Kathy Wong, FSA, CERA, MAAA, was presented with the SOA Distinguished Service Award by 2009-2010 SOA President Mike McLaughlin at the 2010 Annual Meeting.
Wong, who is vice president and actuary at AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company in New Jersey since 1998, is responsible for the financial reporting and analysis of institutional participating group pension products and discontinued operations lines of business.
Wong has been an active volunteer of the SOA starting in 1994 as a member of the Education and Examination Committees for Fall Finance and Investment Examinations. She has actively worked her way through the ranks of the E&E Committees and recently became the Education general chairperson. Her service on the Education Committees included Finance, ERM and Investment examination tracks and participation in the 2007 examination redesign.
In addition, Wong served as the chair of the Knowledge Management Strategic Action Team from 2004 to 2008, which launched the work on the risk management, continuing professional development and academic relations initiatives that are now in place. She headed the task force that developed the CERA credential and represented the SOA on the Syllabus Committee that was charged with developing the Global CERA credential.
In addition to her SOA volunteerism activities, she has volunteered extensively with the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. She was a Girl Scout growing up and Wong's daughter followed in her footsteps becoming a Girl Scout too. Wong has been a Girl Scout leader throughout the years for several troops, guiding and teaching the girls about leadership, outdoor skills and other important life skills. She moved up the ranks within the Girl Scout organization, serving as a manager of the community and a trainer of the incoming adult leaders in outdoor skills.
"It is my honor and privilege to award Kathy with this year's SOA Distinguished Service Award for all that she has done for the actuarial profession and the volunteer activities she is involved in at the community level as well," said McLaughlin.
The SOA Distinguished Service Award is given to volunteers who have long-term, multi-faceted volunteer records with the SOA. Individuals who receive this award are recognized for their consistent and significant contributions to the success of the SOA and its programs, initiatives, task forces, meetings and seminars. This award also recognizes those who devote an outstanding commitment of personal time in activities for the common good, using actuarial skills to advance philanthropic goals or to serve the community, in effect, reflecting credit on the actuarial profession.
The award was first presented in 1999. To date, 15 individuals have received the SOA Distinguished Service Award.