BGA President and CEO Andy Shaw addressed a crowd of 400 tax professionals at the Chicago Tax Club’s 61st Annual Fall Seminar.

It’s not the first time Andy stood before this group. He spoke to them five years ago after joining the BGA. Andy shared the story of BGA’s revitalization in recent years and laid out the organization’s plans for the future.

Speaking the day after the Nov. 4 election when we saw a decrease in voter turnout, Shaw encouraged the crowd to get involved in the democratic process. He stressed dysfunctional government is bad for businesses and many businesses are leaving Illinois because of it. Shaw also answered a few questions about the recent gubernatorial election and said he was hopeful that because Bruce Rauner, John Cullerton and Mike Madigan are all skilled negotiators, the three will be able to work together to get Illinois out of its current crisis. Shaw pledged that the BGA would help governor-elect Rauner when he does the right thing and hold him accountable when he does not.