WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2024 — The American Bar Association Section of Taxation has announced its 2024-2027 class of Loretta Collins Argrett Fellows. The three-year fellowship seeks to create a more accessible and equitable pipeline into the Tax Section and the tax bar.
Loretta Collins Argrett was the first African American staff member of the U.S. Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation. In 1993, she became the first African American woman in Justice Department history to hold a position that required U.S. Senate confirmation and was confirmed as the assistant attorney general of the U.S. Justice Department’s Tax Division.
The 2024-2027 fellows are:
- Khylil Chestnut, Intuit
- Sherod Craig, IRS Office of Chief Counsel
- Santiago Gomez Cifuentes, Embassy of Colombia
- Gladis Morales-Gonzalez, Moskowitz LLP
- Carneil Wilson, Dentons Sirote
The goal of the Argrett fellowship is to identify, engage and infuse historically underrepresented individuals into the section; create a more accessible, equitable and inclusive pathway into section leadership; and support the expansion, diversification and inclusiveness of the tax profession to create a space and sense of belonging for those looking to become involved with the section.
The fellowship is a three-year program, and applicants need not be members of the Tax Section or ABA to apply. Fellows receive complimentary ABA and section membership, waiver of registration fees for the section’s meetings and, to the extent permitted, reimbursement for travel and lodging. Fellows will be paired with two Tax Section member mentors during their fellowship and will participate in monthly educational webinars. Additionally, special fellows-only events will allow fellows to learn more about the section and its leadership. For more information on the Argrett Fellowship, click here.
“We are proud to welcome the third class of Argrett Fellows, five exceptional tax lawyers who join the 13 Argrett Fellows already on a path-breaking journey to experience the many opportunities that the ABA, Tax Section and a career in tax have to offer,” said Tax Section Chair Alice Abreu. “I look forward to welcoming them to our upcoming virtual fall meeting and to meeting them in person at our midyear meeting in February. Growth, for both the fellows and the section, awaits.”
“This year’s incoming class of Argrett Fellows — five extraordinary lawyers at various points in their tax careers — marks the beginning of the first year during which we will have our first full complement of fellows,” said Melissa Wiley, vice chair of Membership, Diversity & Inclusion for the Tax Section. “As they embark on the start of their three-year fellowship, they will join forces with our first two classes in shining a light on what the Tax Section has to offer diverse tax professionals and what we have to gain from their involvement. The intelligence, perseverance, warmth and support of our community of fellows can only be described as transformative for the Tax Section. I cannot wait to see all that they will accomplish and how much we will all learn from one another.”
The Loretta Collins Argrett Fellowships are funded through the Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Endowment Fund. More information on the fund can be found here.
The ABA Section of Taxation is the largest professional association of tax lawyers, with approximately 11,000 members nationwide. Its goals include helping taxpayers better understand their rights and obligations under the tax laws and working to achieve a simplified tax system that is equitable and efficient.
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