!
Jenna Lewis
Jenna Lewis' SEATA job might be the most difficult – she's Mark, Bill, and Joe's "babysitter," helping them keep track of SEATA tasks and deadlines. Or, as she put it, "I assist my bosses in organizing speakers." Nice save, Jenna.
Jenna was born in Naperville, Ill., but said she should have been born in the South. "The people are just nicer," she said. "Also, if you encounter someone overseas who's from the North and ask where they're from, they'll say 'the United States.' But if you ask someone from Virginia, they'll say 'I'm a Virginian, and I'm from the United States.' There's a sense of state pride here as well as national pride."
Jenna enjoys racquetball, scrapbooking, traveling, and being outdoors. As far as talents go, Jenna joked, "I have no conventional talents. That's why I'm a policy analyst!"
Darlene Link
Darlene lived in Atlanta, then came to Richmond for a visit and never left. Darlene's job at TAX involves telecommunications – phones – and her role with SEATA involves handling A/V components, along with Richard Schellenberg.
Darlene loves to travel, and she and her husband have been to all 50 states. She's an avid Steelers fan, and loves dogs (she has two big ones at home – a Newfoundland and a Labrador).
She also enjoys the Beatles, old James Bond movies, and loves to go deep sea fishing. "Every time I go deep sea fishing I always want to catch a white marlin," she said. Instead, she's caught multiple sharks, including a 200-pound citation mako shark that hangs above the mantel in her game room.
Perhaps you could lure that elusive white marlin to your boat with a James Bond movie marathon, Darlene. Just don't get the projector wet – we need it for SEATA!
Betsy Marks
Betsy Marks, Chair of the Youth Committee and self-proclaimed "molder of young minds," might actually listen to you if you told her to go jump in a lake – at least, as long as she could jump from 10,000 feet. Fun fact: Betsy was, at one time, a parachutist, and has 125 jumps under her belt.
Betsy said she changes hats frequently here at the Virginia Department of Taxation. "You have to be ready for anything," she said. Betsy is from Carmichael, PA, but now calls Virginia home because "home is where the army takes you." She loves it here in Virginia, though, primarily because "You can ski and go to the beach in the same day!"
Betsy is a diehard Steelers fan (and a closet Redskins fan), and when she's not making use of her season tickets, she loves to ski and to read. She claimed she has other interesting talents, but "none I'm willing to share in print!"
Joe Mayer
Joe is the head of the Property Tax section for this year's SEATA conference, and has this very important piece of information to share about himself: "Very few people can say that their house was on a billboard all over town – I can." Well, Joe, we can't argue with that. Joe's 1911 house was featured in City of Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau billboards all over the city of Richmond.
Joe's also a fan of Irish punk music, and he's very handy to have around if you happen to live in an old house. "I can break down and rebuild a steam boiler," he said, adding, "I'm also a very good furniture refinisher. I've done at least 30 to 40 pieces – and I can do it so it looks good."
You wouldn't think that Irish punk music, and the customary beverages that are known to accompany it, would play nicely with hobbies like rebuilding steam boilers. But Joe is apparently full of surprises.
Rene Melton
Rene assists Betsy Marks with the Youth program, and with planning Youth activities.
Nevertheless, parents need not be at all concerned that once a month, Rene hangs out with a group of Flaming Floozies. Her Red Hat group, which goes by that name, meets up for monthly outings which Rene enjoys quite a bit.
She also collects giraffes and small trinket boxes, and loves to watch her sons perform with their band, which gives her ample preparation for the noise level created by crowds of screaming children.
Her accomplishments are many, but she noted that she received what she calls her "first-ever and only 'Fast Driving Award'" (a speeding ticket!) when she turned 40.
When she and her husband were married at Edgewood Plantation, a photograph was taken in which an ethereal form appears in an upstairs window. This floor was closed off, and the owner of the plantation surmises that it is the figure of the ghost, Lizzy, who roams the plantation home, visible in the photograph. Rene said, "Perhaps Lizzy decided to join us that day."
However spooky it must have been to have a ghost present at her wedding, and however much of a good excuse it would have been, we're fairly certain it was not fleeing from Lizzy that earned Rene her "fast driver award."
