By Mary Pat Campbell
It’s that time of year again, when the air finally starts to warm in the Northern Hemisphere and a young actuary’s fancy turns to running for SOA leadership roles. A great place to start? The SOA Tech Section Council!
First, the nitty-gritty:
Expressions of interest are currently being taken by the SOA until May 31, 2013, here:
/professional-inte...sion-form.aspx
Some info on what is involved in being on a Section Council in general:
/professional-inte...-councils.aspx
The efforts of council members are critical to the overall section and contribute to the success of the SOA. What’s in it for you?
Networking—During a three-year council term, a member is likely to establish contacts with dozens of new people: fellow council members, Board Partners, and staff from a variety of geographic locations, companies and work experiences.
Leadership skills—Serving on a council is a relatively “safe place” to practice your skills of negotiating, recruiting, delegating, and mentoring. A goal of the SOA is to ensure it is also a learning experience for those who volunteer.
Professional education—Council members have the opportunity to hear breaking news about the profession and developments at the SOA. Through webcasts and meetings members can learn new techniques and share industry know–how.
About the Tech Section Council in specific—the types of activities that have been done by the Tech Section Council include:
- Planning sessions for SOA meetings (we have a Speed Chess session coming up at the Life & Annuity Symposium in Toronto—Toronto-area actuaries, it’s open to non-symposium attendees as well—follow the link for more info!).
- Sponsoring (and co-sponsoring) webcasts on topics such as spreadsheet best practices.
- Conferring with SOA staff on tech projects within the SOA.
- Running contests (Apps for Actuaries app idea contest, co-sponsor of Actuarial Speculative Fiction contest).
- Publishing CompAct, the section newsletter.
If you’re not sure if you’re ready to run for section council, I highly recommend becoming a friend of the council, which mainly involves sitting in on the monthly phone calls and getting involved in projects. We always have something afoot, and love having more help! I am currently a friend of the council for the Technology Section.
Another way to get involved with the council is writing articles for CompAct or helping with its publication.
Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss privately.
Mary Pat Campbell, FSA, MAAA, is life analyst for Conning Research & Consulting, Inc. She can be reached at marypat.campbell@gmail.com.