The Actuarial Foundation Client Success Story

The Actuarial Foundation is a multi-project partner with a mission to enhance math education and financial literacy through the talents and resources of actuaries. 

The Actuarial Foundation first retained KEES Executive Search in 2019 as its search partner. A comprehensive search for the Foundation’s Director of Development was launched. Foundation leadership ultimately selected Valerie Thompson from a commendable group of top finalists. Valerie was recently promoted to Senior Director. The Actuarial Foundation approached KEES again to place a Math Motivators Fundraising Specialist through its Search Assistance offering. Michael Marion was hired in 2021 and he has since been promoted to Manager, Transformational Giving. 

Both placements were newly created roles. 

Valerie Thompson has worked in the Chicago nonprofit environment for more than 20 years and joined The Actuarial Foundation from the American Academy of Dermatology. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the Medical Society Fund Raising Network (MSFRN), and Association Forum.

Throughout his career, Michael Marion has focused on connecting individuals from underserved communities to the emancipatory power of higher education. Michael previously served as Director of Development at Waukegan to College (W2C). The organization’s mission is to create brighter futures for first-generation students, their families, and their community by preparing students to enroll in and graduate from a four-year college or university.  

For more than 25 years, The Actuarial Foundation has led the way in creating quality education initiatives for students of all ages. Since its inception, the Foundation has promoted lifelong math education and financial literacy through the provision of innovative learning resources, tools, and scholarships. 

Accessed by over 15 million students annually, the demand for the Foundation’s programs continues to grow, as does the vision for the organization’s impact. 

To learn more, please visit www.actuarialfoundation.org.

“We selected KEES as our search partner due to their understanding of these unique Development opportunities and their expertise in the foundation and association sector. From the start, KEES brought a curiosity and passion for our mission and for finding candidates with a strong skill set plus the important cultural fit component.” – Jason Leppin, Executive Director, The Actuarial Foundation