Community Elections
Sections are evolving into seven vibrant Communities beginning fall 2025, offering expanded ways for connection with peers. You can get involved now to help lead and shape your Community's direction through elected positions on newly formed Community Advisory Teams. Each Community will have its own Community Advisory Team comprised of 9-12 members who provide leadership, work with non-elected volunteers and support the group’s goals. Generally, Community Advisory Team members serve a three-year term.
Running for a seat on the Community Advisory Team or volunteering through a non-elected position are great ways to connect with peers who share your interests. By getting involved, you can enhance your career by gaining valuable experience in collaboration, communication, and leadership, while also expanding your network. These roles offer a chance to contribute to meaningful projects and further develop skills that will help you grow both professionally and personally.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Community Advisory Team offers numerous ways to get involved and make a positive impact in areas that really matter. You’ll help shape the future through activities such as:
- Providing thought leadership
- Building fellowship
- Staying on top of trends
- Sharing valuable information
- Creating content
- Setting Community goals
- Supporting personal development
- Contributing to research ideation
Community Advisory Team members participate in numerous activities throughout the year, including:
- Attend monthly virtual meetings per year.
- May attend one in-person planning meeting per year pending Community preference.
- Participating in webcasts that cover strategic and operational topics, and/or writing an article or paper, making a presentation, organizing continuing education meetings and events, or providing input for ground-up research projects.
For additional information, view the Community Advisory Team position opportunities.
Become a Candidate
You must be an SOA member in good standing and become a member of the Community for which you would like to run. To participate in the 2025 election, no action is needed to join a Community. Find your section to see which Community you’ll be part of beginning in fall 2025. Take the next steps to become a candidate in the SOA Communities elections.
- Complete the Expression of Interest form.
- Discuss your involvement and interest with current section volunteer leaders who will contact you directly.
If you are chosen to be on the Communities ballot, take proactive steps to advance further in the process.
- Attend a webcast on June 4 to further explain the candidate process.
- Complete a candidate questionnaire and provide a photo to be posted on the SOA website.
- Find out the election results via phone. If you cannot be reached by phone, the SOA will notify you by email.
How to Vote
The 2025 Board of Directors and Community elections will be open from August 18–September 5. When it’s time to make your choice, you’ll have access to vote for your Community Advisory Team based on your current SOA Section membership mapping. Voting is confidential and anonymous. Since the General Insurance Community does not have a membership section to vote on candidates, the 2025 Community Advisory Team will be appointed.
Eligible voters receive ballots via email. Votes are counted by an independent vendor.
2025 Key Dates
Keep these important dates in mind for this year’s election process.
March 31–May 23: Expression of Interest form open
June 4: Candidate process webcast
June 15: Candidate questionnaire due
Mid-to late July: Candidate information posted on SOA website
Aug. 18–Sept. 5: SOA Community elections
Sept. 19–26: Election results shared with candidates
Oct. TBD: New Community Advisory Team members orientation webcast
Nov. 5: Elected members take office