Approximately one-third of CAS members volunteer their time and expertise each year. Among those dedicated members, 10 exceptional individuals were recognized with the 2024 Volunteer Awards during last year’s CAS Annual Meeting. What makes these honorees particularly noteworthy is that their nominations came directly from their peers. Some are emerging leaders who have made a significant impact early in their volunteer journeys. There are also long-time contributors whose decades of service have helped shape the profession.
As National Volunteer Week approaches — running from April 21 to April 27 this year — it’s the perfect time to spotlight these inspiring volunteers. We asked the award recipients to share their thoughts on volunteering with the CAS: why they do it, what they enjoy most and what makes their experiences memorable.
These exceptional individuals have gone above and beyond, making outstanding contributions to the CAS community and to the actuarial profession.
The New Members Award
Recognizing the rising stars within our community, this award honors CAS members who have made significant volunteer contributions within five years of earning their most recent credential.
Chor Leong Aw Yong, FCAS
For contributions to Asia Regional Casualty Actuaries (ARECA) and the Asia Regional Working Group
I volunteer at the CAS because I enjoy the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and interact with various levels of leadership and the community. There were no barriers, and we were all treated equally and fairly. You could be in the C-suite of a large corporation or a student from a university, but as a CAS volunteer, we are all the same! Without barriers, information and knowledge are freely shared and exchanged. This fits exactly the purpose of the CAS — to advance the body of knowledge of actuarial science. I would not have been able to meet so many amazing and wonderful people if I did not volunteer. Meeting Geoff Werner is certainly one of my best volunteering memories! My generation of Exam 5 utilizes his text, Basic Ratemaking, extensively. The local university volunteers even brought copies of his textbook to be autographed! I worked with a couple of volunteers and CAS staff across the world, and it was so exciting when we finally met in person! It’s like meeting up with long-time friends who we haven’t seen in a while. JFK said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” And as the idiom goes, “Many hands make light work.” Just raise your hand to help out in any way you can! Start small. Be proactive. It’s actually much easier than you think it is. And most importantly, enjoy volunteering! Sidenote: If you haven’t, I strongly recommend all actuaries read The Psychology of Human Misjudgment by the late Charlie Munger. I became a better actuary and a better person with his wisdom.
Rohan Bhale, FCAS
For work on the Property & Casualty Predictive Analytics (PCPA) project
I volunteer for the CAS because I truly believe in their mission to make a positive impact on our community of P&C actuaries. The work the CAS does aligns with my values of giving back and promoting our professional society. Volunteering also allows me to grow personally and professionally, as I’m constantly inspired by the people I work with and the kind of tangible impact we can have. What I’m most proud of in my volunteering experience is how it has pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. I have had opportunities to collaborate with others on developing the PCPA exam and project. I also had the opportunity to participate at the DC Black College Expo to share with high schoolers information about the actuarial profession. My advice to new CAS members is to start by being open-minded and proactive. Volunteer work can be a learning experience, so don’t hesitate to ask questions, offer ideas and take on new challenges. It’s also important to build strong connections with your fellow volunteers, as teamwork and mutual support are key to making a lasting impact.
Jack Richards, FCAS
For efforts with the Candidate Advocate Working Group
I enjoy the impact I am able to make in partnership with other CAS volunteers and staff! Seeing the Student Central Summer Program develop from an idea into a program that has had an immense educational impact on hundreds of students every year has been very rewarding. If you have an idea, you can turn it into action at the CAS in combination with the broad network of other actuaries you build through volunteering. My favorite memory of volunteering is seeing fellow volunteers in person at CAS meetings! After years (sometimes) of Teams meetings, it’s nice to finally meet folks in person. As I’ve attended Annual Meetings over the years, I’ve made intentional efforts to meet up with other volunteers to get to know one another better and discuss what’s to come at the CAS! There are plenty of opportunities for you to immediately give back to the profession and your peers — from helping educate and inspire the next generation of actuaries through the Student Central and University Engagement programs to helping evaluate the next generation of actuaries through writing and grading. You’ll find your passion as you go and meet lots of friends and colleagues along the way!
