A big welcome to our newest Candidate Advocacy Working Group (CAWG) volunteers—four candidate representatives and six credentialed CAS members! These dedicated individuals work together to advocate for candidates and enhance the candidate experience within the CAS. Whether they are actively taking CAS exams or have earned their credential, all CAWG members play a vital role to support and elevate the candidate experience. If you’d like to get involved, candidates can apply each summer, and CAS members can express their interest through the Volunteering section of the CAS Portal. Have feedback or ideas? Reach out anytime at CAWG@casact.org!

New Candidate Representatives

Alex Morakis is joining the CAWG as his first experience volunteering with the CAS. Most notably, he is excited to advocate for a better candidate experience, support candidates throughout the exam process and provide valuable candidate feedback on changes occurring within the CAS. Morakis graduated in 2022 from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in actuarial mathematics. He is working on finishing Exam 6C to achieve his ACAS credential. He is a senior actuarial analyst at Aon in Toronto, Canada, where he works with reinsurance brokers and clients to develop and optimize reinsurance programs within Canada and the Caribbean. His favorite hobbies are exploring new restaurants, watching live sports and travelling.

Chris Lepore has taken his first step into volunteering with the CAS. He is excited to be in a position to help others and is looking forward to seizing any opportunity to enhance the candidate experience.  Lepore graduated from the University of Connecticut (roll ‘Skies!) with degrees in actuarial science and finance and earned a graduate certificate in leadership and public management. During his time at UConn, you may have seen him running around campus, as he spent five years competing in the NCAA on the cross country and track and field teams. Now Lepore is in his first year of Travelers’ Actuarial Leadership Development Program, where he is currently working on the workers compensation product development team. Once 5 p.m. hits, he loves spending time outside, rooting for the Mets, playing Settlers of Catan and deciding which dogs he’ll rescue once he has the time for them.

Jason Rutten graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2015 with a degree in mathematics, and has since worked in many different fields before finally landing in the actuarial group at Travelers in 2021. He currently supports small commercial auto as a senior actuarial consultant. He joined the CAWG hoping to meet other actuaries and to have a positive impact on the candidate experience. He is passionate about helping others find career success, especially people struggling to change careers. Jason is working towards his final ACAS requirement of Exam 6 this spring. When he isn’t studying, he spends time officiating high school football and basketball, practicing piano and pipe organ and exploring his home state of Minnesota and his fiancée’s home country of Mexico with his two sons and golden retriever.

Kathleen Smolak chose the CAWG as her first CAS volunteer role. She is excited to help other candidates as they pursue their designations.  Smolak holds degrees in mathematics and economics and has previously worked for Mercer and the Massachusetts public retirement system. She currently works in pricing and financial reporting as an actuarial analyst for Arbella Insurance Group. In her free time, Smolak enjoys knitting, baking, hiking and video games.

New CAWG Members

Eugene Itskovich, FCAS, is no stranger to volunteering with the CAS. He brings several years of experience as an admissions volunteer in addition to his role with the CAWG.  Itskovich earned his FCAS designation in 2018 and is currently a senior actuarial analyst at State Farm, working in the Business Lines Pricing area. He holds a degree in actuarial science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s in analytics from Georgia Tech. Outside of work, Itskovich enjoys spending time with his wife — also an actuary at State Farm — and their child, dog and cat. When he’s not busy with family or work, you can likely find him on the tennis court.

Kayla Bellody, ACAS, earned her ACAS in the summer of 2024 and was excited about becoming more involved in the CAS. The CAWG was the perfect opportunity to do so. She graduated from Bentley University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in data analytics and business studies, accompanied by two minors in actuarial science and computer information systems.  Bellody is a current participant in Liberty Mutual’s Actuarial Development Program, on her final rotation working on home state indications. She also has experience in casualty reserving and personal lines analytics.  Bellody has been a strong advocate for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility throughout her academic and professional careers and is looking forward to expressing that as she begins volunteering for the CAS. When she is not working (or studying),  Bellody enjoys baking, reading and trying new restaurants around Boston.

Kinsey Turk, ACAS, has been volunteering with the CAS since her college days, starting as a CAS Student Ambassador. After earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in actuarial science from Arizona State University in May 2021, she joined Allstate under the pricing team and became a three-time mentor for the Student Central Summer Program. In 2024, after attaining her ACAS designation,  Turk joined the CAWG to help shape the exam process for Future Fellows such as herself. Her commitment to the profession extends beyond the CAS—she serves as president of the Casualty Actuaries of the Desert States (CADS) and contributes to the Network of Actuarial Women and Allies (NAWA) on the measurement and reporting committee. She also remains deeply engaged with ASU’s actuarial science program, moderating young professional panels, presenting to actuarial classes, and serving on the advisory board. Outside of work,  Turk enjoys reading, knitting, taking Pure Barre classes and doting on her three cats.

Liping Yang, ACAS, is excited to join CAWG for her first volunteering experience with CAS. She is looking forward to enhancing the candidate experience and advocating for those currently going through the exam process. A career changer, Yang previously worked in environmental engineering, specializing in water quality and distribution systems. Currently, Liping is an associate actuary at North Star Mutual Insurance Company in Minnesota, where she focuses on reserving, enterprise risk management (ERM) and predictive modeling. Outside of work and studying, Yang enjoys spending time with her husband and their two daughters, as well as reading, gardening and exploring the outdoors whenever possible.

Matthew Davis, ACAS, joined the CAWG to help improve candidate experience with exams and increase transparency between candidates and the exam process. This is his first volunteer position with the CAS after getting his ACAS in July 2024. Davis graduated from Temple University in 2018, majoring in actuarial science. Davis has been with TMNAS for over 5 years, serving on a variety of teams, where he currently is pricing workers compensation. In his free time, he enjoys working out, gaming, listening to music and playing with his English bulldog Archibald.

Peter Bolgert, ACAS, was inspired to join the CAWG after witnessing their efforts during the May 1 administration. He is honored to represent candidates and bring their feedback to the CAS. He studied physics and mathematics at Marquette University and then spent a number of years working as a teacher. After taking a few exams, he was able to transition into an actuarial career. Bolgert has worked at Acuity Insurance since 2022, mostly in commercial auto pricing. He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his fiancée and their dog. Outside of working and studying, he enjoys running, chess and other board games.