As 2024 comes to a close, the Candidate Advocate Working Group (CAWG) is taking a moment to reflect on what has truly been an outstanding year. It’s been a year filled with growth, collaboration and a deep commitment to supporting the voices of candidates across the CAS community.

At the center of everything we do is the goal of being the voice of the candidates. Thanks to the dedication and passion of our members, we’ve ensured that the candidate perspective has been heard throughout the CAS. Our members provided invaluable feedback on crucial topics like the fail reports, the Property & Casualty Predictive Analytics (PCPA) requirement and sample exams.

We’ve also been actively shaping candidate-facing communications. Our Quick Response Team (QRT) has reviewed and provided feedback on a wide range of communications, particularly following the May 1 exam issues. One of our most significant contributions this year was our involvement in creating the May 1 FAQ document, which helped address candidate questions and concerns during a critical time.

Since May 1, the CAWG has expanded its role across the CAS, and we’re more connected than ever before. We’ve created new liaison positions within professional education, learning and strategy, iCAS and admissions. In November 2024, Mindy Moss and Jack Richards had the incredible opportunity to present to the CAS Board of Directors. The presentation highlighted the importance of our ongoing partnership with the CAS to address candidate issues, and it was met with overwhelming positivity.

This year also saw the completion of the 2023 Candidate Survey, and we’re thrilled to report that your feedback has been instrumental in driving change. CAWG members meticulously reviewed the responses, and the findings were shared with the CAS Board of Directors in May. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who completed the survey in 2023 — your voice continues to be a driving force behind our work!

Of course, we can’t close out 2024 without celebrating the incredible contributions of our CAWG volunteers. A special congratulations to Jack Richards, who was honored with the New Members Award for his exceptional work on the CAWG! We also want to take a moment to express our gratitude to the volunteers who are rolling off the working group this year: Mark Maenche, Dallin Biorn, Liya Zhang, Ildiko Ban and Nitai Patel. Your dedication has made a lasting impact, and we are grateful for your service.

Looking ahead, the Candidate Advocate Working Group is excited to kick off 2025 with our annual meeting, where we’ll welcome new members and candidate representatives. We’re eager to continue our important work partnership with the CAS.

Here’s to a bright and successful 2025! We wish you all the best in the new year.