2026 Annual Service and Recognition Award Recipients
Join us in congratulating the recipients of the 2026 service and recognition awards.
Robert J. Myers Public Service Award
Jarvis Farley Service Award
Sam Gutterman, chairperson of the Retirement Practice Council’s Social Security Committee, will receive the Jarvis Farley Service Award—a lifetime achievement award that honors a member whose volunteer efforts on behalf of the Academy have made significant contributions to the advancement of the profession. Gutterman has been an active Academy volunteer for more than 30 years, displaying extraordinary commitment to the U.S. actuarial profession with prolific volunteer contributions.
Robert J. Myers Public Service Award
J’ne Byckovski will receive the Robert J. Myers Public Service Award—recognizing a member who has made an exceptional contribution to the common good. Byckovski was chief actuary in the Texas Department of Insurance’s (TDI) P/C actuarial office until her retirement this year. Her record of substantial contributions includes overseeing TDI’s transition of a P&C rate review system to “file and use” and helping establish the Texas FAIR Plan, a residual market plan for residential property insurance.
Outstanding Volunteerism Awards
Four volunteers will receive the Outstanding Volunteerism Award (OVA), for those who have performed conspicuously above and beyond reasonably expected duties and responsibilities.
Maryellen Coggins
Maryellen Coggins (casualty), a past Academy president (2022), is being recognized for her work on the Academy’s Governance Task Force. Coggins has served on many Academy committees and task forces, including as chairperson of the Actuarial Standards Board. She currently chairs the Committee on Qualifications.
Margo MacKenzie
Margo MacKenzie (casualty), was a 2024 Rising Actuary Award recipient and is vice chairperson of the Casualty Practice Council (CPC), and has been active on several CPC committees. As a member of the Commercial Liability Task Force, she was a presenter in last year’s Commercial Liability Survey of the Market webinar and helped draft several casualty issue briefs.
Connie Rydberg
Connie Rydberg (retirement) is co-vice chairperson of the Retirement Practice Council (RPC) and is vice chairperson of the Retirement Policy and Design Evaluation (RPADE) Committee. She took the lead in the RPC’s Retirement and Gig Workers paper and efforts and was involved with the Academy’s retirement symposium this month and Hill visits this spring.
Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith (life), an incoming Academy member-selected director, is a member of the Life Practice Council (LPC) and chairs the LPC’s Life Investment and Capital Adequacy Committee and C1 Subcommittee. Smith has also been widely engaged with the news media in promoting the Academy’s life practice work and is recognized by regulators and the media as an expert on the Academy’s work on collateralized loan obligations (CLOs).
Sara Teppema
Sara Teppema (health) is vice chairperson of the Health Equity Committee and was a key planner of the Health Practice Council’s (HPC) April Broadening the Focus Virtual Summit. She has been on many HPC committees and work groups, including the Long-Term Care Committee and the Health Care Delivery Committee.
Rising Actuary Awards
Now in its fifth year, the Rising Actuary Awards recognize members aged 40 or younger or credentialed in the previous seven years
- Fernando Garcia Alvarado (retirement), Inter-American Development Bank
- Tom Callahan (health), Independence Blue Cross
- Sherry Feng (health), Optum
- Alex Ghekas (other), Principal Financial Group
- Peter Hernandez (health), Cambia Health Solutions
- Jason Luckett (casualty), SIGMA Actuarial Consulting Group
- Luis Magana (health), Cambia Health Solutions
- Francisco Mojica (casualty), Insurance Services Office
- Jenni Point (health), UPMC Health Plan
- Kayla Robertson (casualty), Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
- Fareeha Usman (health), USHEALTH Group
- Melanie Zuber (life), Securian Financial