Zach Suter, ACAS
For contributions to the Professionalism Education Working Group
I started volunteering for a couple of different reasons. First, I specifically remember thinking when I took my Course on Professionalism (COP) that the facilitators were really enthusiastic and brought a lot of energy to the course. I wanted to do the same for future candidates after having such a good experience at what I expected to be less than exciting. On top of that, I wanted to start giving back to the actuarial community in a way that I could help bring about positive change that I wanted to see. I have had some struggles throughout my exam process and wanted to be able to influence changes to help future candidates not face what I faced. It has been incredibly rewarding to work with candidates and help to give them a voice. I really enjoy facilitating the COP and getting a chance to meet and work with soon-to-be Associates. It’s been an absolute pleasure meeting so many new folks who are on the cusp of finally getting their credentials and sharing in the excitement. I have had the opportunity to continue to keep in touch with many candidates and see many at CAS meetings and even help motivate some to volunteer (many for the Professionalism Education Working Group). It’s very rewarding to help give others the same experience I was able to have at my COP. Additionally, I have made some incredible lifelong friends from my volunteering with the Professionalism Education Working Group who I never would have met, and I am very thankful for that! One of my favorite memories from volunteering was seeing so many of my fellow volunteers and prior COP candidates in Phoenix at the 2024 CAS Annual Meeting, which was my first big CAS meeting since I started volunteering back in 2020. It was so fun catching up with past candidates and seeing so many familiar faces in the crowd at the sessions I presented. And of course, spending time with all of my committee friends I have made over the years throughout the four days! My advice is to just dive into a volunteer opportunity that you think sparks your passion. There are plenty of different opportunities available, and I would strongly recommend at least exploring the possibilities. The VIP survey is an easy consolidation of options out there that anyone can read through and get more information from. And if someone is interested in learning more about the COP or the Professionalism Education Working Group, I would love to hear from you and share my experiences.
Above & Beyond Achievement Award
Celebrating those who surpass expectations, this award is for volunteers who have recently made exceptional contributions that stand out. The 2024 Above and Beyond Achievement Award is presented to:
Kyle Bartee, ACAS
For involvement with the University Engagement Advisory Working Group, the Case Competition Task Force, and the CAS Student Central Summer Program
I started my professional life as a teacher, teaching math, obviously! Since then, I’ve always had a passion for helping students because I want to see them achieve more than what they think is possible. Within the CAS, I am still able to do that as a University Liaison, a Summer Program mentor and most recently as the chair of the Case Competition Task Force. With math in particular, the biggest challenge as a teacher was getting students to believe in themselves because of the self-narrative, “I’m just not good at math.” This is especially true in the lower socioeconomic school where I taught. Around the time I stopped taking exams in 2018, the CAS increased their focus on bringing awareness about our profession to students who never heard of an actuary. Since I am competitive by nature, I really enjoy being a part of closing that gap in the talent pipeline by winning those students back from other STEM careers. It goes hand in hand with encouraging those students to dream big and to achieve even more. As an ambassador of our profession, I had the honor of meeting some of the students in person I’ve mentored virtually while presenting at the student sessions of several CAS meetings. Seeing them in person and catching up is rivaled only by the follow-up mentor meetings where I get to hear about how far my teams make it in the competitions. It’s difficult to pick a favorite between the two. One of the teams I mentored had a modeling project where they wanted to use open-source data to predict the lobster migration patterns in the Atlantic to increase efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the lobster industry. To be fair, it was part of the Actuarial Foundation’s Modeling the Future Challenge, and the team was from a high school in the New England area. It was one of the first teams I mentored with the Actuarial Foundation, and they were using geospatial modeling techniques that were beyond my skills at the time, so I connected them with my CSPA modeling mentor. Come to find out, my mentor used to work in research and one of his topics was analytics for the lobster industry! I know people say it’s a small world in our profession, but that one still makes me smile when I think about what the chances are. It really has nothing to do with me in particular, but I have the privilege of seeing firsthand the talented high school and college students that our profession has the opportunity to attract, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Some bemoan the “next generation” from the difference in work styles to the slang they use, but seeing what this generation is capable of as a mentor in these challenges is an encouragement. I am always impressed with the skills they are able to bring to the table, and it even inspires me in my own work. I am proud of the work they are able to do, and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of their journey.
