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Academy Representatives Present at CLRS, Co-Hosted With CAS
Slotznick presents at CLRS
The Academy and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) co-hosted this week’s annual Casualty Loss Reserve Seminar in St. Louis, where Academy representatives presented on multiple topics. Lisa Slotznick—nominated earlier this year to be the Academy’s next president-elect—co-presented with Ken Williams from the CAS in a professionalism session on the recently revised U.S. Qualification Standards. Assistant Director for Research (Public Policy) Steve Jackson moderated a “Can’t Stand the Heat” panel that looked at physical risk and disclosures related to climate change and the Actuaries Climate Risk Index (ACRI), and presented research originating in the ERM/ORSA Committee’s Climate Related Financial Disclosures Work Group.
Annual Meeting Agenda Preview: General Session to Explore ‘Inflation Nation’
Questions about the potential impact of inflation on private insurance, pension plans, and major public systems are at the forefront of many conversations. Panelists from different actuarial practice areas will share their insights on this issue during the “Inflation Nation: Actuarial Perspectives on Inflation’s Effects on Insurance and Pensions” general session at the Academy’s Envision Tomorrow: 2022 Annual Meeting, Nov. 2–3 in Washington, D.C. The presentation and discussion will dive into the current picture of cost and claim trends and shine a light on the possible actuarial implications of inflation over time.
That’s just one of the many sessions exploring top-of-mind issues and bringing together experts to share insights during this year’s event. See the full agenda for more details.
Don’t forget the early rate—There’s one week left to secure an early registration rate. Prices will increase after Sept. 30—register today for the in-person event and save.
New virtual option—A Digital Pass is now available for the event, allowing attendees virtual access to the general sessions and a curated selection of breakout sessions. Learn more.
Inaugural Rising Actuary Award Recipients Announced
The Academy announced 14 recipients of the new Rising Actuary Award, recognizing actuarial leaders 35 years old and younger or credentialed for 10 years or less as of Jan. 1, 2022, nominated by their peers due to their dedication to principles of actuarial professionalism and their corporate, social, nonprofit, and/or professional leadership roles. Young actuary leaders represent the future of the actuarial profession, bringing innovation, new perspectives and skills, and an embrace of leadership roles to guide it into the future. Award recipients will be recognized at the Academy’s “Envision Tomorrow: 2022 Annual Meeting” in November.
The inaugural Rising Actuary Award recipients are: Chelsea Adler, Haitham Aly, Laura Bass, Allison Fehnel, Janessa Gramson Sanchez, Fallon Harrell, Eric Hintikka, Taylor Krebsbach Davis, Maambo Mujala, Evan Palumbo, Yixuan Song, Todd Tauzer, Michael Wise, and Mike Woods.
Join us at the annual meeting and help celebrate our inaugural Rising Actuary Award recipients. Look for more coverage about these exceptional rising leaders in the November Actuarial Update and the November/December issue of Contingencies.
Steve Alpert Presents on PAL to Pension Rights Center
Academy Past President and Pension Assistance List (PAL) volunteer Steve Alpert presented Sept. 13 at the Pension Rights Center’s (PRC) National Training Conference, discussing the program with the attendees who staff the PRC’s assistance projects around the country. He explained the type of help that PAL volunteers provide to plan participants and answered questions about how to access PAL services. For more information or to volunteer, visit the PAL webpage.
CE Opportunities—Register for Next Week’s Professionalism, Cross-Practice Webinars
Join the Academy for next week’s cross-practice and professionalism webinars:
“Cover Your Assets: The Changing Asset Profile of Insurers and Implications for Actuaries,” a life and risk management & financial reporting webinar, will offer insight into changes resulting in more complex securities on life insurers’ balance sheets, the types of risks that these assets bring, and approaches actuaries can use to quantify those risks. This webinar is next Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. EDT. Register today.
“ASOP No. 41, Actuarial Communications: Your Feedback Matters,” a professionalism and cross-practice webinar, will cover the Actuarial Standards Board’s (ASB) approval of an exposure draft of a proposed revision of Actuarial Standard of Practice (ASOP) No. 41, Actuarial Communications, which applies to actuaries when issuing actuarial communications in any form (written, electronic, or oral) within any practice area. This webinar—which offers USQS professionalism credit and JBEA core credit—will be on Friday, Sept. 30, from noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT. Register now.
Public Policy Outreach Highlights Academy’s Health Equity, Climate-Related Work
Aany Tazmin-Ewing, the leader of the Health Equity Committee’s (HEC) data subgroup, served as a panelist for a session on race and insurance at the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals’ annual conference in Miami on Tuesday. Tazmin-Ewing delivered a presentation exploring the challenges of health equity and highlighting the HEC’s work, and participated in an engaging panel discussion with experts from the compliance community.
Academy Climate Change Joint Task Force Chairperson Lisa Slotznick, task force member Peter Ott, and Academy Assistant Director for Research (Public Policy) Steve Jackson presented the Allstate Actuarial Education virtual program, “The Actuary’s Role in The Climate Change Public Policy Dialogue,” on Thursday. The session covered financial statement disclosure research, the Actuaries Climate Index and the ACRI, and additional work related to variations in climate impact.
Professionalism Outreach: Academy Speakers Engage With Actuarial Club Audiences
ASB Life Committee member Donna Megregian provided “A Look at Ethics and Professionalism” to the Tri-State Actuarial Club (Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio) in Indianapolis on Monday. Megregian’s presentation framed an engaging discussion of ethics case studies with the audience in the context of the Code of Professional Conduct, ASOPs, and other aspects of professionalism.
Academy Committee on Education member and past ASB member Cande Olsen, and ASB Life Committee member Gabriel Schiminovich delivered a virtual presentation to the Portland (Ore.) Actuarial Club on Thursday. Their presentation, “Professionalism: Keeping It Sharp with Fundamentals and, Yes, Fun,” provided a brief overview of the professionalism infrastructure housed in the Academy, followed by highlights of recently adopted life and health ASOPs. The session concluded with a discussion of selected professionalism topics through an interactive Q&A.
Professionalism Speakers Bureau—The Academy provides qualified speakers to actuarial clubs and organizations to help members fulfill their professionalism continuing education requirements. For more information, visit the Academy website.
Thank You for Answering the Call to Further Support the Academy’s Mission; Volunteer Opportunity Still Available
Thank you to all current volunteer and members who answered this year’s call for volunteers to help further support the Academy’s mission to serve the U.S. actuarial profession and the public. Over the next several months, Academy volunteer leadership and staff will contact those members who expressed interest in volunteering for Academy committees, and additionally, those who expressed in interest in short-term micro-volunteering opportunities will be contacted as those opportunities become available.
Don’t worry if you weren’t able to complete the survey by the deadline—you can still raise your hand to volunteer by completing the volunteer form on the Academy’s website. Members can also learn more about volunteering by visiting the volunteer page and by watching the 2022 volunteer onboarding webinar.
JBEA Seeks Applications for Actuarial Examinations Advisory Committee
The Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries (JBEA) is seeking applications for the next term of its Advisory Committee on Actuarial Examinations, which will run from March 1, 2023, through Feb. 28, 2025. The committee plays an integral role in the JBEA’s examination program by assisting in offering examinations that enable examination candidates to demonstrate the knowledge necessary to qualify for enrollment. For more information, see the article on the IRS website. Applications are being accepted through Dec. 6—interested individuals can find application instructions in the Sept. 6 Federal Registernotice.
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