Pittsburgh-based Cowden Associates, Inc., the leading independent actuarial, compensation and employee benefits consulting firm in the tri-state region, promoted Lee Buchele and Nancy Luttrell to directors of the firm’s actuarial and retirement plan service. The new positions were created to enhance Cowden’s expertise in counseling clients in the management of retirement programs.

Buchele most recently was a senior consultant at Cowden. In that role, he performed asset and liability projections for funding, GASB 45, FAS 87, FAS 106 and other accounting reports for Cowden’s corporate, multi-employer and nonprofit clients. He will continue to focus on pension and other post-retirement benefits.

Luttrell also was a senior consultant at Cowden. Her experience includes extensive work modeling assets and liabilities of pension funds for corporations and government entities and providing senior-level consulting and plan administration services for post-retirement benefits.

“Lee and Nancy have made great contributions to our firm and have been excellent advisors to our clients,” said Cowden Associates President and CEO Jere Cowden. ”Their work has earned them these positions. We’re excited about the possibilities these new roles hold for our company and confident in Lee and Nancy’s ability to lead and grow our actuarial services as directors.”

Buchele earned his master’s degree from the University of Michigan. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and Conference of Consulting Actuaries (FCA), an enrolled actuary (EA) under ERISA, and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). He also served on a multi-employer task force for the American Academy of Actuaries.

Luttrell is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. She also is an FSA, FCA, EA under ERISA, MAAA, and an approved actuary under Pennsylvania Act 205.