2024 State & Local Tax Workshop

Darlene Allen is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Association of Tax Administrators (LATA). In her new role as Executive Director, she is the point of contact for the LATA  whose primary responsibility is to assist state and local tax administrators in the exchange of information and encourage uniformity in laws, regulations and administration. 

Darlene was the Revenue Tax Director for the Field Audit Sales Tax Division at the Louisiana Department of Revenue. She began her career in Sales and Use Tax as a Revenue Agent for the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Taxation in Alexandria, LA. She later transferred to the Houston Office to audit Corporate Income and other tax types. 

She served on the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers (RSC) since its creation by the Louisiana Legislature in 2017, as an authorized commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR). She served as chair of the RSC from July 2020 through June 2021. 

She was with Revenue Recovery Group (RRG) for seventeen years. As Audit Manager for Sales and Use Tax, and Program Director for Unclaimed Property, Darlene managed client relations for city, parish and state clients. She also served as the Chief Operating Officer for several years.

Darlene is a licensed CPA and she holds an MBA from Louisiana State University.

Bob Angelico is a nationally-known tax lawyer at Liskow & Lewis with years of experience helping top-tier companies with sophisticated state and local tax issues throughout Louisiana. As the head of the firm’s tax practice group, Bob works to minimize the taxes of his clients, which include manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, non-profits, construction businesses and other entities of all types and sizes. 

Clients frequently rely on Bob to represent them in state and local tax audits and administrative appeals as alternatives to the court system. Bob works extensively with the Louisiana Department of Revenue, Louisiana Tax Commission, Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals and local taxing authorities around the state. In addition, he represents clients involved in state tax litigation, and parish and local tax litigation, at both the trial and appellate court levels. 

Bob’s training and credentials set him apart. He is a Board Certified Tax Specialist – as certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization – and a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Bob is immediate past president and managing partner of Liskow & Lewis.

Andre Burvant is a partner in the Tax Practice Group with Jones Walker in New Orleans.

Andre counsels clients on state and local tax planning, audit defense, tax refunds and credits, and represents businesses and individuals in tax controversy work before the Louisiana Department of Revenue and local parish taxing agencies. Andre also represents clients in tax controversies before the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals and in state and federal courts.

Vice Chair
Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals

Cade R. Cole was appointed by the Governor to be a member of the Board of Tax Appeals in January 2013. His current term expires January 1, 2026. He coordinated the effort to bring historic reforms to the Board, including the expansion of its jurisdiction to local sales tax cases. In June 2014, Cade was unanimously selected as the first Local Tax Judge by the Local Tax Division nominating committee.

Vice-Chairman Cole is a Board Certified Specialist in Tax Law by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He has served as  Chair of the Board of Legal Specialization's Tax Law Certification Advisory Commission.

Cade serves on the executive committee of the National Conference of State Tax Judges, and has been Judicial Liason to the the American Bar Association State and Local Tax Committee.  He also serves as a member of the vetting committee for Federal Judicial Nominations in Louisiana.

He is a graduate of the Tulane School of Law, where he obtained the award for highest performance in Obligations II, Income Tax, and Energy Regulation.

Antonio Ferachi is the Director of the Litigation Division of the Louisiana Department of Revenue. He previously served the agency as a senior tax, appellate and business litigation attorney specializing in the areas of sales, excise and corporation income and franchise taxes. He is a Board Certified Tax Law Specialist Certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization.  

Ferachi has represented the department before the United States Supreme Court, Louisiana Supreme Court and the Louisiana appellate courts and has garnered numerous favorable published opinions on various tax matters including: constitutional law, statutory construction, tax procedure and qualification to various tax exemptions. 

Ferachi is a painter of Louisiana landscapes. He serves on the committee and is a featured artist for the Baton Rouge Bar Association's Arts Judicata event, which raises funds for the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation.  His art is at The Foyer in Baton Rouge and on Instagram @antonioferachifineart. 

Luke Morris has served as the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Legal Affairs of the Louisiana Department of Revenue since April 2017. He supervises both the Litigation Division and Policy and Legislative Services Division. In this capacity, he advises the Secretary of Revenue on matters in litigation, legislation pending before the Louisiana Legislature, and policy guidance issued by the Department.

Morris received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2010 where he graduated summa cum laude. He attended the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University and received his Juris Doctorate along with a Bachelor of Comparative Law in 2013.

Phyllis Sims is of counsel to the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2000 and practices in the governmental, legislative, administrative and tax practice groups.

Phyllis practices primarily in the state and local tax area with an emphasis on Louisiana state and local tax planning, incentive programs, tax litigation, and legislative matters. She represents local, state, national, and international clients in Louisiana taxation matters, and represents some of Louisiana’s most prominent businesses in governmental, legislative and regulatory matters.

Phyllis earned her B.B.A., cum laude, from Southern Arkansas University in 1991 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1992. She completed the LSU Certified Internal Audit Program in 1996 and earned her J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 2000.

Tab Troxler, St. Charles Parish Assessor, has spent his entire career serving St. Charles Parish.

As a lifelong resident, Tab is proud to be a part of a community filled with natural beauty, cultural diversity, and most of all - great people. He and his wife Jena, a veterinarian, have four children.

Elected in 2011, Tab has endeavored to run an efficient, fair, and transparent Assessor’s Office. As a former emergency preparedness director of 12 years, he understands the importance of working collaboratively with residents and leading a well-trained, responsive staff.

He is a Louisiana Certified Assessor and a graduate of both Tulane University and Hahnville High School. In his spare time, you might spot Tab enjoying the waterways and skies in St. Charles Parish - he’s an avid fisherman and licensed pilot.

Tab relishes the opportunity to speak to the community and educate residents about his role

Anne Villa is responsible for business development, business expansion and retention, business incentives, international commerce, management and finance, human resources, performance management and reporting, and entertainment industry development.

Prior to her appointment as Deputy Secretary in 2024, Villa served Louisiana Economic Development for 12 years as Undersecretary.

Returning home to Louisiana to join LED in 2012, Ms. Villa brought more than 20 years of experience in operations and finance, working in the private sector for Ryder Systems, Exide Technologies and Scientific Games.

Villa’s certifications and well-rounded career as a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Economic Developer, and Certified Government Financial Manager exemplify her passion about improving the lives of Louisiana citizens and working with allies, partners, stakeholders and elected officials in supporting the efforts of economic development in Louisiana.

Kim joined Advantous in 2006 and is a senior member of our Louisiana Business Incentives delivery team. She is responsible for assisting with the technical and supervisory aspects of business incentives projects. She is a primary resource for federal tax credits, the Louisiana Quality Jobs Program, the Louisiana Enterprise Zone Program, and the Industrial Property Tax Exemption Program projects. Kim is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in International Trade and Finance.

Matt Zogotti is the Principal at Ryan's Baton Rouge office where he specializes in providing transaction tax services to clients in a variety of industries, including consumer products manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and waste incineration.

Matt co-chairs Ryan's Transaction Tax Education Committee and is responsible for the administration, updates, and instruction of Ryan's internal technical training courses.

He also is responsible for the development of best practices, generating and updating internal templates, and providing state-specific expertise and leadership to the Firm.