Thomas J. Purcell III has been named Chairman of the Tax Executive Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is the first educator to lead the Committee.

The Tax Executive Committee is the tax policy and standards setting body of the AICPA and represents AICPA members on tax matters being considered by Congress, the IRS, the Department of Treasury and other public groups. The Committee also oversees the work of the AICPA Tax Division, which is comprised of AICPA members who have a significant interest in taxation and many of whom serve on the Tax Division’s committees, technical resource panels and task forces.

During his two-year term, Purcell will focus on assisting tax policy makers in creating and administering a fair tax system, ensuring that AICPA members follow the highest ethical standards of tax practice and assisting AICPA members in being preeminent professional providers of tax services.

Purcell is an Associate Professor of Accounting and Professor of Law at Creighton University in Omaha, where he has been on the faculty since 1979. Before joining the Creighton faculty, Purcell was a tax consultant for Touche Ross & Co.

He has a distinguished record of service for the AICPA, having served as a member of the Institute’s governing Council, the Tax Executive Committee, the Pre-certification Education Executive Committee, the Tax Accounting Committee, the Tax Policy Committee and on numerous tax task forces. He was also Chair of the Tax Section’s Strategic Planning Task Force and Chair of the Tax Section’s Operations Task Force.

Purcell has also served the accounting profession at the state level. He has chaired the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Society of CPAs and served twice as a board member.

A sought-after lecturer, Purcell has authored or co-authored tax related articles, books and continuing professional education study materials.

His numerous community activities include serving as a member of the Board of Directors for St. Augustine Indian Mission, as Treasurer of the Buford Foundation and as chair of the Creighton Habitat for Humanity Steering Committee. He has also served as President of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities in Omaha, NE.

In addition, he has served as the faculty advisor for Creighton’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi for over sixteen years and is a past Regional Director and member of the Board of Directors of Beta Alpha Psi.

Purcell earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Creighton, his MA in Accountancy from the University of Missouri - Columbia, and his PhD from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He has been a Nebraska CPA since 1979.