May 2008 Newsletter

SACRAMENTO ESTATE PLANNING COUNCIL

serving Sacramento since 1953

President's Message:
I hope you attended a Council event this year.  If you did, you may have noticed that we had record attendance at our monthly dinner meetings.  We also had a record number of new members join the Council this year. With more people involved, we have had opportunities to expand connections among estate planning professionals.  The Council continues to be a dynamic and vibrant organization.  The Council officers, directors, committee members and administrator have done an exceptional job.  I want to thank each of them for the time and effort they devoted to Council matters.  It has been a privilege to work with them, and I have enjoyed serving as President.

The Council is well positioned for the future.  At our annual meeting/golf tournament, the following directors and officers were elected to serve for fiscal year 08/09:

Directors

Michael Oehler

Laura Stoden Parker

Wendy Tauriainen

Jim McCallum

Alysia Correll

President

Tony Delevati

Vice President

Forrest Vickery

Secretary

Francine Vorhees

Treasurer

Kay Brooks

Past President

Kent Silvester

We are fortunate to have Tony Delevati as our incoming President.  He has used his exceptional computer skills on Council IT projects and plans to roll out an improved Council website soon.  I wish Tony the best, and I look forward to visiting with you at a Council event next fiscal year.

President, Kent W. Silvester

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting was a tremendously successful day.  As the day drew closer we all anxiously watch the weather reports fearing a dreadfully hot day of 103-106 degrees.  Fortunately, the day topped out at about 96 with a nice breeze and sporadic cloud cover.  The festivities started with a rather difficult putting contest.  The “course”, if you will, was a long downhill put with a moderate break to the left.  After everyone took their best shot at putting, we actually had a tie between Alan Chun and Polly McGilvray.  Alan and Polly reloaded for a sudden death playoff.  The first attempt also resulted in a tie, but on the second attempt Polly came out victorious.  On the course, we saw everything from rabbits, a snake, some splashes and some pretty darn good golf.  As I traveled around to watch all of the foursomes, it became quite evident that for some groups I was a good luck charm while to others I was a hex.  I must say that we have some pretty tremendous golfers in our council. The lowest round of the day went to the foursome of Jonathan Lederer, Michael Bennett, Neal Smith and Jim McCallum. Other contest winners were Don Madsen and Julie Gaittens for the longest drive and Don Poole with the closest to the pin.  After golf we settled at the base of the clubhouse for a wonderfully prepared barbecue dinner.  It had cooled slightly which made for a very pleasant evening.  Everyone enjoyed the food, beverages and the company that evening as we finished off with the official business conducted every year at the Annual Meeting.

No event can run so smoothly without great sponsors and volunteers.  I would like to thank again the major sponsors of the annual meeting: Wilke Fleury Hoffelt Gould & Birney LLP, Fidelity Charitable Services, Lederer Private Wealth Management, FMV Opinions and Bank of the West.  I would also like to thank the committee volunteers who made sure that we had everything planned to perfection and filled the tournament:  Trevor Stapleton, Alysia Corell and Jonathan Lederer. If you see them through your travels this summer, during our hiatus, please thank them for their efforts.  Lastly, the check-in would not have run so smoothly without the efforts of Marsha Holland and Raquel Altavilla. 

This has always been a terrific send off to the summer break.  It was my pleasure to be the committee chairperson again this year. I wish everyone a happy and prosperous summer.  We will see you next fall.

Michael Turner

New Members

DeLonda K. Coleman

DeLonda Coleman was born and raised in Sacramento, California and attended John F. Kennedy High School. After graduating from high school, Ms. Coleman accepted employment with the State of California in which 10 of those years she served as a Budget Analyst, managing state budgets exceeding $100 million dollars.  During her 16+ year tenure with the State of California, Ms. Coleman attended Sacramento City College where she graduated with Highest Honors; University of Phoenix where she graduated Magna Cum Laude; and Lincoln Law School of Sacramento and made the Fourth Year’s Dean List.  Ms. Coleman is a proud wife, mother of three and grandmother of two.

In July 2007, Ms. Coleman opened a sole practice law firm in the Greenhaven / Pocket Area of Sacramento and provides Estate Planning, Real Estate and Tax Representation.  Currently, many of Ms. Coleman’s clients are those faced with foreclosures, short-sales and the potential tax consequences that follow.

Alan G. Chun

Professional Experience

Alan Chun joined McDonough Holland & Allen PC in 2008 after a 38- year career with the Internal Revenue Service as an estate tax attorney. He is a well known and respected leader in the field of complex estate tax issues, tax litigation and tax controversy.

Alan’s tenure at the IRS involved a broad array of substantive tax issues in the areas of family trusts, estate and gift tax, generation skipping transfer tax, family limited partnerships (FLPs), QTIP trusts, and valuation of closely-held businesses. His many years of experience at the IRS brings a unique insider perspective to McDonough’s Estate Planning and Probate practice. Alan’s extensive knowledge of IRS policies and procedures combined with his understanding of estate tax audit issues, wealth transfer, asset protection, and minimizing estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes-enables him to advise clients in the planning stages and in the event of an audit or other tax controversy.

For more than 20 years, Alan has been a sought after speaker on issues of gift and estate tax, policy and law changes. He has addressed organizations including, California Probate Referees Association, Sacramento Estate Planning Council, El Dorado County Bar Association, California Estate Planning Council, and the Controller of the State of California, Division of Tax Administration. His outstanding level of service and expertise in his field has earned him many performance and manager awards from the IRS.

Leadership Positions/Affiliations

Former Board Member, Dry Creek Conservancy

Committee, Roseville General Plan

Former Chair and member, Roseville Transportation Commission (1994-1998)Leadership Positions/Affiliations

Admitted to Practice

State Bar of California, 1968

Education

Hastings College of the Law 

J.D., 1968

University of Washington

B.A., History, 1965