Nomination and Election Process
The annual SOA nomination and election process kicks off when the current Board of Directors identifies issues that need the attention of the next elected Board. This includes issues that may impact the actuarial profession in the near future and are based on the current Board's strategic initiatives and previous priorities.
What Happens Before Nominations are Solicited
- When the Board announces the issues for the next set of elected officers, the Governance and Policy Committee identifies the skills and experience needed to address those issues.
- The Nominating Committee reviews the Governance and Policy Committee findings, along with the current Board of Directors qualifications and begins to seek potential candidates who are a good fit for the needs of open SOA leadership positions.
- In addition, the Nominating Committee determines if reserved Board seats may be needed and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors, who approve or disapprove the recommendations.
When the Request for Nominations are Announced
The first step toward the nominating process is an Open Call for Nominations for the Board of Directors positions.
How to Submit a Nomination to the Nominating Committee
- Any FSA may submit his or her name for consideration.
- The Board of Directors and SOA Governance and Policy Committee should encourage members with the required skills and experience to submit their names for nominations.
- Please submit names to elections@soa.org .
What Happens Next When a Member is Nominated
The Nominating Committee invites all nominees to apply for formal consideration to be on the ballot. The committee performs a review of interested nominees and identifies those who should move to the next round of the process.
Nominees who are invited to continue the process are:
- Sent more information on the Board of Directors service and complete a questionnaire about their experience, strategic thinking, core competencies, teamwork, etc. The questionnaire is developed by the Nominating Committee with input from the Governance and Policy Committee as needed.
- Asked to participate in an informational webcast and are interviewed by Nominating Committee members.
The Nominating Committee :
- Reviews the completed questionnaires and interview results and decides who will be on the ballot, keeping in mind any reserved seat requirements established by the Board of Directors.
- Submits the ballot to the Board of Directors for approval.
Nominees who are not selected as endorsed candidates:
- Nominees notified by the committee that they have not been selected as endorsed candidates may choose to seek a place on the ballot by petition . They must notify the committee within the time frame specified by the committee and must state the Board position for which they intend to seek petition support.
- For non-endorsed nominees who choose to seek petition support, the SOA establishes an online petition site that allows eligible voting members to support their petitions.
- The SOA or the service provider will, by email, notify all eligible voting members about the petition process and will provide the eligible voting members a link to the online petition site and a unique pass code by which they can access the site.
- Learn more about nomination by petition.
Additional Resources
Infographic on nominations and election process
Presentation on the process