Welcome to the Casualty Actuarial Society
2003 Spring Meeting

The Marriott Marco Island Resort, Golf Club & Spa is the site of the 2003 CAS Spring Meeting of the Casualty Actuarial Society on May 18-21. The program is designed to give actuaries an opportunity to stay abreast of emerging issues in the insurance industry and within the actuarial profession. Beach lovers take note: the next tropical venue for a CAS Spring Meeting will not surface again until 2006!

Our featured speaker will be D. Michael Abrashoff. As the former commander of a billion dollar warship and author of the best-seller It's Your Ship, Abrashoff will share the management style he employed to successfully transform a crew of Navy men and women who had been plagued by low morale and high turnover. His philosophy underlying his ability to overcome many challenges will help actuaries to rethink the way they lead and manage.

Four general sessions will provide attendees with insight on current insurance business issues. A lively discussion on the consumer advocates and regulators perspective of the current hard market will get the meeting off to a good start. Tuesday morning will feature two sessions covering the "Use of Credit Scoring," which will focus primarily on the personal automobile line and "Government Involvement and Uninsurable Exposures," which will explore the extent the state and federal government could get involved with the insurability of extreme and potentially company-crippling exposures. On Wednesday, the general session will take an historical and prospective view of profitability in "How Can the Insurance Industry Make Money?"

Concurrent sessions will cover an array of technical and insurance business topics. There are sessions related to ratemaking, reserving, reinsurance, and capital to provide a solid educational framework. Two recent prize-winning papers along with new Proceedings papers will be presented. With an increased number of sessions offered on Tuesday afternoon, there will be plenty of opportunity for members to fulfill continuing education requirements.

Golf enthusiasts may be interested in participating in the 20^th annual golf scramble. For those more adventurous, on Tuesday afternoon we have arranged an opportunity for a small group to ride aboard a catamaran and enjoy sight-seeing and shelling during the excursion. Given the limited availability of seats on this adventure, I suggest that you reserve your spot right away.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy your Tuesday evening than to join in the festivities and live entertainment on Quinn's Beach during our Key West Cookout. But remember, the turtles go to sleep at 9:00 so the party won't last all night long!

Registration forms for the meeting, golf tournament, and transportation, as well as details on the planned sessions are included in this preliminary program. Online registration is easier than ever! Please note that the CAS registration fee can be refunded only for those cancellations received in writing on or before May 9, less a $50 administrative fee. The registration fee will increase if not received by May 2. Since the hotel cut-off date is April 17, we recommend you contact the hotel reservation desk at (800) 438-4373 to make your reservation as soon as possible. Information regarding airline and car rental discounts is also included in the brochure.

I hope you'll join us for education and recreation on Marco Island!

Sincerely,
Christopher S. Carlson
Vice President
Professional Education