Commissioner Biographies
Dean Andal, Chairman, California Board of Equalization
Dean Andal is chairman, second district, of the Board of Equalization for the state of California. Elected in 1994, Andal supports the Board’s mission in serving the public through fair, effective, and efficient tax administration. Andal is also president of Andal Communications, a Stockton-based bank and real estate marketing company. Prior to joining the board, he was a two-term member of the California State Assembly as well as chief budget negotiator for Assembly Republicans. Andal was named 1992 Legislator of the Year by California’s major taxpayer organizations.
C. Michael Armstrong, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, AT&T;
C. Michael Armstrong is chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AT&T. Armstrong currently serves as chairman of the President’s Export Council and the FCC Network Reliability and Interoperability Council, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, and the Defense Policy Advisory Committee on Trade. Prior to joining AT&T; in 1997, he served five years as chairman and CEO of Hughes Electronics.
James Gilmore III, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia
James S. Gilmore, III was elected Virginia’s 68th Governor in November 1997. Having realized the need to foster a strong relationship between the state government and the technology community, Governor Gilmore quickly appointed a Secretary of Technology – the nation’s first such cabinet-level technology post. Governor Gilmore also established the Governor’s Commission on Information Technology, which drafted a comprehensive Internet policy for the state, another first in the nation. On March 30, 1999, Gilmore signed this sweeping Internet policy into law. Governor Gilmore serves on the Technology Committee of the National Governors’ Association (NGA) and serves as a liaison between Republican Governors and the Congressional leadership. Previously, Gilmore served as Virginia’s Attorney General, after serving two terms as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County.
Joseph Guttentag, Senior Advisor, Office of Tax Policy, U.S. Treasury Department
(Delegate for Lawrence H. Summers, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury)
Joseph Guttentag is a senior advisor in the Office of Tax Policy and Advisory Commission delegate for Lawrence H. Summers. As such, he is responsible for advising the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy and the Secretary with regard to various tax policy issues. Guttentag also serves as chairman of the Committee of Fiscal Affairs of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Before serving as advisor, he was appointed to Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs. Prior to this appointment, Guttentag was a senior tax partner with the law firm of Arnold & Porter.
Paul Harris, Sr., Delegate, Virginia House of Delegates
Paul Harris, Sr., is a representative of the 58th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. Harris is also a partner in the law firm of Baise, Miller & Freer. He is active in many community and civic organizations, including the Virginia State Bar, the Charlottesville-Albermarle Chamber of Commerce, and The United Way. Prior to his election to the House of Delegates, Harris worked as a Dean’s Fellow, teaching legal research and writing to first-year law students, followed by a two-year run with Virginia’s largest law firm – McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe.
Delna Jones, County Commissioner, Washington County, Oregon
Delna Jones is county commissioner for district two in the state of Oregon. Jones draws upon substantial experience in the private and public sector. Much of her district lies north and east of the cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro. Prior to this position, Jones spent nearly 30 years with US West Communications, holding various management positions, including director of Economic Development. From 1982 to 1994, Jones served in the Oregon House of Representatives. Jones has had an active role in state politics, including chair of the House Revenue and School Finance Committee. Jones served on other committees, including Education, Business and Consumer Affairs, Environment and Energy, and Trade and Economic Development.
Ron Kirk, Mayor, City of Dallas, Texas
Ronald Kirk is mayor of the city of Dallas, Texas. Elected to the Mayor’s office in 1995, Kirk is the first African American mayor of a major Texas city. He serves on the Advisory Board of the United States Conference of Mayors and chairs the Standing Committee on Urban Economic Policy for the United States Conference of Mayors. Prior to his election, Kirk was appointed as Texas’ 98th Secretary of State. Kirk also worked as the City of Dallas’ assistant city attorney and chief lobbyist, achieving a 90 percent success rate in passing the City’s legislative agenda.
Michael Leavitt, Governor, State of Utah
Michael Leavitt is governor of the state of Utah. Elected to the Governor’s office in 1993, Leavitt has taken a leadership role in federal-state relations. In technology, he has launched a SmartStates initiative, which is focused on developing public-private partnerships to deliver state services through e-Commerce. Leavitt has shown leadership in attracting and nurturing high-technology companies and encouraging commerce in the private sector. Leavitt also sits on the executive committee on the National Governor’s Association and the Republican Governors Association.
Gene Lebrun, President (1997-1999), National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws
Gene Lebrun is president of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL). Since 1892, the NCCUSL has been involved in legislative reform activity, proposing and enacting uniform laws. NCCUSL representatives from each state – lawyers, judges, scholars, and government officials – propose and promulgate uniform and model acts. Lebrun also practices law with the firm of Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun. He is a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. Prior to joining the NCCUSL, he was a member of the South Dakota legislature, serving as Speaker of the House during the 1973 and 1974 sessions. Lebrun also serves as a Uniform Law Commissioner for South Dakota.
