17th Annual Tax Conference Keynote Address, Speakers, Moderators and Panelists Keynote Address Vincent G. Logan, Special Trustee for American Indians, Office of the Special Trustee, Department of Interior Moderators and Panelists Kelly Croman, Office of the Tribal Attorney, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Bruce Zimmerman, Tax Director, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Dale White, General Counsel, Tarbell Management Group Aubrey Seffernick, Partner, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP Sharon Swepston, Tax Commissioner, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Chad Yazzie, Tax Attorney, Office of the Navajo Tax Commission Wendy Pearson, Pearson Law Offices, PS Kathleen Nilles, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP Jim James, Deputy Special Trustee for Field Operations, Office of the Special Trustee, DOI Robert Winter, Director, Trust Operations, Office of Trust Services, Office of the Special Trustee, DOI Mary Streitz, Partner, Dorsey Whitney LLP Forrest K. Tahdooahnippah, Associate Attorney, Dorsey Whitney LLP F. Michael Willis, Partner, Hobbs, Strauss, Dean & Walker LLP Lisa Koop, Office of the Reservation Attorney, Tulalip Tribes Leslie Cushman, Senior Tax Counsel, Marine View Ventures, Inc. (A Puyallup Tribal Enterprise) Chris Masse, Partner, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP Nathan Schreiner, Legal Department, Squaxin Island Tribe Christie Jacobs, Director, Indian Tribal Governments, Internal Revenue Service Kenneth W. Parsons, Associate, Holland & Knight LLP James Meggesto, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP Elaine Buckberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Coordination, Office of Economic Policy, Department of the Treasury Denise Turner Walsh, Attorney General, Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians Eric Facer, Attorney at Law John Dossett, General Counsel, NCAI Kitcki Carroll, Executive Director, USET, Inc. John Peebles, Partner, Fredericks, Peebles & Morgan LLP Christie Comanita, Policy & Research Administrator, Tax Policy & Research Division, Arizona Department of Revenue Catherine Munson, Partner & Co-Chair Native American Practice Group, Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton, LLP Sara Hill, Deputy Attorney General, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
17th Annual Tax Conference Agenda Pre-Conference Activities - Tuesday, September 15 5:30-6:30 pm Conference Pre-Registration 6:30-9:00 pm Welcome Reception Doctrine of Discovery (1 hour run time) will be shown all day September 16 & 17 Deer Room Day 1 Wednesday, September 16 7:30-8:00 am 8:00-8:30 am Registration and Continental Breakfast Welcome and Opening Remarks Kelly Croman, NITA Chairperson and Tribal Attorney, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Welcome to the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Maurice A. John, President, Seneca Nation of Indians Ganöyök - Clayton Logan, Seneca Nation of Indians 8:30-9:30 am Keynote Address Vincent G. Logan, Special Trustee for American Indians, Office of the Special Trustee, Department of Interior 9:30-10:15 am General Session 1 LITIGATION UPDATES Dale White, General Counsel, Tarbell Management Group Panelist: 10:15-10:30 am 10:30-11:45 am BREAK General Session 2 NCAI AND USET TAX INITIATIVES AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATES 11:45-1:00 pm Kitcki Carroll, Executive Director, USET, Inc. John Dossett, General Counsel, NCAI F. Michael Willis, Partner, Hobbs, Strauss, Dean & Walker Catered Lunch AGUA CALIENTE V. RIVERSIDE COUNTY NITA AMICUS IMPACTS AND INTERPRETATIONS Speakers: Mary Streitz, Partner, Dorsey Whitney LLP Forrest Tahdooahnippah, Associate Attorney, Dorsey Whitney LLP 1:00-2:15 pm General Session 3 TRIBAL TAX CODE DEVELOPMENT & ADMINISTRATIVE STRATEGIES Chad Yazzie, Tax Attorney, Office of the Navajo Tax Commission Leslie Cushman, Senior Tax Counsel, Marine View Ventures, Inc.