Howard Overbey
Howard Overbey is the self-proclaimed "golf guy." Howard says golf is both "his recreation and his hobby," as well as the basis for the décor in his office. He's in charge of the SEATA golf tournament, which he looks forward to hosting. He's no amateur at putting these together, either – he's a member of the Shag Club, which sponsors a camp called "Camp Fantastic" for kids with cancer, and he's put their charity golf tournaments together for the last couple of years. "It's very gratifying," he said.
The Shag Club has nothing to do with carpet, but everything to do with cutting a rug. Shag dancing "is beach dancing," Howard said, "and I'm a pretty good dancer. Though I don't advertise that."
Until now, that is, right Howard?
Howard has one more skill, if you can call it that. "Really old women seem to take to me," he said. When asked if he's kind of like an "old lady whisperer," he grins and nods. Must be all that shag dancing.
Lizz Pleasants
Lizz ended up on the SEATA Committee when Co-Chair Lisa Tortorella "caught me printing out a poster" and put her in charge of signage. Then, "other people didn't think I had enough to do," she laughed, "so I got sucked into registration. Then my best friend Reggie recruited me into cashiering."
When she's not completely occupied with SEATA tasks, Lizz enjoys playing a dice game called Bunko, running (not from police raids on Bunko games, she assured us), reading gossip magazines, listening to music and dancing.
She likes to cook and bake, but her love for baking got off to a less-than-auspicious start.
"When I was 8 or 10, I was trying to make shortbread. I'm dyslexic, and I misread the ingredients. I used salt instead of sugar, and it was awful. My family still has not let me live that down," she said.
In October of 2007, Lizz lost over a foot of her hair when she donated it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an organization similar to Locks of Love that makes wigs for cancer patients.
We were assured that Sharon Kitchens was not in the vicinity.
Mark Reed
Mark Reed started his career in TAX's mailroom years ago, and gradually worked his way up the ladder. He now manages procurement. Yes, he tells people he's a professional shopper! For the SEATA conference, he's handling transportation, which is an excellent fit for someone who loves to travel as much as Mark does.
Mark's been all over both the United States and Europe. It was while he was in Potsdam, however, that he met someone whose fashion sense would rival even Eboni's – Cindy Crawford. "We were touring Frederick the Great's castle in Pottsdam when my friend Jerry said, 'Don't look, but Cindy Crawford is right behind you.' Of course, I turned around, and found myself face to face with Cindy." After chatting up Cindy's sister, who Mark says is really nice, Mark and his pal wound up touring the castle with Cindy Crawford's entourage and her own personal tour guide.
Though he doubts there will be any supermodel sightings at the SEATA conference, Mark looks forward to making sure the delegates and their guests and families get where they need to go.
Richard Schellenberg
Richard Schellenberg serves as audio-visual technician for this year's SEATA conference. He was born in Lutherville, Md. and raised in Virginia Beach, but came to Richmond to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. Once he got here, his new wife and child kept him here.
Richard is an excellent guitar player, and played with the Virginia Department of Taxation's band, "The Revenuers," at last year's Employee Recognition Day. He is currently a member of three other bands, though he admits that none compare to the Revenuers.
When he's not serenading other TAX employees, Richard is pursuing his other hobbies: computers, astronomy, and recording music.
Regarding his love for astronomy, Richard said, "I like how [looking at the stars and planets] makes you feel. It puts a certain perspective on how little you really are. It's like 'Horton Hears a Who.'"
Richard also said he "used to have a frog collection," but didn't specify whether those were frog knickknacks or actual frogs. We hope for his family's sake that he means the former.
Richard had one last talent to share with the class: "I can jiggle my eyes," he said, flitting his eyes back and forth so quickly that one wonders if he perhaps spent a little too much time with his amphibian friends.
Sandy Shelton
Sandy's job at SEATA, as part of the functions team, is to make sure all guests at SEATA are well-fed, have a good time, and are shown ample Virginia hospitality. She loves to knit, read, exercise and sing. "I'm enjoying my work at TAX until I'm discovered," she said, smiling.
