Mark Everson

Mark Everson


46th Commissioner of Internal Revenue
In office May 1, 2003 – May 4, 2007
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Charles Rossotti
Succeeded by	Douglas Shulman
Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget
In office August 1, 2002 – May 1, 2003
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Sally Katzen
Succeeded by	Clay Johnson
Personal details
Born	Mark Whitty Everson (1954-09-10) September 10, 1954 New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Nanette Rutka (1984–2008)
Children	4
Alma mater	Yale University New York University
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Mark Whitty Everson (born September 10, 1954) is an American politician who is currently the Vice Chairman of alliantgroup and served as the 46th Commissioner of Internal Revenue from 2003 until 2007. Prior to his appointment as Commissioner of the IRS, Everson held a number of federal government positions in the administrations of George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, as well as at the state level within the administration of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.

In August 2009, Everson joined alliantgroup, LP, a national tax advisory consultant, to advise the firm and its clients on matters related to the IRS and on strategic, operational, and client service initiatives.^[1] Everson was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, until he withdrew his candidacy on November 5, 2015.

Education

Everson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale University and Master of Science degree in accounting from New York University's Stern School of Business.

Public service and business experience

Everson was a cabinet member for Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels from January 2009 to May 2012, where he served initially as Department of Administration Commissioner. From 2010–2012, Everson served as the Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development, where he oversaw the state’s unemployment system and federal training programs. In this role, Everson began a program that was endorsed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Manufacturers Association that helped qualifying ex-offenders realize employment opportunities.^[2]

Prior to his service in Indiana, Everson was appointed by President George W. Bush to a five-year term as Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 1, 2003 as the 46th commissioner since the position was created in 1862. Areas of particular focus during his tenure with the IRS included combating abusive tax shelters and the development of more productive enforcement relationships with counterpart tax authorities in other countries.^[3] Everson left the IRS effective May 4, 2007, before the end of his term to join the American Red Cross as its new CEO. Deputy commissioner Kevin Brown assumed the position of Acting Commissioner.

From August 1, 2002 until his IRS confirmation, Everson served as deputy director for management for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He chaired the President's Management Council, which is composed of cabinet department and major agency chief operating officers. The council is charged with improving overall executive branch management, including implementation of the President's Management Agenda. Before becoming deputy director for management, he served as controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management, also a part of OMB.

Prior to joining the Bush administration in August 2001, he was group vice president of finance at SC International Services, Inc., at the time a $2 billion privately owned, Dallas-based, food services company with leading market positions in both airline catering and home meals. From 1988 until 1998, he was an executive with the Pechiney Group, one of France's largest industrial groups. While with Pechiney, he held various financial and operating positions in the United States, France and Turkey.

Everson also served in the Reagan administration from 1982 until 1988 holding several positions at the United States Information Agency and the Department of Justice, where he was deputy commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. While at INS, he oversaw implementation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, landmark legislation providing for sanctions against employers hiring undocumented immigrants and granting amnesty to qualifying undocumented immigrants.

American Red Cross

On April 18, 2007, the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross unanimously approved Everson as President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross, effective May 29, 2007.^[4]

On November 27, 2007, the Board of Governors, after learning that Everson engaged in a personal relationship with a subordinate employee, asked for and received Everson's resignation.^[5] The New York Post reported that the "personal relationship" was with a married woman, Paige Roberts, CEO of the Southeast Mississippi Red Cross chapter.^[6]

2016 presidential campaign

Mark Everson's campaign logo

On March 5, 2015, Everson announced his intention to seek the Republican Party's nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 Presidential election.^[7] He launched his bid with a video and 16-page open letter, in which he laid out six primary issues:

Fundamental tax reform.

Confronting the lawlessness of the Big Banks.

Re-establishing the draft in order to have a shared sense of national service.

Real, balanced reforms to America's entitlement programs.

Reinforcing the American tradition of assimilation through comprehensive immigration reform.

Serving only a single term to keep re-election politics out of Presidential decision-making.

Everson had not had any debate performance and most national polls did not feature him. Everson put over $400,000 of his own money into the campaign and crowdfunded around $100,000. ^[8]^[9] On November 5, 2015, Everson withdrew his campaign citing lack of funds, no debate inclusion, and scarce media attention as factors for ending his campaign.^[10]