Dear Commissioner Werfel:
On behalf of the Professional Managers Association – the non-profit professional association that has, since 1981, represented professional managers, management officials, and non-bargaining unit employees at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – I am writing to welcome you to the agency following Senate confirmation.
As the first full-time commissioner to head the IRS since November of last year, you take the helm of an agency that is fundamental to the American way of life and that simultaneously faces a historical modernization and reform effort. Aside from the annual challenge of serving as the primary artery through which nearly all federal funds flow, the IRS has also been tasked over the past year with implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA will usher in the most significant reforms to IRS operations in a decade and has commanded the attention of lawmakers and the public, as evidenced by your confirmation hearing. We look forward to being a partner in this effort.
Since you were last at the agency, much has changed with PMA as an organization and with our relationship with the Service. PMA has refreshed its national leadership structure and organization’s priorities to focus on the IRS workforce. In 2021 signed a consultative agreement with the IRS per 5 C.F.R. Part 251. With this agreement, PMA and the IRS established a mutual partnership to improve IRS operations, personnel management, and employee effectiveness; facilitate the exchange of information, including ideas, opinions, and proposals; and establish policies that best serve the public interest in accomplishing the mission of the IRS.
As the IRS manages the historic investments coming from the IRA, this agreement will be critical for ensuring IRS leadership communicates with front-line employees, managers, and supervisors at all levels of the IRS. This transformation will not be successful if it only happens from the top or the bottom. Front-line managers encounter issues and develop innovative solutions every day. They are aware of what their teams need and what barriers to success exist. Rather than reinvent the wheel or propose reforms with no practical chance of proper implementation, we wish to work with you to ensure the IRS is successful in its efforts.
PMA believes that having a confirmed Commissioner is critical for the IRS at this moment in history. We look forward to meeting with you so we can determine how to effectively navigate this relationship during your tenure.
Sincerely,
Chad Hooper
Executive Director
Enclosure: Consultative Agreement Between IRS and PMA
