One thing I’ve always appreciated about the tax field is that it’s always changing. Similarly, that’s one of the many reasons why I enjoy working at Covia – an organization that has grown immensely since I came on board as the Director of Taxation over six years ago. During that time, Covia has empowered me to tackle new challenges, learn new skills, and pursue my passion for volunteering.
When Opportunity Knocks
Back in 2013, friends of mine informed me about an open position for the director of taxation at Covia. It was the first time I had heard of the company, and they encouraged me to apply as they thought I would be a great fit for the role. I ended up passing on the opportunity because I was content in my current position and didn’t know if it was the right choice for me. Opportunity came knocking again when the position opened back up three years later. While I was still happy with my current job, I thought this would be a great chance to branch out into international taxation – a challenge that I was eager to learn more about. The company was going through a transformation at the time I applied. While this might have scared other candidates off, it felt like an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Six years and several company updates later, I can confidently say that it was one of the best decisions of my professional career. My role consists of various non-payroll tax responsibilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, ranging from income and property taxes to sales and use taxes. I also manage projects that deal with tax implications from corporate transactions. Due to the size and scope of my position, I get to collaborate with many other Covia Team Members throughout the organization – one of my favorite aspects of the job. I’m also responsible for planning and tracking upcoming legislation trends that might have a tax impact on the company. It may sound like a lot of 1’s and 0’s, but managing Covia’s tax responsibilities is never boring. It involves a lot of collaboration and communication with our domestic and international locations. My team is in charge of making sure all properties are fairly assessed for tax purposes. This process involves working with counties and local Team Members to ensure that each location is properly adjusted based on its geography, resources, and technological capabilities.
Project Highlight: Navigating Changing Tax Law
One project that I am rather proud of occurred early in my tenure. The US Congress had just passed some major tax law changes that would have a significant impact on Covia. The changes had to do with how losses were treated and whether a company could carry losses back to get taxes paid in previous years refunded. After several attempts over the span of three years, my team was able to recover a large sum plus interest for Covia. It was a challenging process, taking a lot of work preparing the right documents and forms to file with the IRS. It was especially rewarding as we were able to work alongside one of our US House Representatives to expedite the bureaucratic process to get that money back during a fiscally challenging year. With the funds secured, Covia was able to expand operations, improve processes, and upgrade the technological capabilities at facilities. I’m so proud of the tax team’s hard work as we navigated this policy change.
A Helping Hand
I’ve always been a big fan of volunteering and giving back to my community. In 2022 and again in 2023, I was one of several Covia Team Members who hit the milestone of volunteering for over 200 hours in the year. My appreciation for helping others really took off when my kids were growing up. From preschool through high school, I volunteered for activities related to their schooling and hobbies. Currently, I serve as the treasurer for the Aurora All Sports Boosters – helping to finance nearly 600 high school athletes each year. It is a lot of work to ensure every sport has the resources to afford up-to-date equipment, facility rentals, and team meals. Now that my youngest is in college, I am slowly transitioning the role to a current high school parent so that they can keep a closer eye on the current needs of the student-athletes. Additionally, I enjoy giving back at the college level through the organization College Now. Thanks to this program, I have been able to mentor an accounting student at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) for the past three years. We talk several times a month about how they’re doing, class schedules, resumes, and sports. It’s been an incredible experience guiding this first-generation college student through the intricacies of the tax industry. College Now even recognized me for my volunteer work this past year, by naming me their 2023 Mentor of the Year. Professionally, I am involved with an organization of in-house tax professionals called Tax Executives Institute. I am grateful that Covia has supported me as I have become more involved with this organization. From attending and developing content for conferences to serving on committees, Covia has empowered me to further develop as a tax professional. I have also had the opportunity to hold numerous leadership positions at my local chapter and, for the last seven years, have organized and run a scholarship golf outing. The outing raises between $6,000 and $9,000 for scholarships at The University of Akron, Cleveland State, Kent State, and Hiram College for students considering a career in tax. My wonderful wife, Halle, helps volunteer with the outing as well, managing the day of the event so that I can enjoy the outing and a round of golf. Another organization that I frequently volunteer with is Believe in Dreams. Similar to the Make a Wish Foundation, they help to make dreams come true for kids facing nonmedical adversity. I really enjoy working with this organization and watching as they help lift these kids up to overcome the adversity in their lives so they can find success.
Opportunity Awaits
The future of Covia is bright. From a development standpoint – we have several exciting projects and evolutions on the horizon. At the personnel level, Team Members are continuing to break milestones in both their internal and external engagement. As an avid volunteer, I can’t help but smile as more Team Members join me in breaking the 200 hour milestone every year. With such extraordinary growth and change, I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.
