The Academy’s first Virtual 2020 Annual Meeting and Public Policy Forum, held on Nov. 5 and 6, 2020, featured a number of plenary and practice-area breakout sessions on timely topics. The event also marked the Academy’s presidential transition, with Tom Campbell succeeding D. Joeff Williams to become the Academy’s 56th president. Watch the presidential transition video.
Attendees had exclusive access to hearing directly from a number of high-profile speakers, including:
- Keynote addresses by Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report, and presidential historian Michael Beschloss, who analyzed this week’s presidential and congressional election outcomes. In his first public engagement since the election, Cook gave an overview of the presidential race and congressional results, and Beschloss put the election into historical context.
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) President-Elect and Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier, who discussed—and took questions from attendees about—the NAIC’s diversity and equity initiative and other work of the NAIC in this challenging year.
- In an introduction to the professionalism plenary session on uncertainty, Sheila Bair, past chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, laid the groundwork for a discussion of the fundamental elements of actuarial professionalism as a decision-making framework to approach uncertainty.
- At the closing public policy plenary session on Friday, Anand Parekh, an M.D. and chief medical advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center, provided observations and lessons learned on the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Volunteers, Service Award Winners Honored
Arnold Dicke received the Jarvis Farley Service Award, which honors an actuary whose volunteer efforts on behalf of the Academy have made significant contributions to the advancement of the profession. Dicke received the award for his nearly three decades of volunteer service in more than 35 roles that included vice president, life; a member of the Board of Directors and the Council on Professionalism; as chairperson and a member of many other Academy committees and work groups. See the video (delivered on his behalf by his daughter, Nora Gilbert).
Katie Campbell received the Robert J. Myers Public Service Award, which honors an actuary for a single noteworthy public service achievement or a career devoted to public service. She received the award in recognition of her service at the Alaska Division of Insurance, where she advanced the cause of consumer interests. Her work through the NAIC has also been heralded for her conscientious contributions to the development of many life and health actuarial regulatory initiatives that have had application nationwide. Campbell currently serves as actuary at the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission. See the video.
Four Academy members received the Outstanding Volunteerism Award: Christian Benjaminson, chairperson of the Multiemployer Plans Committee; Dave Heppen, chairperson of the Workers’ Compensation Committee; Donna Megregian, chairperson of the Life Practice Council’s Illustrations Work Group; and Jim Whelpley, a member of the Health Practice Council’s ASOP No. 6 Practice Note Work Group.
