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Biography

Biography

Dan R. Bucks

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

· CONSULTANT AND EXPERT ON PUBLIC REVENUE POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION, January 2013-Present •

· COLUMNIST FOR “STATE TAX NOTES.”

· DIRECTOR OF REVENUE, STATE OF MONTANA, January 2005 to January 2013

• Directed the Montana Department of Revenue, which administers nearly 40 Montana state taxes and fees, values all property in Montana and supervises the property tax system, and administers the state’s liquor control and other laws assigned to the department.

• Transformed the department to achieve record compliance collections double the prior rate, accurate and uniform property tax valuations in a volatile real estate market, greater efficiency in operations and respectful, effective service to citizens and businesses. • Developed a high level of teamwork among department work units and between management and labor based on practices reflecting the values of mutual respect, integrity and productivity.

• Modernized the agency through upgraded computer systems, new online public services, improved buildings for work efficiency and energy conservation, performance measurement and management systems, a pay plan to more properly and fairly compensate all staff and greater gender and racial diversity throughout the workforce.

· EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MULTISTATE TAX COMMISSION, February 1988 through December 2005

• Directed and expanded state participation in this interstate compact agency that serves a leadership role for states and localities on tax policy and administration and legal representation with respect to interstate and international commerce.

• Strengthened tax compliance programs to help ensure that multinational and multistate companies pay a fair share of state and local taxes.

• Organized successful efforts by states to defeat various federal proposals that would have preempted state and local taxes affecting interstate commerce.

· DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, September 1981 to February 1988

• Supervised administration of state taxes and reorganized severance, mineral property and corporate tax functions to improve efficiency, equity and taxpayer compliance.

• Managed the department’s legislative activities, supervised tax research and developed policy recommendations including major tax reform proposals.

• Served as the state’s research liaison to U.S. Senate Finance Committee staff during federal tax reform process.

· DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES, NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES, February 1980 to September 1981

• Administered a program providing natural resource, scientific and environmental policy research to the fifty state legislature and expanded foundation funding for these efforts.

· PUBLIC POLICY CONSULTANT, MONTANA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA STATE PLANNING BUREAU, June 1978 to February 1980

• Developed proposals for establishing the “Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center” at the University of Montana—a center that focuses on ethics in public affairs and Asian studies.

• Prepared “Achieving Balanced Growth in Montana,” the final report of the Montana Balanced Growth Program initiated by the Office of the Governor, covering economic, environmental, energy and government service issues.

· BUSH FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, September 1977 to January 1979

· COMMISSIONER, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE PLANNING BUREAU, July 1973 to September 1977

· Directed the state executive’s principal policy research and management agency.

· Developed an effective system of executive branch management that the National Governors Association included in “Governing the American States: A Handbook for New Governors,” November 1978.

· DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE REORGANIZATION, STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA, January 1971 to July 1973

· Directed the first successful reorganization of the executive branch in South Dakota history by developing a reorganization plan, implementing a strategy for approval of plan through constitutional change and legislative review, and supervising the transition to the new structure.

· CHIEF TAX POLICY ADVISOR, SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, January 1971 to September 1977 (concurrent with the two positions listed above)

• Developed state tax reform proposals involving income, property and sales taxes.

· EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SOUTH DAKOTA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, September 1969 to January 1971

EDUCATION

· M.P.A., University of Montana 1979

· Graduate study in economics, Johns Hopkins University 1967-68

· B.A., Grinnell College 1967

AWARDS

· 2006 Recipient of the Wade Anderson Award presented by the Federation of Tax Administrators and Multistate Tax Commission for Outstanding Contributions to Interstate Cooperation.

· Served as a member of a panel of six U.S. tax experts who were selected by the European Commission to advise on the development of a consolidated corporate tax base for the European Union, December 2007.

Publication Date

Fall 2015

Biography of Dan Bucks
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