Hill Visits Let Volunteers Get the Word Out About the Academy

By Ted Gotsch, Policy Content and Publications Manager 

Academy volunteers went to Washington, D.C., last week to share their actuarial insights on top policy concerns and left the nation’s capital a few days later having fulfilled the organization’s public service mission after sharing their objective expertise with lawmakers’ staff.  

Some 40 Academy members, accompanied by Academy staff, participated in more than 30 Capitol Hill visits, sharing their non-partisan professional perspective with both committee and individual member congressional staff across practice areas on issues such as Medicare, Social Security, climate events, lifetime income, and artificial intelligence. Those discussions are seen as essential in helping the Academy spread the word about who it is and how it can assist policymakers. 

“Hill visits are really important because it begins a conversation with the people that we want to interact with,” Academy President Darrell Knapp said. “It’s not expecting to walk out of the Hill visit with any sort of firm conclusion or ‘hey, we scored this big win.’ It is starting a conversation with a number of influential representatives and their staffers.” 

This year’s event brought some changes to the annual visits. For the first time, members from all five practice areas attended simultaneously, which meant more volunteers participated in person than in recent years. Additionally, the focus was solely on visiting congressional offices, with the aim of meeting with federal agencies and other stakeholders later this summer. 

Last week’s Hill visits also marked the first time in recent years that members of the Life Practice Council (LPC) participated. They teamed up with members of the Retirement Practice Council (RPC) to discuss lifetime income options, and LPC member Theresa Resnick said it was well worth it. She noted that when people talk about retirement savings, they often don’t consider the personal savings element outside of traditional retirement vehicles like pensions and defined contribution plans. 

“A lot of that personal savings discussion and activity occurs within the life practice,” she said. “Looking at all three of those things comprehensively, from a federal lens, is important because so many retirement dollars are moving into the life and annuity space.” 

Policymakers need to understand that change, Resnick stated, because “the greater they have that understanding, the more they can be balanced in policy they may be setting.” 

Many other first-time attendees across practice areas also participated in Hill visits and were excited to contribute to the Academy’s conversations with Hill staff. Chris Lombardi, a member of the Health Practice Council’s (HPC) Active Benefits Subcommittee, said the event gave him a different perspective on the work he does daily. 

“I really like to take a step back,” he said. “We get caught up in the day-to-day, spreadsheets and crunching numbers. I like to be involved in a more academic, theoretical, high-level discussions.” 

At the end of day, the most important message to articulate to congressional staff is that the Academy can assist them on policy questions they may have, said Julia Lerche, the HPC’s vice chair. 

“I’m interested to hear what legislators and their staffs are thinking about this year, what problems they are trying to address, what solutions they are evaluating, and where we can be helpful in providing unbiased information to inform their decision making,” she said.  

Keep an eye out for video and photos of the event that captured the spirit of Hill visits. The Academy looks forward to hosting an even bigger event next spring. Stay tuned!