The Consultant

Welcome back!

Glen Peterson is regional manager for Mennonite Economic Development Associates’ capacity building project for CDCs and economic development organizations in south Florida, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Indianapolis.

Glen is a member of the International Policy Governance® Association and trained with John and Miriam Carver at the Policy Governance® Academy. Peterson provides technical assistance to adopt and install a complete board governance system that links an organization to its moral ownership, holds it accountable to accomplish what it should and avoid unacceptable situations.

For fifteen years he was the executive director of a community-based organization that provides microenterprise training, financial literacy and traditional employment programs in south Los Angeles.

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Taxpayer Education Programs from State BOE Chairman John Chiang

State Board of Equalization Chairman John Chiang periodically hosts taxpayer
education programs for his constituents. These programs are held for small
business owners, non-profit and religious organizations, as well as specific
industry groups. Chairman Chiang's taxpayer education programs bring
representatives from a variety of federal, state, and local tax agencies
together to help individuals, businesses, and organizations better
understand their federal, state, and local tax compliance obligations. The
programs are especially helpful to individuals, organizations, and small to
medium sized businesses who feel overwhelmed by all of the complex tax laws
and tax reporting requirements.

Past topics have included: (1) Social Security Benefits & Small Business
Owners; (2) Raffle Reporting and Pre-Registration Requirements; (3) State
and Federal Payroll Tax Reporting and Depositing Requirements; (4) Home
Based Businesses; (5) Audits and Appeals; (6) Record Keeping Obligations;
(7) State Income Tax and Small Businesses; (8) The Difference Between an
Employee or Independent Contractor; (9) How to Start a Small Business; (10)
Financing Your Small Business; (11) General Sales and Use Tax Reporting
Requirements; (12) How to Prepare a Sales and Use Tax Return; (13) Sales Tax
for Construction Contractors; (14) Property Tax Exemptions.

Within the next few weeks, Chairman Chiang is hosting a Free California Tax
Amnesty Informational Panel Discussion to inform his constituents about the
California Tax Amnesty Campaign that began February 1, 2005 and continues
through March 31, 2005. More information about Chairman Chiang's California
Tax Amnesty Panel Discussion will follow shortly.

We have found that these taxpayer education programs are most successful
when Chairman Chiang partners with a local community based organization to
host a particular event. Programs are typically scheduled at least six to
eight weeks in advance and draw, on average, seventy-five to one hundred
fifty attendees. The number of attendees varies depending on the
organization, program location, etc.

Little Haiti Housing Association

Sam Diller, Executive Director of Little Haiti Housing Association greets MEDA board member during a tour of the south Florida Capacity Partership Project sites. MEDA subaward helped LHHA plan and start a home ownership conversion project.

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Little Haiti Housing Association and Miami Dade Neighborhood Housing

. . . hosted the MEDA board of directors as they toured CCF projects in south Florida as part of their board meetings.

Pictured here is Howard Good, MEDA Vice President, North American Opporations; Leoni Hermantin, Board Chair, Little Haiti Housing Association and director of Sant La Little Haiti Neighborhood Center; and Arden Shank, Executive Director, Miami Dade Neighborhood Housing

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Kids programs at Peacemakers Center at Trinity Church

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Trinity Church has a lot of programs going on through its Peacemaker Center. These pre-schoolers are enjoying a hot lunch during their school day.

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