Sara Chen, FCAS
For outstanding work on the Actuarial Review
Volunteering for the CAS has been a fun and fulfilling experience. Not only does it give me opportunities to give back to the organization, but it also allows me to meet and collaborate with other actuaries from diverse backgrounds and walks of life who have inspired me both personally and professionally. One aspect of volunteering that I particularly enjoy is learning skills that I wouldn’t typically get the chance to as an actuary, such as video storyboarding for microlearning, and editing and writing articles for Actuarial Review. It’s a refreshing break from looking at numbers and spreadsheets all day and has helped me develop my communication skills. The culture among the CAS staff and the volunteer working groups is non-judgmental, collaborative and supportive. It’s a great community to be a part of. I encourage new volunteers to keep an open mind when exploring all the volunteer opportunities the CAS has to offer and not be afraid to try something new!
Jimmy Molyneux, FIAA, FCAS
For contributions to Asia Regional Casualty Actuaries (ARECA) and the Asia Regional Working Group
I volunteer for the CAS for the chance to get exposure to topics and develop skills that I might not be as readily able to in my daily work. The second reason is the opportunity to network, discuss and share knowledge with other actuaries from around the world (who are also very willing to share their knowledge and experience). The third reason is the chance to help the profession and pay it forward; just as today’s actuaries have benefitted from the efforts of past volunteers, volunteering now is a way to ensure future members benefit in the same way too. I think it’s the culture within the CAS volunteer community of inclusiveness and curiosity. I’m not exactly the “typical” CAS volunteer; most of my career has been outside of North America, and as an Australian I spell and say my words differently (colour vs color, organise vs organize, etc.). But I’ve found with the CAS, my fellow volunteers not only don’t care about any of those things but value my (often different) perspective and look to incorporate it into what the CAS does. One of my best memories of being a volunteer is being one of the facilitators for the Asia COP— not only for the interactions with the students, but many of the facilitators have been doing the course for several years now and the discussions we’ve had between ourselves have been both thought-provoking and a lot of fun. In May 2024 we did our first in-person COP since the pandemic, and meeting up with the other facilitators was like catching up with old friends. My advice to new CAS members just getting their start in volunteering is to get stuck in; try different things that get you out of your comfort zone and see which ones you find interesting and enjoyable.
Fran Sarrel, FCAS
For dedication to the Admissions
Transformation Plan
I have been volunteering on the Syllabus & Examination Working Group for about 16 years. I started there, mainly because the committee chair called me. Of the Admissions committees, I thought Syllabus was the most impactful — to be part of the group who decides what’s on the exams. I then decided that grading and item writing would help with Syllabus, so I volunteered to grade and write items for that exam sitting. I learned a lot by grading (it’s weirdly fun, if time-consuming) and item writing. Over time, the syllabus committee got folded into the Exam Committee, mainly for better communication, but I think it has worked out pretty well. After putting in my time commitment for grading and writing, I remained on Syllabus and became the general officer through the Job Task Analysis/Admissions Transformation Plan process. I have met some really great people through volunteering, which is definitely the biggest benefit. Personally, I think everyone should grade at some point and write items if you have that skill. Learning “how the sausage is made” gives you new perspective on the exams. For example, did you know that what you think is a trick in an exam question is rarely an actual trick? Take the question as written. Answer the question as written. Don’t overthink it! Volunteering is what you make of it. Especially for exams, graders, item writers and syllabus updaters are needed every sitting. But if you really want to make an impact, talk to the team leads, vice chairs and chairs. We often need people to step into leadership roles. And you don’t have to put in 10+ years to get there.
