November 18, 2016 — The Mark Twain House & Museum is pleased to announce that Michael R. Chesman has been elected to its Board of Trustees.
Chesman is senior vice president, associate general counsel, and director of tax law at The Hartford. Before joining The Hartford, Chesman was director of the Office of Professional Responsibility at the Internal Revenue Service.
As director of tax law at The Hartford, Chesman oversees and sets strategic direction for the company’s tax law group. When working with the Internal Revenue Service, he led an organization that sets ethical standards and regulates the professionals who practice before the IRS. Chesman began his career at the IRS, specializing in life and casualty insurance taxation before he moved on to Prudential Financial, where he spent 25 years in positions of increasing responsibility in the company’s law department. Following his tenure at Prudential, Chesman returned to the IRS and led the Office of Taxpayer Burden Reduction before he was appointed director of the Office of Professional Responsibility.
Chesman earned a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He is a member of the bar in Virginia and the District of Columbia.
“Michael has been a longtime supporter of the Mark Twain House, so we are thrilled he has joined the Board of Directors. I know he brings enthusiasm as well as expertise to our endeavors,” said Dr. Cindy Lovell, Executive Director of The Mark Twain House & Museum. “We are looking forward to a future of exciting growth, and his leadership will help guide us as we seek to expand our reach and connect with a broader audience.”