Gary Locke, Governor, State of Washington
Gary Locke is the 21st governor of the state of Washington. Elected to the Governor’s office in 1996, Locke is the first Chinese-American governor in U.S. history. He has undertaken major initiatives targeting the improvement of public schools, promotion of jobs and economic development in rural and urban areas, and fighting juvenile crime. In 1982, Locke was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives, where he served on the House Judiciary and Appropriations committees. Locke served his final five years there as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform
Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a coalition of taxpayer groups, individuals, and businesses opposed to higher taxes at both the federal and state levels. He also writes the monthly “Politics” column for the American Spectator. Prior to joining ATR, Norquist served as economist and chief speechwriter for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Norquist also served on the National Commission on Restructuring the Internal Revenue Service and was an executive director of the National Taxpayers’ Union.
Robert Novick, General Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative
(Delegate for Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, U.S. Trade Representative)
Robert Novick is general counsel in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Advisory Commission delegate for Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky. The Office of the General Counsel is responsible for legal issues related to United States trade policy and the negotiations of trade agreements. Previously, he served as counselor to the USTR, advising Ambassador Barshefsky on a broad range of policy and legal issues. Prior to joining the USTR, Novick was a partner with Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in trade law and policy.
Richard Parsons, President, Time Warner, Inc.
Richard Parsons is president of Time Warner, Inc., a leading global media company. He is also a member of the Time Warner Board of Directors. Prior to joining Time Warner in 1994, Parsons served as chairman and CEO of Dime Bancorp, Inc., one of the largest thrift institutions in the United States with more than $20 billion in assets. Parsons also served as a managing partner of the New York law firm of Patterson, Belknap, Webb, and Tyler.
Andrew Pincus, General Counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce
(Delegate for William M. Daley, Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce)
Andrew Pincus is general counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce and Advisory Commission delegate for William Daley. Nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate in 1997, Pincus is the chief legal advisor for the Department. He also serves as a senior policy advisor for the Secretary and the Department on a broad range of domestic and international issues. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, he was a partner at the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt. Pincus also served as assistant to the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Robert Pittman, President & Chief Operating Officer, America Online, Inc.
Robert Pittman is president and chief operating officer of America Online, Inc. and a member of its Board of Directors. Mr. Pittman oversees the overall day-to-day operations of the world’s leader in branded interactive services. Prior to joining America Online, Mr. Pittman served as chief executive officer of Century 21 Real Estate, Six Flags Entertainment, Time Warner Enterprises, Quantum Media and MTV Networks.
David Pottruck, President & co-Chief Executive Officer, Charles Schwab Corporation
David Pottruck is president and co-chief executive officer of Charles Schwab Corporation, as well as a member of its Board of Directors. The Charles Schwab Corporation, through its principal operating subsidiary Charles Schwab & Company, Inc., is one of the nation’s largest financial services firms, serving 4.7 million active investor accounts. Pottruck directs the Company’s financial, technology, and administrative groups. During his tenure as president, the Company’s revenues have increased nearly threefold. Pottruck joined the firm in 1984 from Shearson/American Express.
John Sidgmore, Vice Chairman, MCI WorldCom and Chairman, UUNET
John Sidgmore is vice chairman of MCI WorldCom and chairman of UUNET. He joined the company in 1994 as president and chief executive officer. Sidgmore is responsible for MCI WorldCom’s technology vision and Internet services. Prior to joining MCI WorldCom, Sidgmore was president and CEO of CSC Intelicom (formerly Intelicom Solutions). Before joining CSC, he spent 14 years with General Electric Information Services (GEISCO). During his four-year tenure as vice president and general manager, Sidgmore engineered a turnaround in GEIS’ U.S. performance, which led to a tripling of net income and a 20 percent growth in revenue.
Stanley Sokul, Independent Consultant, Association for Interactive Media
Stanley Sokul is an independent consultant to the Association for Interactive Media (AIM) on Internet taxation and is an experienced congressional advisor with extensive knowledge of a variety of Internet and taxation issues. Sokul previously served as the top D.C. aide to Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH). In this position, he helped draft Senator Gregg’s Net FAIR Internet tax moratorium bill, many of which key provisions were incorporated into the final version of the Internet Tax Freedom Act. Sokul is currently a public policy consultant at Davidson & Company in Washington, D.C.
Ted Waitt, Chairman, Gateway, Inc.
Ted Waitt is chairman of Gateway, Inc., a multi-national, Fortune 500 company with more than 19,000 employees and 1998 sales of $7.5 billion. Since co-founding Gateway 13 years ago, Waitt has helped transform the direct sales model in the computer business into a major, shaping force for the entire industry. Over the years, Waitt has earned a number of prestigious honors, including: the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Association, an honorary doctorate of science degree from the University of South Dakota, and the Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA) award from the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce.