A Lifetime of Recognition and Purpose
When I look back across the decades, the awards tell their own story. They mark not just accomplishments, but the evolution of a purpose from early promise to community leadership, and finally to shaping systems that touch lives far beyond my own field. Each recognition came at a different point in my journey, each carrying a different kind of meaning.
My first work to be recognized came in high school. I was successful in receiving a scholarship to the University of Chicago, which covered tuition plus an additional amount. Tuition was a lot lower in those days. My scholarship was for $1,000 a quarter, and if I recall correctly, tuition was just under $700. The University helped me secure a part-time job in the library, allowing me to earn some extra money to cover my expenses. I was also a runner-up in the National Merit Scholarship program and was recognized for excellence in math and science at the time of my graduation.
My first major recognition as an adult came in the form of a New York Times article published after I became a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) at the age of 23. This, along with an award from Mademoiselle magazine, a national publication more renowned for its fashion coverage than its professional achievements. Still, that year, they selected ten young women they believed represented America’s promise. One of them was Barbra Streisand; another was me. At that stage, the award wasn’t about accomplishment so much as potential. It told me that the world was watching, that there was something in me worth developing, even if I didn’t yet know where it would lead.
As time went on, the pattern of recognition shifted. Some honors acknowledged service and contribution, years spent building, mentoring, and leading. Others were community acknowledgments, such as the award from the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago at its annual Leader Luncheon, where I was chosen as that year’s business leader. It meant that my work had not only professional credibility but also civic presence. Around the same period, I received an award from the Illinois State Treasurer, further solidifying my status as part of the Chicago community’s fabric.
The Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) later honored me with a Heroes Award for my national contributions to retirement education. I’d been involved with WISER since its early years, and that recognition carried deep personal meaning; it represented the intersection of my professional life and my mission to improve financial literacy for women.
Over the years, I have received numerous acknowledgments from outside of the actuarial profession, including formal thanks from the Chicago Network for my board service and for serving as treasurer. c
The recognitions that came later in life —the Lifetime Service Awards —told a different of appreciation with the actuarial community, the broader benefits community and financial services industry, and the local community where I live.
The first of those came from the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), formerly the Profit Sharing Council of America. Receiving it in my mid-seventies was especially meaningful because PSCA represents benefit plan sponsors, the people who use actuarial work. It was validation not only of what I had done, but that the actuarial profession’s insights were being valued outside its own walls.
Soon after came the Lillywhite Award from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) — another honor rooted in the benefits community rather than within the actuarial sphere. It signaled that our research and advocacy were resonating more broadly.
That cross-community recognition, in truth, had been part of my story long before. Back in the early 1990s, I was named Employee Benefits Professional of the Decade by WEBB (Women in Employee Benefits) — a Chicago-born organization founded by women determined to make space for themselves in a male-dominated field. I was their keynote speaker at the very first meeting, which drew nearly a hundred women from plan sponsors, law firms, and consulting practices, proof that there was a hunger for connection and shared growth. That award, and the relationships that grew from it, remain among the most meaningful of my career.
The Society of Actuaries recognized me several times in later years, too — a President’s Award (rarely given to past presidents), a Lifetime Volunteer Award, and multiple Outstanding Volunteer Awards. Each one acknowledged not just what I had achieved, but that I had continued contributing long after holding formal office. And in 2024, a new kind of recognition came: I was named a Trailblazing Woman in Actuarial Science. Sponsored by SCOR Reinsurance, this award celebrated early women leaders in the field, those who helped open the doors that are now wide open to others. When I began, women were scarce in actuarial leadership; I was the second woman ever to serve as president of the Society. Today, women make up more than a third of the profession and serve on nearly every major board. That shift is one of the legacies I am most grateful to have witnessed.
Looking across all these recognitions, a pattern emerges:
- Early awards celebrated potential.
- Mid-career awards honored leadership and service.
- Lifetime awards recognized endurance, influence, and the lasting impact of mentorship.
But the deeper story isn’t about trophies or titles, it’s about how those moments of recognition mirrored a growing sense of mission.
The Mission Beneath the Honors
My purpose in life was influenced by my parents. My career was split between the life insurance industry and retirement consulting and research, with a focus on pensions and health care. I always tried to focus on doing things that would enhance the financial security of the people being served by the programs. I wanted to be able to look in the mirror and feel good about what I was doing. My father was dedicated to serving the aging and disabled populations, working in human services first in the State of Louisiana and then for the Federal Government. He had been trained as a judge in Germany, but was never able to practice.
My career spanned the life insurance industry from 1958 to 1976, followed by employee benefit consulting and research, which I began in 1976, first at Mercer and then independently. My involvement with the Society of Actuaries as a volunteer started in the 1960s/
For the past twenty-five years, my central mission within the Society of Actuaries has been to expand the scope of SOA “research.” Traditional actuarial work often focuses on the technical aspects of risk mathematics and the precision of projections. My passion has always been for the human side: understanding how individuals make decisions, what they value, and how systems can better serve them.
That’s why I helped launch and lead the Post-Retirement Risk Research Program in the mid-1990s, one of the first initiatives to study retirement not as an abstract calculation, but as a lived experience. We explored what people truly know (and don’t know) about managing retirement income, and how we could close that gap through education and policy.
To make that work effectively, I convened a group of professionals from across sectors, including actuaries, educators, benefit sponsors, and policymakers, and built a coalition focused on collaboration rather than duplication. That network still exists today, more than twenty-five years later, and has become a model for cross-disciplinary cooperation in retirement research.
