Interesting take from Josh Youngblood EA on Substack. The following is copied in part from

https://substack.com/home/post/p-170558901

When President Trump removed Billy Long as IRS Commissioner, headlines swirled with politics, speculation, and uncertainty. He recently followed many tax professionals on X/Twitter, and I had some questions:

What did he love about the job? What didn’t he? And what changes did he see ahead for the IRS?

So, I reached out to him directly via X (Twitter). To my surprise, when I woke up this morning, there was a message from him, offering a small glimpse into the human side of a position most of us only see through policy debates and political headlines.

A Commissioner Who Opened the Door

In his own words, Long described starting each day with 10-minute one-on-one meetings from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. with what he calls his “employee-partners.” These weren’t just routine check-ins — they were personal, intentional conversations.

“Some had been there two decades and had never met a Commissioner or been allowed in the Commissioner’s office,” Long wrote.

For many employees, this was their first time being personally welcomed into the inner office — a symbolic and literal opening of the door.

Listening Across the Country

The other aspect Long cherished was meeting and listening to employees and partners as he traveled across the country.

When he visited the Ogden IRS Campus, he recalled:

“They had to sign releases for IRS to use pictures of them with me. In Ogden, 158 individuals signed the release — that’s a lot of one-on-one pictures.”

One notable stop was the NAEA Tax Summit.

“I probably took nearly 100 pictures with enrolled agents in Salt Lake City.”

I wasn’t at that conference, but many friends and colleagues who attended told me the same thing: Billy Long was personable, approachable, and genuinely interested in conversations.

That’s not something you hear about many government officials. For those in attendance, his willingness to engage left a positive impression.