Academy Hosts Successful Annual Meeting and Public Policy Forum
The Academy welcomed members to the 2019 Annual Meeting and Public Policy Forum, where D. Joeff Williams became the Academy’s 55th president, succeeding Shawna Ackerman. The meeting and forum, held in Washington, D.C., encompassed a day and a half of plenary and practice-area breakout sessions covering key casualty, health, life, and pension issues.
Highlights included:
- Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman gave an overview and analysis of state and federal health issues regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and state health insurance exchanges. That was followed by a panel of two federal ACA experts, who looked at various possibilities of impending legislative, regulatory, and judicial changes to the 2010 law.
- Award-winning personal finance journalist and founder and CEO of HerMoney Jean Chatzky gave the Nov. 6 plenary address on women’s financial security, which was followed by a panel discussion on the challenges facing women in achieving a secure retirement.
- At the opening Nov. 5 plenary session, author and political satirist P.J. O’Rourke gave an insightful—and at times humorous and irreverent—analysis of the U.S. political situation headed into the presidential election year.
- A professionalism plenary session offered attendees the ability to test their acumen (and obtain professionalism continuing education credits) on a range of professionalism issues from the Code of Professional Conduct and its Precepts, to actuarial standards of practice and the Actuarial Standards Board and Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline. Academy Past President Steve Alpert took top honors in the educational and entertaining session.
Plenary presenters in all sessions accepted questions from attendees, and the event also included a festive reception and presentation of the Academy’s annual service awards (see below).
Some photographs from the meeting are here.
Attendees may access the slides here.
Volunteers, Service Award Winners Honored
The Academy presented its annual service awards at the Annual Meeting and Public Policy Forum. Mary D. Miller received the Jarvis Farley Service Award for making significant contributions during her long and distinguished record of Academy volunteerism, which began more than two decades ago and has spanned more than 35 service positions with the Academy, including as the Academy’s President and as chairperson of the Committee on Strategic Planning. After her presidential service, she was the Academy’ primary professionalism representative to the NAIC in all of its multifaceted work and review of the definition of “qualified actuary” and for the Academy’s interactions with NAIC commissioners and staff. Miller, who also served as chief actuary for the State of Ohio, received a standing ovation from attendees.
Carolyn Zimmerman, an actuary with the Internal Revenue Service based in Pittsburgh, received the Robert J. Myers Public Service Award. At the IRS, Zimmerman made exceptional efforts to have sound guidance issued that informs pension actuaries and protects pension benefits and beneficiaries. More recently, she put her vast knowledge to use by serving as a member of the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries, a position she holds today that affects all of those who are Enrolled Actuaries who work on ERISA plans, impacting the retirement security of millions of Americans.
Also, Ralph Blanchard, Seong-min Eom, Allan Kaufman, and Linda Lankowski received the annual Outstanding Volunteerism Awards.
Finally, there is a video of the presidential transition when Shawna Ackerman passed the presidential baton to D. Joeff Williams.
