The Foreign Service Journal, March 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2014 55 AFSA NEWS David L. Mortimer, CPA 5500 Holmes Run Parkway C4 Alexandria VA 22314 Tel: (703) 743-0272 Fax: (202) 204-5199 E-mail: David@mytaxcpa.net Web site: www.mytaxcpa.net F I RST C ONSULTAT I ON F REE • Income tax services • Financial planning • Practiced before the IRS • Electronic tax filing • Member AICPA David L. Mortimer, CPA, has more than 20 years of experience in tax planning, research and com- pliance. This experience includes developing tax minimization strategies, planning business trans- actions and tax audit representation. America Counts on CPAs After serving for five years as a Foreign Service officer with the Department of State in Nigeria, Mexico and Wash- ington D.C., Jon Tollefson returned home to his family and community in Min- netonka, Minn.  He landed a job at the Minnesota High Tech Association, where he came in contact with engaging policy leaders at the state and national level. The association’s goal is to make Minnesota one of the top five technology states in the country. The more he became aware of the science and technology issues we face as a nation, the more he became involved. Tollefson soon realized that the best way to have an impact in this arena—and possibly help Minnesota succeed—would be to run for state representative. In the meantime, he immersed himself in the fight to defeat a proposed marriage amendment before A Desire to Serve ACT I VE AFTER ACT I VE DUTY the citizens of Minnesota, one that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. If the amendment should pass, Tollefson and others felt it would, “enshrine discrimi- nation in our constitution.” For more than two years, he and his family, friends and the LGBT community worked to defeat the amendment. In the end, with the support of their fellow Minnesotans, the amendment was defeated. In December, former FSO Jon Tollefson announced his candidacy for the Minnesota State House of Representa- tives from his hometown of Minnetonka. Citing his good fortune at having received a world-class public education and the opportunities he has been given in life, he hopes that by running, “Perhaps I can help to make sure oth- ers enjoy some of the same benefits I have had.” For more information, please see www.tollefsonfor- house.com. n