ASEA Monthly
Do you ever feel totally exhausted after the ASPPA Annual? I told the office staff it was an ASPPA hangover! As we look back at the conference, the amount of material discussed quickly is incredible.
Amongst the sessions, we have the Annual ASEA Business Meeting. The meeting allows members to share lunch and catch up with friends. This article is intended to provide a summary of the meeting. Thank you to everyone who made the meeting happen. It’s essential that we come together to discuss the relevant issues we face and to highlight the award winners who have enhanced the organization with their time and dedication. The meeting started with general comments about ASEA volunteer opportunities, current membership numbers, and upcoming webcasts. We are all aware that the number of EAs declines with each re-enrollment period. This makes the pool of possible ASEA members smaller each year. Our total membership numbers have decreased over the last few years but ASEA has rolled out a new program to help with this issue. More on this later.
The next portion of the meeting recognizes personal achievements within ASEA. The Edward E. Burrows Distinguished Achievement Award is presented to a pension actuary who has set an example for other pension actuaries by their actions. This is an actuary who has gone above and beyond in advancing ethics, education, beneficial legislation, or regulations that enhance the private pension system or the professionalism within our industry. The award originated in 2008. For 2023, the award was presented posthumously to Patrick Byrnes and received by Mrs. Byrnes. It was great to have Mrs. Byrnes join us for this occasion. Many members are unaware that ASEA has a Fellow designation. We hope to make the designation more prominent in the future. It can be achieved through the service or exam track.
We are excited to welcome Mary Ann Rocco and Joe Nichols to the FSEA community. Their service to the organization, as well as ASPPA, spans over several years in various capacities. Congratulations!! I presented a “state of ASEA” speech listing the various events and progress on initiatives during 2023. This included the Actuarial Insight attendance, committee updates, new volunteers, and upcoming leadership.
Your 2024 leadership is as follows: Angie Vadnais (President), Charles Brown (President-Elect), David Kupstas (Executive Vice President), along with new Leadership Council members Tiffany Myers, Justin Greindl, and Corey Zeller. Finally, the exciting news about rolling out the ASEA Academy was presented by Angie and Charles. The membership committee worked throughout the year to establish the ASEA Academy for those pursuing the enrolled actuary designation. This will include a forum for EA students and a webcast series for exam preparation.
Many ASPPA members visited the ASEA booth to get more information on the program, and there is a list of people who will be joining as student members once everything is finalized.
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