Helloooo ASEA!

As some of us gather at our first conference since the pandemic, there is excitement in the air for this week’s Symposium. The biggest question we face…will flights leave on time coming and going? I had to drive to the EA-2L Exam Writers Committee Meeting in Toronto after my flight was cancelled. Fingers crossed for Chicago.

Speaking of the EA-2L Exam Committee, big congrats to Matt Longley of CBIZ (and ASEA!). He will take my spot as co-chair for the committee for a 4-year term. I am going back to writing questions. Well-earned, Matt!

Matt and I are both excited to meet our friend, Tiffany Myers, FSA, EA, MSEA, Future Plan, in person at the Symposium. As facilitated with the Google Group, sometimes we make friends with our fellow actuaries just through posts and deeper off-group dives into questions and issues. Tiffany has also been an all-star in recent issues of the ASEA Monthly with her many contributions. This month is no exception: Tiffany provides two articles.

The first article is the most anticipated sequel since the last Indiana Jones. Her article on self-employed individuals and IRC Section 404(a)(8) can be found here. 

Her second article is in connection with something she is doing in her “spare” time, and delves into the personality of an actuary. Although ASEA actuaries are a different breed than most other actuaries—the gift that keeps giving in this group is the people. What a generous group when it comes to sharing their knowledge, and the personalities are top-notch! You can find Tiffany’s SECOND article here.

Note the FSA designation for Tiffany, a recent development. Big congrats!

Speaking of the Symposium, I am introducing the next writer as one of the first people I met at my first Symposium in 2010. Mary Ann Rocco, EA (and Annie Brown) were the president and Incoming president of our group, respectively. I had just started a new job and never heard of then-ACOPA before signing up. Those two fine people made me feel very welcome (and of course asked if I had any interest in volunteering). Such an ingrained memory that I can tell you where we were standing when we spoke. That encounter, along with the session on the ‘Google Group’ I also never heard of before, was a life changer.

And here is Mary Ann’s article to help out those who need it: “PBGC Plan Termination Tips and Updates,” which can be found here.

Our last article is from Allison Wielobob, the General Counsel of the American Retirement Association. Allison has such a rich history in our field. Her article is here. 

Truth be told—I don’t want to describe her experience—I want to learn more about it first (perhaps there will be an article on that sometime in the future). I often find myself looking at the June post “Who wrote ERISA” from the Google group where Allison mentioned she was one of Judy Miller’s counterparts on the Joint Committee staff.

Without Judy Miller, I would not be anywhere near the orbit of the EA-2L Exam Writers Committee. Besides recommending me, I always had the sense Judy believed in me and I strove to improve my communication skills so that Judy would understand my meanings.

Ok, time to make new nostalgia this week. See you in Chicago!

Alan