2:15-3:15 pm General Session 4 GENERAL WELFARE EXCLUSION ACT PLANNING Wendy Pearson, Pearson Law Offices PS Kenneth W. Parsons, Associate, Holland & Knight LLP Denise Turner Walsh, Attorney General, Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians 3:15-3:30 pm BREAK 3:30-5:00 pm Breakout Sessions Day 1 A, B or C Breakout Session A TOBACCO MASTER SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS E- CIGARETTES Chad Yazzie, Tax Attorney, Office of the Navajo Tax Commission Nathan Schreiner, Attorney, Squaxin Island Tribe John Peebles, Partner, Fredericks, Peebles & Morgan LLP Christie Comanita, Policy & Research Administrator, Tax Policy & Research Division, Arizona Department of Revenue Breakout Session B TRIBAL TAX CODE ADMINISTRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW Kelly Croman, Office of the Tribal Attorney, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Leslie Cushman, Senior Tax Counsel, Marine View Ventures, Inc. Breakout Session C STATE STATUTES, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES, POLICY STATEMENTS AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL TAX AGREEMENTS Bruce Zimmerman, Tax Director, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation F. Michael Willis, Partner, Hobbs, Strauss, Dean & Walker LLP Eric Facer, Attorney at Law 5:00-5:45 pm Featured Meeting and Question & Answer Session with the Office of the Special Trustee Vincent G. Logan, Special Trustee, Department of Interior 6:00-6:30 pm Iroquois Social Dancing Cultural Presentation - Seneca Nation of Indians 6:30-7:00 pm Rising Eagle Dance Group (Hoop Dancers) 6:00-9:00 pm Reception/Cocktail Hour
7:30-8:00 am Continental Breakfast Day 2 Thursday September 17 8:00-8:30 am Welcome and Ganöyök - Seneca Nation of Indians of Indians Tribute to Retiring NITA Board Member Kathleen Nilles Speakers: Mary Mashunkashey, NITA Board Chair Emeritus and NITA Board 2015 8:30-9:30 am General Session 5 MARIJUANA JURISDICTIONAL/REGULATORY CHALLENGES FOR TRIBES & TRIBAL BUSINESSES A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Panelist: Aubrey Seffernick, Partner, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP Chris Masse, Partner, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP 9:30-9:45 am BREAK 9:45-11:00 am General Session 6 STATE CHALLENGES AND INTERPRETATIONS FOR BIA LEASING REGULATIONS PROPERTY TAX LITIGATION Bruce Zimmerman, Tax Director, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Catherine Munson, Partner & Co-Chair Native American Practice Group, Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton LLP Lisa Koop, Office of the Reservation Attorney, Tulalip Tribes 11:00-12:00 pm General Session 7 STATE TAX EXEMPTION PLANNING & REFORM OPTIONS Aubrey Seffernick, Partner, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP Mary Streitz, Partner, Dorsey Whitney LLP F. Michael Willis, Partner, Hobbs, Strauss, Dean & Walker LLP James Meggesto, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP 12:00-12:30 pm Cultural Presentation - Rising Eagle Dance Group 12:00-1:00 pm LUNCH ON YOUR OWN 1:00-2:00 pm 2:00-3:15 pm General Session 8 UPDATES FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN INDIANS Vincent G. Logan, Special Trustee, Office of the Special Trustee Jim James, Deputy Special Trustee for Field Operations, OST Robert Winter, Director, Trust Operations, Office of Trust Services, OST General Session 9 IRS AND TREASURY UPDATES Wendy S. Pearson, Pearson Law Offices PS Kathleen Nilles, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP Christie Jacobs, Director, Indian Tribal Governments, IRS Elaine Buckberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Coordination, Office of Economic Policy, Department of the Treasury
3:15-3:30 pm BREAK 3:30-4:30 pm Breakout Sessions Day 2 D or E Breakout Session D TRIBAL LICENSING, VEHICLE TAGS, TRIBAL TAXES AND TAX COMMISSION NETWORKING Sharon Swepston, Tax Director, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Sara Hill, Deputy Attorney General, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Breakout Session E TAX PLANNING ENTITY STRUCTURES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TAX-FAVORED OPPORTUNITIES Bruce Zimmerman, Tax Director, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Kathleen Nilles, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP Wendy Pearson, Pearson Law Offices PS 4:30-5:00 pm Closing - Clayton Logan, Seneca Nation of Indians Closing Remarks NITA Board of Directors Open Discussion on 18 th Annual NITA Tax Conference Venue Adjournment Board of Directors Meeting CLE Accreditation from New York State - Application Pending Certificates of Attendance Available for Submission to Conference Participants Thank you for supporting the National Intertribal Tax Alliance! Last Update 9/9/15