FEI Chapter • Austin
FEI Member Since • 2011
Current Employer & Career History
The Beverly H. and William P. O’Hara Endowed Chair in Business, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Accounting, The University of Texas at Austin
Prior Positions
Stanley Surrey Senior Research Fellow, Office of Tax Analysis, U.S. Department of Treasury, 2005-2006
Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, 1996-2006
Lecturer, University of Detroit Mercy, 1989-1991
Price Waterhouse, 1982-1989
Deloitte+Touche, 1981-1982
FEI Involvement
UT’s Advisory Board member William Ihlanfelt, who was an FEI Hall of Fame honoree recently, encouraged and inspired me to follow FEI news and publications more regularly.
Education Summary
Ph.D. (1996), University of Michigan. B.S. (1980), M.S. (1981), University of Florida
Family and Personal Life
My husband James Mills and I just celebrated 25 years of marriage in May. He is a retired rocket scientist (Ph.D. Rochester) who designed missiles for his final 15 years of a 50 year career. Step-daughter Ginger Jones is a CFO with Plexus Corp in Wisconsin. She and her husband have two children.Step-son Patrick Mills is a senior engineer with General Dynamics Land Systems in Michigan. He and his wife have three children. Son John Sabochick is Director, Best Practices, at Armtechnology. Just married July 4! Son Robert Sabochick is VP and Accounting Policy Manager, Citi, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Also recently married!
Keeping in Touch
I keep up with the five grandkids largely through online games — Draw Something and Clash of Clans — and Snapchat, texting, etc. With family all over the Americas, we travel and call to stay in touch.
Volunteerism
Professionally, I serve each year as a committee member or chair within the American Accounting Association or the American Taxation Association. Personally, I am a pianist and active in outreach at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church and am also dedicated to alcoholism and addiction issues.
Leisure and Stress Management
Some golf (22 handicap). Swing dancing when possible, but my current play-buddy is a silver Labrador named Reacher.
Time Management
Outlook Calendar. I schedule everything, including the deep thinking or leisure time I want to preserve from administrative requests.
Recent Reads
Company K by William March, about WWI and Lee Child novels with Jack Reacher as protagonist.
Favorite Movie(s)
For inspiration and remembering Robin Williams’ recent death, Dead Poets’ Society. For laughs Snatch and for gritty Pulp Fiction.
Favorite App
New York Times Fiction Podcast. It has short story authors reading another NYT author’s story, then discussing with the fiction editor. Great! Recommend to everyone.
Favorite Type of Music
Dancing: swing; Listening: Marc Cohn, Patti Griffin; Piano: Cole Porter
Hero
Professor Joel Slemrod at the University of Michigan, a true scholar and gifted writer.
Best Advice
Related to my current job: A former department chair said, “Only make decisions you would want two department chairs from now to have to live with.”
Related to life in general: “It is easier to make one single big value decision (always tell the truth) than a series of small ones (should I tell the truth about this).” – from my dad.
Favorite Job
University of Texas at Austin professor.
Worst Job
They’ve all been good.
Most Challenging Job
Being a tax manager in a start-up office of a Big 4 firm.
Favorite Quotes
“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” Julian of Norwich.