Officers
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Troy A. Riddle, JD, MBA, brings to IABA 15 years of progressive non-profit and for-profit management experience including experience in Operations, Human Resource Management, Project and Change Management. Troy is a graduate of Cleary University in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He earned an MBA from Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware. Troy's personal commitment to advancing educational opportunities among the youth in our community aligns well with IABA's mission to increase the presence of minorities in the actuarial profession.
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
Jeffrey L. Johnson, FSA, MAAA, is an Assistant Vice President and Actuary with The Hartford Insurance Companies. Mr. Johnson has over 20 years of insurance industry experience, including extensive knowledge regarding the development, management and delivery of structured product for institutional and retail consumers. He has successfully lead the creation and implementation of various innovations producing billions of dollars of assets under management. His professional career has included risk, product, financial and strategic management roles. Mr Johnson graduated from Western New England College with a B.A. in mathematics, and also holds a M.S. degree in numerical methods from Syracuse University. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
John Robinson, FSA, MAAA, is presently Senior Actuary at Nationwide Financial in Columbus, Ohio. Previous employers include R. Watson & Sons in Kingston, Jamaica, F&G Life in Baltimore, Maryland, and Loyal American Life Insurance Company in Mobile, Alabama, where he served as the Appointed Actuary. His experience includes pensions, traditional and universal life insurance, health insurance and group annuities. John holds a Bachelors Degree (Special) in Mathematics from the University of the West Indies, and a Masters Degree in Statistics from Florida State University.
SECRETARY
Gerik Whittington, is an Actuarial Analyst at WatsonWyatt Worldwide in Washington DC. His primary responsibilities include the preparation of pension valuations and disclosures. Gerik is actively involved in recruiting at Watson Wyatt and serves as a mentor for actuarial students at Howard University. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Howard University in May 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. During his collegiate career he interned for two summers at Watson Wyatt in Chicago and he is a currently an active member of the IABA DC Affiliate.
TREASURER & DIRECTOR
Jamala Murray, FSA, MAAA, is an Actuarial Analyst in Retirement Income and Investments (Variable Annuity Product Development) at Genworth Financial in Richmond, VA. Prior to that, she was an Actuarial Analyst at Ernst & Young LLP in New York, NY. Ms. Murray graduated of the University of Waterloo in 2003 with a Bachelors of Mathematics degree in Actuarial Science and Statistics. While at the University of Waterloo, she interned at New York Life, Bank of Montreal Insurance and London Life & Casualty. Jamala served as IABA Foundation Secretary for fiscal year 2004-2005 and IABA Secretary for fiscal year 2005-2006.
STUDENT LIAISON
Gerard Sims, is an Actuarial Analyst with the The Hartford Insurance Companies. Mr. Sims graduated from Southern University and A&M College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. During his collegiate career, Gerard collaborated on several research projects in the field of astrophysics at the University of Michigan, Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and NASA Ames. He recently served as director of an esteemed high school educational program.
DIRECTOR
Stafford L. Thompson, Jr., FSA, MAAA, is Vice-President and Corporate Actuary of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. With thirteen years of actuarial experience, Mr. Thompson provides a wealth of professional knowledge in life insurance, healthcare, and retirement and investment services. His work history includes such esteemed employers as Transamerica Reinsurance and CIGNA Corporation. He serves on numerous committees and boards including the North Carolina Central University Foundation and the North Carolina Action for Children. Mr. Thompson is a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mathematics and is founder of the University's Actuarial Science Club. Mr. Thompson is also a past president of the International Association of Black Actuaries (2002-2006) and currently serves as its liaison to the IABA Corporate Advisory Council. In addition, he is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. serving in many capacities including the District Representative of the Northeast (first) district.
DIRECTOR
Linda A. Shepherd, FCAS, MAAA, is Vice President and Chief Actuary, Personal Insurance for Safeco Insurance Companies in Seattle, WA. Linda began her career at Aetna, Inc. (formerly Aetna Life and Casualty), and gained her fellowship in the Casualty Actuarial Society in 1988, the first African-American female to do so. She then became Vice President of Ulico Casualty Company in Washington, D.C., where she oversaw the Property and Casualty operations for ULLICO, Inc. Linda then joined Prudential Property and Casualty Insurance Company as Vice President and Chief Actuary until 2002 when she joined Safeco. Linda graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics, with a major concentration in Actuarial Science. Linda is a past president of IABA (1996-97), and served as its Membership Committee Chair from 1997 to 2002.
DIRECTOR
Sharon K. Robinson, FCAS, MAAA, is a Vice-President with CNA Insurance Companies, a Chicago, Illinois insurer. Prior to that she was the Regional Actuary, Commercial Lines Group, for the St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company and, earlier, a rising actuary within the CNA Insurance Companies. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Actuarial Science and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.
DIRECTOR
Ollie Sherman, FCAS, MAAA, is a partner at Tillinghast-Towers Perrin in Arlington, VA. Prior to joining Tillinghast, Mr. Sherman was employed by the Travelers Insurance Companies for 10 years. His varied roles included overall responsibility for countrywide workers compensation pricing, pricing automobile and homeowners coverage, and reserving for both personal and commercial lines. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, with a degree in Applied Math and Computer Science. Mr. Sherman is also the first African-American to obtain a fellowship in the Casualty Actuarial Society.
DIRECTOR
Becki M. Piper Hall, ASA, MAAA, is an actuary at Aetna, Inc. heading the Actuarial Strategic Initiatives Business area. Also at Aetna, she was the business actuary for the Individual Health block of business (2003-2007) contributing to Aetna's growth in this market from 30,000 members to over 300,000 members within a 4 year period. Prior to her joining Aetna, Inc. in 2002, Becki was consulting actuary at a major accounting firm. Her focus was primarily on financial analysis of life and health insurance liabilities on a GAAP and statutory basis for insurers and employer groups, acquisition and due diligence analyses of life and health related lines of business, and statutory financial examinations. Becki graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) with a degree in Mathematics and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. Becki serves as a steering committee member of the Alliance for Bloomfield Children (which focuses on early childhood education) and is treasurer for the Parent Teacher Organization at Laurel Elementary School in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Becki is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha where she served as Financial Secretary and Treasurer for the Epsilon Omicron Omega Chapter of Hartford, Connecticut. Becki has been an active member of IABA since 2002 serving on the Board of IABA and is a former Vice President of IABA.
DIRECTOR
Francis Nketia, FSA, MAAA BIO Forthcoming