Annual IRS Liaison Meeting (IRS)

Velena McRae
Sr. Stakeholder Liaison, Dallas

Communications & Liaison, Internal Revenue Service

Velena McRae is currently a Senior Stakeholder Liaison in Dallas, TX. She has previously served as an Acting Manager for various Stakeholder Liaison groups across the United States. Stakeholder Liaison focuses on the local engagement of the payroll and practitioner community and stakeholder organizations to provide information about the policies, practices, and procedures the IRS uses to ensure compliance with the tax laws.

Velena started her career with the IRS in 1994, as a Revenue Agent in Dallas, TX. She examined high income taxpayers, large businesses, corporations, and partnerships. For several years, she specialized in Innocent Spouse cases and before becoming a Stakeholder Liaison, worked as an agent in the Abusive Transaction and Tax Avoidance schemes group.

Velena has a B.S. Degree in Accounting, a Master’s in Business Administration, Certification in Business Analytics, Professional Registered Parliamentarian, and a Texas Notary Public.

Bio as of 2025

Sheba Gonzalez is a Stakeholder Liaison with the Internal Revenue Service. Her mission is to establish relationships with tax professionals, industry stakeholders and others working with small business owners to share tax information and ensure compliance with ever-changing tax laws. She represents the IRS at many face-to-face and virtual seminars and events where she discusses IRS policies and procedures, tax law updates, and emerging issues. Mrs. Gonzalez began her IRS career as a tax compliance officer for the Small Business/Self-Employed Division. Prior to joining the IRS in 2019, Sheba worked 10 years in the private sector as an enrolled agent and general manager for one of the top 5 tax prep firms.

Bio as of 2025

Derek Ganter currently leads the outreach and education programs within the Communications & Liaison (C&L) division of the Internal Revenue Service. His oversight includes the National Public Liaison (NPL), Tax Outreach Partnership & Education (TOPE) and Stakeholder Liaison (SL) programs. In this role, he leads engagement with payroll professionals, tax practitioners, industry representatives, and other key stakeholders at the local, state, regional and national levels. His responsibilities include overseeing outreach and educational initiatives that communicate IRS policies, practices, and procedures—supporting voluntary compliance with tax laws and reinforcing enforcement efforts where necessary.

Prior to his current assignment, Derek held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility and scope primarily in the IRS. Recent assignments include:

· serving as a Bank Secrecy Act/Title 31 Specialist in the designated High Intensity Financial Crimes Area of Miami, Florida,

· holding various management and non-management compliance positions in the IRS’s Examination function in the Small Business/Self-Employed (SBSE) and Large Business & International (LB&I) divisions,

· working with the Federal Emergency Management Assistance agency to provide support to victims of disasters, as well as

· leading several task forces, special projects and teams

Derek has been recognized by former IRS Commissioners Rossotti and Rettig, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA), members of the U.S. Congress, and other distinguished institutions for his expertise in tax law, strong communication skills, and ability to resolve complex and sensitive issues.

A native of southern California, Derek attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and began his IRS career in 1989 after being recruited by the agency. Outside of his professional role, Derek serves on the leadership teams of several nonprofit organizations and enjoys mentoring student-athletes, fishing, and playing board games.

Bio as of 2025

Adam Tomakich

Office of Professional Responsibility

Adam Tomakich joined the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in 2020 as a Legal Specialist. As an OPR Legal Specialist, he regulates tax professionals who practice before the IRS, as well as others, as set out in Treasury Circular 230. Adam has been with the IRS since 2006. Adam received his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2005.

Bio as of 2025