Community Elections

Community Advisory Team Roles

Serving on a Society of Actuaries (SOA) Community Advisory Team is an excellent opportunity to share your expertise and thought leadership with your peers. The SOA Global Engagement Team provides webcast training for newly elected Community Advisory Team members and a Community Best Practices Handbook for guidance and answers to questions that arise regarding Community operations.

Individuals volunteering with the SOA for the first time are required to complete the Volunteer Agreement, which is required of all volunteers.

Community Advisory Team (CAT) Roles

Chair: Elected by the CAT, the Chair serves as the primary contact to the broader SOA. The Chair develops meeting agendas and presides over monthly virtual meetings of the CAT and other singular CAT meetings. The Chair oversees performance management, monitors progress against goals established for the Community, and screens and appoints open roles on the CAT. The Chair seeks support from fellow CAT members and Content & Engagement Work Group volunteers to carry out the purposes of the Community. Chairs attend the biannual SOA Council of Community Chairs meeting.

Vice Chair: Elected by the CAT, the Vice Chair steps in to fill the Chair’s role when they are unavailable or unable to fulfill their duties. During these times, the Vice Chair assumes the same responsibilities and powers as the Chair. Additionally, the Vice Chair is free to volunteer for other tasks and projects to assist the Chair or the full CAT. Vice Chairs attend the biannual SOA Council of Community Chairs meeting and are typically elected as the next Chair.

Secretary: Elected by the CAT, the Secretary keeps track of the CAT’s decisions and assignments, records and shares meeting notes, and sends out any necessary notices as outlined in the Communities Bylaws. In the event of their absence from a meeting, the Secretary is responsible for asking a fellow CAT member to capture meeting notes. The Secretary and Budget Manager roles may be combined into a single role if that is the preference of the CAT.

Budget Manager: Elected by the CAT, the Budget Manager reviews financial statements prepared by SOA staff, presents financial reports to the CAT, and collaborates with SOA staff to develop the annual Community budget. The Budget Manager and Secretary roles may be combined into a single role if that is the preference of the CAT.

Content and Engagement Work Group Manager: The CAT member who volunteers for this role leads monthly virtual meetings of the Community’s Content and Engagement Work Group and acts as an essential connection between the CAT and the group of volunteers that comprise the Content and Engagement Work Group, who are responsible for content production and engagement activities.

In addition to relaying updates to the CAT about work group and subgroup activities, the Content and Engagement Work Group Manager helps to identify and recruit subject matter experts to assist with content production, and requests resources from the CAT on behalf of the Content and Engagement Work Group.

Research Manager: The CAT member who volunteers for this role represents their Community on the Community Research Committee. The Research Manager actively participates in Community Research Committee activities and meetings and in the selection of research project ideas with a focus on overall SOA strategy. In addition, they provide updates to the CAT from the Community Research Committee on relevant research developments and findings.

Professional Development (PD) Liaison: The CAT member who volunteers for this role represents the CAT on the Professional Development Committee (PDC) and attends quarterly PDC meetings to help ensure high-quality programs that empower members. A key responsibility for this role is to share information and solicit feedback between the two groups. The PDC Liaison collaborates with other volunteers to develop and deliver relevant educational content and may be asked to provide planning support for the SOA’s major events, such as the annual Health Meeting, ValAct Meeting or ImpACT Conference.

Elected Member: CAT members who do not hold one of the roles outlined above are expected to work with the full CAT to create an annual plan of activities for their Community. Each elected member actively participates in most CAT monthly virtual meetings and in-person meetings and works to ensure Community resources are used responsibly and effectively.

Community Advisory Team (CAT) Member Duties

• Attend and participate in monthly CAT virtual meetings.
  • Review the agenda and all background documents prior to the meeting.
  • Time commitment: 60 to 90 minutes per month
• Attend and participate in virtual and/or in-person planning meetings.
  • Time commitment: Length, frequency and schedule of virtual planning meetings vary. In-person planning meetings typically meet one day per year.
• Participate in polls and/or votes in a timely manner.
• • Time commitment: Minimal, this requires only a few clicks to indicate calendar availability or vote on a specific topic.
• Volunteer for additional tasks, projects and roles.
• • Time commitment: Varies depending on the task, project or role.
• Actively participate in all CAT discussions.