Mary Jo Hudson Elected to Academy Board as Special Director

WASHINGTON—Mary Jo Hudson, J.D., has been elected by the American Academy of Actuaries Board of Directors to fill an open special director position on the Board. Hudson, former director of the Ohio Department of Insurance (2007-11), will serve a term ending in the fall of 2016.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with many actuaries as a regulator, and look forward to this new role supporting the important public policy and professionalism mission of the Academy,” said Hudson, a member of the law firm of Bailey Cavalieri LLC, Columbus, Ohio, a legal practice emphasizing multi-state insurance regulatory compliance issues.
Under the Academy’s bylaws, special directors are a special class of director elected by the Board and whose presence on the Board is deemed helpful to the Academy.

“The Academy welcomes Mary Jo and the highly informed contributions that she can bring to our organization with her diversity of public leadership, legal, and nonprofit experience,” said Academy President Mary D. Miller. “Mary Jo’s extensive knowledge of insurance-related public policy issues that affect and inform actuarial practice and her outstanding history of public service are tremendous assets.”

As director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, Hudson oversaw an agency responsible for regulating approximately 250 domestic insurance companies, and 1397 foreign and alien insurance companies. Hudson served in numerous National Association of Insurance Commissioners and Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission leadership positions. Her previous experience includes other positions within the department of insurance, and positions as a corporate attorney. She is a member of the Columbus Board of Education, and from September 2004 to January 2007 served as a council member on the Columbus City Council. She is a professor of law at Capital University Law School in Columbus.


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.