Section Council Bios

Christopher H. Hause

Christopher H. Hause, FSA (1986), MAAA, CLU, is President of Hause Actuarial Solutions, Inc., Overland Park, Kansas. Major fields of professional activity, in addition to traditional life and annuity products, are Credit Insurance, Debt Cancellation and Software Development.

In addition to Vice Chair of the Smaller Insurance Company Section, Chris is the Chairman of the Credit Insurance Experience Committee and former Chair of Marketing and Distribution Section. He is also a member of the Valuation Manual Committee for Principles-Based Reserves.

D. Joeff Williams

D. Joeff Williams, FSA, MAAA is Vice–President of Actuarial Management Resources, Inc., an insurance consulting firm specializing in life and health actuarial consulting. They are also a licensed Third Party Administrator (TPA) currently administering blocks of life, annuity and health business. Major areas of professional activity include: Valuation/Financial Reporting; Cash Flow Testing; Product Development Individual Life & Health; A&H Rate Management; Acquisitions Life and A&H; and Life and Health Administration.

Joeff is the current Chair of the American Academy of Actuaries Life & Health Qualification Seminar. He also serves on the Health Practice Financial Reporting Committee of the American Academy of Actuaries; member of the American Academy of Actuaries Health Practice Note Revision Work Group (Chairperson for Medicare Supplement and Individual Major Medical Practice Notes); and member of the Premium Deficiency Reserves Work Group (co–author of the Premium Deficiency Reserves Discussion Paper).

Jeffrey D. Miller

Jeffrey D. Miller, FSA (1980), MAAA, FCA, is a consulting actuary in Overland Park, Kansas. Major fields of professional activity are financial reporting, small–group medical insurance, and individual life and annuity products. Recently, he has been active in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, The Bahamas, and with various international life and health reinsurance programs.

In addition to serving on the Smaller Insurance Company Section Council, Jeff has served as editor of the Health Section News.

Leon Langlitz

Leon Langlitz, FSA, MAAA is Vice President & Principal of Lewis & Ellis in Overland Park, Kansas. Leon has more than 25 years actuarial experience ranging from valuation and other financial issues to strategic planning, expense management, income tax preparation, and asset adequacy. Leon's clients include many state insurance departments, insurance companies and other organizations.

Since beginning as an actuarial student, he has been active in the insurance industry and his community. He is an active member of the Society of Actuaries and the American Academy of Actuaries. He is also an Associate Member of the Society of Financial Examiners. He was elected to the Society of Actuaries' Smaller Insurance Company Section Council for a three year term beginning in October 2006.

Ellen Gorman

Ellen Gorman, FSA (2002), MAAA, is a Vice President and Actuary of Illinois Mutual Life Insurance Company, Peoria, Illinois. Ellen works primarily with Individual Disability Income products, and is the company's Illustration Actuary.

Ellen is a Council Member of the Smaller Insurance Company Section, and served as a Subject Matter Expert and Content Developer for Module 2 of the FAP.

Donald M. Walker

Donald M. Walker (ASA 1994, MAAA 1995) is the Director– Life Actuarial Department at Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company of Michigan. He is the Appointed Actuary for his company and is responsible for both Product Development and Financial Reporting.

In addition to serving on the Smaller Insurance Company Section Council, Don is a former treasurer for the Taxation Section Council and a past president of the Michigan Actuarial Society. He also serves as a facilitator at the Smaller Insurance Company Chief and Corporate Actuaries Forum and is a member of the life planning committee for the Farm Bureau Actuaries annual conference.

Karen Rudolph

Karen is a principal and consulting actuary in the Omaha office of Milliman. She joined the firm in 1981.

Karen's area of expertise is individual life insurance and annuities. She has experience with:

• Business modeling and financial projections
• Actuarial aspects of mutual company restructuring
• Actuarial aspects of insurance appraisals
• Illustration regulation compliance
• Tax code compliance

Additionally, her work includes reserve reviews for Xxx and Axxx products, economic reserve determination, PGAAP valuations, asset adequacy analysis and statutory system conversions. Karen is also currently involved in the Academy's Principle Based Approach initiative, including monitoring developments for Milliman, being a part of the Practice Note writing effort and leading the SOA's research initiative on implementation of principle based approaches to reserves and capital.

Sharon Giffen

Sharon Giffen, F.S.A., F.C.I.A., M.A.A.A. is Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary at the Independent Order of Foresters ("Foresters") in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She serves as the Appointed Actuary for both Canadian and U.S. reporting and the Illustration Actuary for the U.S.; her responsibilities include oversight of pricing, asset-liability management and business planning for the consolidated organization and she is an active member of Foresters Risk Committee.

Sharon spent many years working with the Examination Committee of the Society of Actuaries, is a past president of the Actuaries Club of Toronto, a past president of the Actuaries Section of the National Fraternal Congress of America. Currently, she is a member of the Committee on Life Insurance Company Expenses, serves on the Smaller Insurance Company Section Council of the SOA, and is a member of the Committee on the Role of the Appointed Actuary of the CIA.

Robert W. Omdal

Robert W. Omdal, FSA, MAAA is a 1971 graduate of Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. In 1979, he earned his Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries. In 1977, he became a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Bob has been a speaker at numerous meetings of the Society of Actuaries. He has served as Chairman of the Annual Meeting Program Committee 2 times, as well as Chairman of the Society of Actuary Career Encouragement Committee for many years. With over 35 years in the insurance industry, Bob began his career with 16 years as a Consultant with Milliman and followed by 16 years as Assistant Vice President and Actuary at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. He joined Shelter Life Insurance Company in October of 2004 as Chief Actuary of Life and Health and Assistant Secretary.