Ernesto Schirmacher, PhD, FSA, CSPA, Affiliate Member
For work on the Property & Casualty Predictive Analytics (PCPA) project
I view volunteering as an important part of hearing and sharing different points of view and staying current with what others are doing. What I enjoy most about volunteering is working with others outside of my usual work group to accomplish something that will benefit many people. One of the aspects of volunteering that stands out to me is that the perspectives from other people (CAS staff and other actuaries) have all been important to me and helped me shape my own thinking about different topics. My best memory about volunteering is working with Rohan Bhale, FCAS, and Dustin Larson, CAS certification program manager, when we were able to put the puzzle pieces together on a hands-on project. When on a tight deadline, small is beautiful! A big dose of collaboration and some elbow grease can yield amazing results! I am most proud that through volunteering we have been able to put together some interesting projects to further skill development for the next wave of actuaries. When you first join a volunteer group, ask questions, offer your insights, and ask to pair up with someone else to accomplish some tasks.
Josh Taub, FCAS
For contributions to the Professionalism Education Working Group
Volunteering gives me an opportunity for additional exposure to things I find interesting — anything from learning about how new technologies are impacting insurance to discussing how behavioral economics relates to the ethical decisions actuaries need to make. I enjoy volunteering because I get to work with fun and smart people, and I get to share things I find interesting with them. Learning and sharing learning is a passion of mine. I’ve been able to meet tons of people through the volunteer work and speaking that I’ve done. That certainly includes many other CAS members, but it also includes insurance experts and actuaries from around the world. Volunteering has definitely broadened my network.
Do you know a CAS member who deserves recognition for their outstanding volunteer history or impact? Stay tuned to your email in April for a call for nominations. Winners will be recognized at the CAS Annual Meeting.
Matthew Rodermund Memorial Service Award
Established in 1990 in memory of Matthew Rodermund’s dedication to the CAS, this prestigious award honors CAS members who have made significant volunteer contributions throughout their careers.
Paul Kinson, ACAS
A week before I finished college, a recruiter from Aetna Insurance was on campus talking to students about the actuarial career. I was intrigued by what I heard and thought it would be a good fit for me. Prior to that, I knew very little about the actuarial career. This is what has driven my passion to help students learn more about the career at an earlier stage than I did. That is why I have volunteered with the University Liaison program and the University Engagement Committee. I have mentored students at CAS meetings as well. Volunteering is a great way to network! The actuarial profession is relatively small, and it is surprising how often your path crosses with those of other actuaries throughout your career. An actuary’s network is useful in many ways — from lifelong friendships, to future job opportunities, to sources for advice on projects, to recommendations for committee assignments, to dinner companions at CAS meetings, and many others. My favorite CAS memories surround volunteering as a mentor for the Student Program at CAS meetings. It is inspiring to talk with the students who will be the next generation of actuaries — they are so much more knowledgeable and worldly than I was at that age. I enjoy sharing what I have learned about the profession and what makes it interesting to me and learning from them what they have experienced in classes and internships. Their questions often make me think of things long forgotten (it’s been quite a while since I was an entry-level actuary).
Andy Kudera, FCAS
I volunteer for the CAS to give back to the profession because it has given so much to me in terms of personal and professional satisfaction. Meeting and collaborating with other members and the CAS office staff is what I enjoy most about volunteering. My best memory about volunteering is the friendships that have developed over the years.
These honorees are a testament to the passion, dedication and excellence that define the nearly 3,000 CAS volunteers. Their contributions make our community stronger and the profession better. All award winners were recognized at the 2024 CAS Annual Meeting this November in Phoenix, Arizona.
