American Academy of Actuaries Announces Tom Wildsmith as Next President-elect

Board of Directors Also Elects Five Officers

WASHINGTON—The American Academy of Actuaries board of directors has elected Tom Wildsmith to the position of president-elect. Wildsmith, an actuary who serves as senior public policy manager in Aetna’s Washington office, will succeed Mary D. Miller as president for the 2015-16 term.

Wildsmith served as the Academy’s vice president, health, from 2010 to 2012. He currently serves as chairperson of the Health Practice Council Communications Committee and of the Medicare Steering Committee, and is a member of the Public Interest Committee.

“As the unified voice of U.S. actuaries from all areas of practice, the Academy plays a vital role in providing actuarially informed, objective analysis to policymakers, and supports rigorous standards of qualification, standards of practice, and counseling and discipline for the profession,” said Wildsmith. “I look forward to working as president-elect and then as president to maximize the Academy’s effectiveness in its public policy and professionalism mission.”

The Academy also announced that its board of directors elected five members to fill officer positions who also serve on the board. The terms for all officers will begin on Nov. 13 at the close of the Academy’s Annual Meeting.

John Moore, chief operating officer and chief actuary of The Terry Group of Englewood, Colo., was re-elected to a second one-year term as secretary. He will continue to oversee committees responsible for the association’s communications functions.

Art Panighetti, AVP, Regulatory and Projects Actuary at Pacific Life Insurance Co. in Newport Beach, Calif., was re-elected to a third one-year term as treasurer. He will continue to oversee committees responsible for the association’s budgetary and finance matters.

The Academy’s board of directors also elected three members to serve two-year terms as vice presidents.

Shawna Ackerman, chief actuary of the California Earthquake Authority in Sacramento, Calif., is the new vice president of the Academy’s Casualty Practice Council. The council oversees and directs the Academy’s work on property and casualty insurance issues, including medical professional liability, workers’ compensation and extreme events, including climate change and terrorism risk insurance.

Cathy Murphy-Barron, a consulting actuary with Milliman Inc., New York, is the new vice president of the Academy’s Health Practice Council, which oversees the Academy’s work providing objective technical expertise to federal and state policymakers and regulators on health insurance issues.

Ken Kent, principal consulting actuary with Cheiron Inc. in McLean, Va., is the new vice president for the Academy’s Council on Professionalism. The council coordinates the Academy’s activities in the field of professionalism, including maintaining the Code of Professional Conduct and Qualification Standards and representing the U.S. profession to policymakers.

For more information on the American Academy of Actuaries, please visit www.actuary.org.

The American Academy of Actuaries is an 18,500-member professional association whose mission is to serve the public and the U.S. actuarial profession. The Academy assists public policymakers on all levels by providing leadership, objective expertise, and actuarial advice on risk and financial security issues. The Academy also sets qualification, practice, and professionalism standards for actuaries in the United States.

Media Only: For more information or for digital portraits, please contact Assistant Director of Communications, Public Affairs, David Mendes at 202.785.7872 or mendes@actuary.org.