2020 Board Member Candidate

Cynthia T. Edwalds, FSA, ACAS, MAAA
DePaul University

Election Message:           

The reality of risk has suddenly come to the forefront of our collective consciousness as human beings.  The need is greater now than it has ever been in my lifetime for creative approaches to address risk from the perspective of individuals, families, businesses, governments, and nations.  Actuaries need to be at the forefront of the development of these approaches, working with other disciplines collaboratively.  To do this, we need to enhance our toolkit and broaden our perspective.

I have benefitted greatly from the opportunities that my FSA designation brought to me, and I am deeply grateful.  I passionately believe in the future of this profession and I am actively working to make the benefits of an actuarial career available to young people with diverse backgrounds.

I applaud the actions taken by our current and prior leadership to respond to changes in our environment, including the recent abrupt pivots in response to COVID-19.  I would like the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors to participate in the challenging work that lies ahead.

Brief description of current work:

Teaching, advising, curriculum development, and development and implementation of outreach programs

Primary Area(s) of Practice (per SOA Directory):

Life Insurance

Bio:

Cynthia Edwalds is a Clinical Professor of Finance at DePaul University and the Executive Director of the Fred Arditti Center for Risk Management at DePaul.  She came to DePaul in 2014 with 36 years of diverse and substantive experience in the insurance industry, including life insurance and reinsurance, health insurance, and P&C insurance.

She currently serves on several Society of Actuaries committees including the Diversity in Leadership Working Group, the Committee on Life Insurance Research, the Committee on Living to 100 Research Symposium, the Reinsurance Section Research Team, the Research Communications Oversight Group, the Valuation Basic Table Team, the VBT Calculations Subgroup, and several research project oversight groups.  She chairs the Taxation Section Council and the Committee on Knowledge Extension Research.  She is also the president of the Chicago Actuarial Association.  She was recognized for a decade of leadership in Society of Actuaries research initiatives with an Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2011.

Cynthia’s research interests and expertise include mortality risk, longevity risk, and extreme event risk.  Her published research is under her former name, Thomas P. Edwalds.  She holds both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Additional Info:

I have two grown daughters of whom I am extremely proud.  One is an actuary (FSA), and the other is an attorney (Assistant US Attorney in North Carolina).  Both are also married with children.  I adore my three grandkids, ages 5, 2, and 0 (ANB basis)!

I came out as transgender this year and I have an inner peace that I never experienced before.  Many of you know me as Tom, my previous name.  I’m the same person, just happier.