

IR-2006-174, Nov. 9, 2006

WASHINGTON — Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Mark W. Everson today announced the appointment of Kevin Brown and Linda Stiff as the agency’s two new deputy commissioners, effective December 1.

Brown, currently the Commissioner of the IRS Small Business and Self-Employed (SB/SE) Division, will become Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement, responsible for overseeing the agency’s four operating divisions, Criminal Investigation, and the Office of Professional Responsibility.

Stiff, currently the Deputy Commissioner, SB/SE, will become Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support, responsible for the agency’s human capital office, IT offices, the CFO, security, procurement and facilities.

Brown and Stiff replace outgoing Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement Mark Matthews and Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support John Dalrymple, respectively.

“We’ve had remarkable stability in our senior leadership over the past three-and-a-half years.  Mark and John have helped us to restore the credibility of our enforcement program while continuing to improve service to taxpayers.  They’ve also worked together to modernize the agency and make it more efficient,” Everson said.

Everson also announced that Kathy Petronchak, currently serving as his Chief of Staff, will replace Brown as Commissioner of SB/SE.  Chief Human Capital Officer, Beverly Ortega Babers, will step in as the new Chief of Staff.

Filling Stiff’s role as Deputy Commissioner of SB/SE will be Brady Bennett, currently Director, Collections within SB/SE.

“These individuals are strong, proven leaders who have already demonstrated their ability to work together as a team.  I’m pleased they’ve agreed to take on these new responsibilities,” Everson said.

Dalrymple and Matthews to Leave Agency

The new deputy appointments were announced as the current deputies prepare to leave IRS.

Dalrymple is retiring from the IRS at the end of 2006 after more than 30 years of service. Prior to his current post, Dalrymple served as Commissioner of the Wage and Investment Division, one of the IRS’s four primary business units. Since joining the IRS in 1975, he has held a variety of other positions, including IRS Chief Operations Officer and Deputy Chief Operations Officer.

Matthews has served under a special critical pay appointment authority.  A one-time Justice Department lawyer who also led the IRS Criminal Investigation Division from 2000 through 2003, Matthews will return to private practice at the law firm of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP

Brown: Vital Experience Advising Top Leadership

Brown comes into the position of Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement with critical experience in many areas of IRS leadership.

As Commissioner of the Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) Division, Brown led SB/SE’s efforts to serve 45 million taxpayers who file personal, corporate, employment, excise and estate and gift tax returns.  He managed a division of 30,000 employees and a $2.6 billion annual budget.

Prior to that appointment, Brown served as the first Chief of Staff for Everson.  He previously served as Division Counsel for SB/SE.  Brown also served as Assistant to the Commissioner for Everson’s predecessor, Charles O. Rossotti. Before joining the IRS in 1998, Brown was an attorney at the Department of Justice, serving in the Tax Division’s Appellate Section and as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Appellate Matters.

Stiff: A 26-Year Veteran of IRS Operations

In her role as Deputy Commissioner of the IRS SB/SE Division, Stiff’s responsibilities included management of the SB/SE technology portfolio and participating on the IRS Human Capital Board, which provides direction for labor relations strategies and workforce realignments. 

Prior to that position, Stiff served as the Director of Compliance for the IRS Wage & Investment Division. Stiff has also served as the senior tax administration advisor and technical expert to the Commissioner of the Wage & Investment Division, Senior Advisor to the Chief Operations Officer, and helped implement critical legislative provisions in the Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. Stiff began her IRS career in 1980 as a Revenue Agent in Jacksonville, Fla.

Babers as New Chief of Staff

Babers was named Chief Human Capital Officer for the Internal Revenue Service in July 2003.  In this new position she was responsible for strategic alignment of the agency’s work force to its mission, and was responsible for maintaining and effectively directing its labor relations, and human resources management policies and programs.  Babers served as principal advisor and consultant to the Commissioner and Senior Leadership Team on human capital matters.

Prior to that appointment, Babers served as Director, Appeals Technical Services.  Babers first joined the IRS in 1999 as Assistant to the Commissioner, advising the Commissioner of Internal Revenue on tax policy and tax administration matters.  She formerly was Chief of Staff and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division, Department of Justice.  Prior to holding this position Babers was a civil trial attorney in the Tax Division. 

Petronchak and Bennett to Head SB/SE

Petronchak will fill the top leadership post in the SB/SE Division.  Prior to serving as Chief of Staff, Petronchak served as Director, Pre-Filing and Technical Guidance, for the IRS Large and Mid-Size Business (LMSB) Division. In that post she planned, developed, directed and implemented tax shelter, pre-filing and technical field assistance programs. Other prior executive positions include Deputy Director, Pre-Filing and Technical Guidance and Director of Field Operations.

As the Director, Collection within SB/SE, Bennett has overseen policy development and implementation, planning and analytical activities, reengineering activities, all field operations based out of seven areas around the country, plus insolvency and technical services operations.

Prior to that appointment, Bennett served as Director, Strategy and Resource Management.  Other prior executive positions included Project Director, Filing and Payment Compliance, and Director, Strategy, Research and Performance Management in SB/SE.