She was, in fact, a soloist in a "TAX music video" at one point. She's well-organized, too ("My husband hates it," she said) – she was able to locate the lyrics to the song she sang nearly 10 years ago in fewer than two minutes. Other than the hobbies we've already mentioned, her more recent and challenging talent is "being the mom of a teenage girl!" That's quite a talent, Sandy, especially for someone who likes to be organized!
Ginny Slaughter
Ginny Slaughter is charged with writing most of the promotional materials for SEATA (yes, including these biographies). She enjoys reading, writing, spending time outdoors, and –gasp! – balancing her checkbook. "I just find it to be very relaxing. I get to be right-brained all day long at work, which I love, but every now and then I need a little dose of left-brained logic to keep me in line," she said.
Though she was an English major at Smith College, she is also fluent in Spanish. "I studied abroad in Spain for a semester," she said. "It was amazing. It changed my life." She doesn't get the opportunity to speak Spanish much now, and says she's "getting a little rusty," but keeps in touch with her friends in Spain to make sure she doesn't lose it altogether.
Spanish may be the only second language she can speak, but she can sing in just about any romance language. When she first began college, Ginny was an opera performance major. You won't catch her singing arias nowadays, though. "I really just sing in the usual places now – the car, the shower, places like that – and I have to reign it in, because, really, who wants to hear the person stuck in traffic next to them belting it out in Italian on the commute home?"
Well, Ginny, if you do it in a Viking helmet, at least it'll be rush hour entertainment for the other drivers!
Mary Timmins
Mary Timmins is used to guiding people. Her job at TAX includes managing training programs for agency employees, and she enjoys history in general, so she's a natural fit for playing Williamsburg tour guide. Mary said she planned the Guest activities for Monday, and she wants to make them fun and enjoyable. "I look forward to extending our Virginia hospitality to all of our SEATA guests," she said.
Mary's ready for her tour with her backpack, map and camera – but if you rummage through her pack, it's best to leave her dark chocolate alone. "I love dark chocolate – I have chocolate around all the time," she said, but if there's one thing Virginians know, it's that our hospitality does not extend to sharing our chocolate!
Barbara Toellner & Marita Winks
Barbara and Marita are both involved in Compliance – Barbara as Collections Manager, and Marita as Director of Collections. When they're not busy "helping delinquent taxpayers become law abiding citizens," as Marita put it, they're on the functions team for SEATA.
Outside of work and SEATA, Barbara enjoys trying new restaurants and wine tastings, while Marita enjoys slightly more sedate hobbies, like needlepoint and knitting.
Barbara can help you choose the right wine for every occasion. Marita claims her only talent is needlepoint, but added that one of her sons is a "talented future world-renowned artist and art professor who designed the 'Sam the SEATA Man' logo," while the other is "a future billionaire."
Marita met Martha Stewart at a book signing. When asked if this was before or after the jail time, Marita responded "We don't talk about the 'dark period!'"
Barbara said her talent is that she can "get along with almost anyone." We can see that, Barbara. Just make sure Martha Stewart's recipes are all Marita brings with her to the conference.
Bill White
When you're charged with interviewing an Assistant Commissioner who doesn't like to talk about himself very much, you quickly figure it out: everything you need to know about Bill White, you can learn from the walls of his office. You'll find his diplomas, pictures of fish (Bill loves to fish in the surf on Hatteras Island), and bookshelves, stacked high with volumes of Tax Code and leaning against the wall for support. Bill has an excellent sense of humor, but when he's asked to apply that same humor to himself, his modesty allows him to admit only one tiny tidbit: "I think Fight Club is a good movie," he grins. "What else do you want?"
Reggie Williams
Reggie loves anything sports-related, including the wrestling that goes on in relation to budgets (both the TAX budget and the SEATA budget). He coaches TAX's softball team, the E-filers, which won in their division and took second place in the Governor's softball tournament in their first year.
Reggie does a wide variety of things on a day-to-day basis at TAX, most of which would make your calculator flee in terror.
When he's not taming calculators, however, Reggie enjoys making his son laugh – his most recent method is to show off his talent for walking on his hands for long periods of time, which begs the question – does he press the calculator buttons with his toes?
Editor's Note: Fiscal people are apparently so straight-laced it's difficult to get anything humorous out of them. We'll all just have to take what we can get.