Donald Fuerst Named Senior Pension Fellow at the American Academy of Actuaries

WASHINGTON -- Aug. 5, 2011 -- The American Academy of Actuaries announced today that Donald Fuerst will be the professional association's new senior pension fellow. Fuerst recently retired as a senior partner and consulting actuary with Mercer's Denver office, where he advised corporate clients for more than 30 years on design, funding and compliance issues related to retirement programs.

As senior pension fellow, Fuerst will serve as the U.S. actuarial profession's chief public policy liaison on pension, Social Security and other retirement security issues.

"Don brings passion to his new position with the Academy," said Ethan Kra, the vice president of the American Academy of Actuaries Pension Practice Council. "He has been deeply involved in crafting proposals for new types of retirement plans that would bring greater retirement security to the American worker. He believes strongly in the role that actuaries can play in helping policymakers design the retirement security systems of the future."

The senior pension fellow is a full-time position on the American Academy of Actuaries staff. The post was last held by Frank Todisco, who stepped down in November 2010 to become the chief actuary at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Fuerst is expected to begin his tenure as senior pension fellow in September.

Fuerst has been a member of the American Academy of Actuaries since 1978. He also is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries, and an enrolled actuary. He earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Regis University.

For more information or for a digital photograph, please contact Andrew Simonelli, assistant director of communications for the American Academy of Actuaries, at 202.785.7872. For more information on the Academy, please visit: www.actuary.org.

The American Academy of Actuaries is a 17,000-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.

SOURCE: American Academy of Actuaries

Media contact:  Andrew Simonelli, assistant director of communications for the American Academy of Actuaries, 202-785-7872, simonelli@actuary.org