Courtney Kay-Decker

Adjunct Faculty Member
Biography

Courtney Kay-Decker is currently the deputy chief taxpayer experience officer at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

She previously was an attorney at Lane & Waterman LLP, starting in 1998 and rejoined the firm in 2019 after an eight-year hiatus leading the Iowa Department of Revenue.  Her experience in the public and private sectors informs her collaborative approach to the practice of law.  Her areas of practice include tax and administrative matters.  Her unique experiences in identity theft tax fraud prevention allow her to share “cyber hygiene” advice as well.

Professor Kay-Decker was appointed in 2011 by then-Governor Terry E. Branstad to serve as director of the Iowa Department of Revenue.  She continued in that role until January 2019.  During her tenure with the department, Professor Kay-Decker focused on improving administrative rules, guidance, and processes to simplify and reduce compliance burdens for the taxpayers of Iowa.  During her tenure as Director of Revenue, Professor Kay-Decker served on the Board of Trustees of the Federation of Tax Administrators. 

Kay-Decker
BA, Northwestern University
JD, University of Iowa