Because actuaries rarely deal directly with consumers, I made it a priority to ensure our research reached the people who do: the advisors, educators, and planners who help individuals make real-life financial decisions. Over time, we built lasting partnerships with organizations that train financial advisors, integrating actuarial insights into consumer education and professional standards.
That bridging work — between the numbers and the narratives — has been at the heart of my professional identity.
Looking Forward
Beyond actuarial and benefits research, I’ve always been drawn to the larger question of what’s changing and how we can prepare for it. I consider myself a sort of futurist. I’ve been part of the World Future Society for many years, always scanning for the social, demographic, and technological shifts that will shape tomorrow’s challenges.
The world has changed more in the last twenty years than it did in the previous hundred. From industrialization to digital transformation and now to the age of artificial intelligence, the pace of change continues to accelerate. Life expectancies are rising, technology is rewriting the rules of work, and generational divides are wider than ever before.
Each generation now lives in a fundamentally different world than the one before. The gap between my grandmother’s life, my mother’s, and mine feels vast, but the difference between my generation and today’s young professionals is even greater. That realization has shaped not only my research, but also my worldview: that every system we design must anticipate not only today’s needs, but also the world our grandchildren will inherit.
Continuing the Work
At this stage of my life, the recognitions that mean the most are the ones that affirm continuity, that say, you’re still contributing, and it still matters. Whether through research, writing, or mentoring, my goal remains the same: to help people understand how technical expertise can serve human well-being and how the work of actuaries can contribute to building a more secure and thoughtful future.
Awards fade. Titles pass. But influence, when used to connect knowledge with compassion, endures. And that, more than anything else, is what I hope my life’s work stands for.
Link to the awards: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iYjLf8ZuhklCmUsA8ruAs57r9-HOEfu6?usp=drive_link
After 18 years in the insurance industry and 28 years at Mercer, my professional journey had already spanned nearly half a century of work in employee benefits, actuarial science, and retirement research. But looking back, the thread that ties it all together isn’t just the years or titles — it’s the consistent effort to connect technical expertise with human understanding. The awards and recognitions along the way tell that story in chapters, each reflecting a different phase of growth, service, and purpose.
Awards and Recognition (Chronologically Ordered)
- Mademoiselle Magazine Award – Selected in my twenties as one of ten promising young women in America by Mademoiselle, a national magazine better known for fashion but also recognized for spotlighting emerging women leaders. One of my fellow honorees that year was Barbra Streisand.
- Employee Benefits Professional of the Decade – Awarded by WEBB (Women in Employee Benefits) in the early 1990s. This was a national recognition marking my early leadership in the employee benefits field and my role as keynote speaker at WEBB’s first Chicago meeting, which drew nearly a hundred women from plan sponsors, law firms, and consulting firms.
- Woman-to-Woman Award, Illinois State Treasurer Award, and Outstanding Achievement in Business, YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago – A trio of honors from the Chicago community recognizing civic leadership, professional accomplishment, and commitment to advancing women in business.
- Top 100 Women in Business Insurance – Named among the top one hundred women leaders by Business Insurance magazine, highlighting my influence in the broader insurance and benefits community.
- Heroes Award, Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) – Recognized nationally for advancing women’s financial literacy and retirement education, reflecting my deep, ongoing involvement with WISER since its inception.
- Johnny O’Connor Distinguished Service Award, The Actuarial Foundation – Honoring leadership and contribution to the actuarial profession’s public education mission.
- Insurance Legends Award, The Actuarial Foundation – Acknowledging long-term contributions to both the actuarial profession and the insurance industry.
- Practitioner Thought Leadership Award, Retirement Income Industry Association (RIIA) – Recognizing innovation in retirement research and the translation of actuarial insights into practical guidance for consumers and advisors.
Lifetime & Service Awards
(These came later in life and symbolize enduring influence and cross-industry impact.)
- President’s Award, Society of Actuaries – An uncommon honor for a past president, given for continued, significant contributions to the profession.
- Lifetime Service Award, Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) – Recognition from the broader benefits community, representing the bridge between actuarial work and its real-world users.
- Lillywhite Award, Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) – National acknowledgment for leadership and impact within the benefits field.
- Lifetime Volunteer Award, Society of Actuaries – Celebrating ongoing commitment and service long after formal leadership roles.
- Trailblazer Award for Women in Actuarial Science, SCOR Reinsurance / Society of Actuaries (2024) – Honoring the early women pioneers who opened doors for future generations.
Leadership, Advisory & Professional Participation
- President, Society of Actuaries – The second woman ever to serve as president, advancing inclusion and professional collaboration.
- Board Member, National Council on Compensation Insurance
- Member, Pension Research Council, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- Board Member, Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER)
Government Advisory Councils
- ERISA Advisory Council, U.S. Department of Labor
- Retirement Security Advisory Panel, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Technical Panel, Social Security Advisory Board
Editorial Board Memberships
- Retirement Management Journal – Continuing role as Editorial Board Member.
- Journal of Financial Services Professionals – Contributor and Editorial Board Member.
- (Additional titles to be confirmed based on record review.)
Next Steps
Before finalizing, here’s what I’ll need from you (or what you might want to confirm next):
- Exact years for each award (where available) — especially the mid-career ones like Top 100 Women in Business Insurance, Heroes Award, Johnny O’Connor, Practitioner Thought Leadership Award.
- Confirmation of the editorial board list — to ensure we include all journals correctly.
- Whether you’d like me to integrate this new chronological section back into the narrative-style chapter (so it flows with the storytelling tone from earlier), or if you prefer to keep this as a structured appendix-style listing.