FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, swore-in Pamela F. Olson, to be the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy on September 26, 2002.

“I am pleased to have Pam serving as the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy. She is committed to simplifying the tax code so it is fair, easy to understand, easy for taxpayers to comply with and easy for the IRS to Administer; cracking down on abusive tax shelter transactions; improving the guidance process; and improving the revenue estimating process,” stated Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill. “She has been an outstanding member of the Office of Tax Policy since February 2001 as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary. She has the perfect combination of private sector and government experience to lead the tax policy team. She is also the first woman to hold this position!”

Pamela F. Olson was confirmed by the Senate on September 5, 2002, to be the Assistant Secretary (Tax Policy) for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. As the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Olson has supervisory responsibility for providing the Secretary of the Treasury with policy analysis, advice and recommendations relating to all aspects of domestic and international issues of Federal taxation, including all legislative proposals, regulatory guidance, and tax treaties.  The Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy is also responsible for providing the official estimates of all Government receipts for the President's budget, fiscal policy decisions, and Treasury cash management decisions.

Olson joined Treasury as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy in February 2001. She has served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy since April 2002.

Prior to her appointment as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Olson was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP.  She previously held positions with the Chief Counsel’s office of the Internal Revenue Service as Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel, as an Attorney-Advisor in the Legislation and Regulations Division, and as a trial attorney in San Diego District Counsel.

Olson is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia, United States Tax Court, and United States Supreme Court.  She served as Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation immediately prior to her Treasury appointment, the first woman to hold the position.  She is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel; a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation; and served as a Trustee of the American Tax Policy Institute.  She is a frequent speaker on continuing legal education topics and has published several articles.  She also served as federal tax advisor to the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform.  Pam received a B.A. magna cum laude (1976), J.D. (1980), and M.B.A. (1984) from the University of Minnesota.  In 2002, she was awarded the University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement Award.