June 2022 Memento Mori

MEMENTO MORI
T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E I C C F A JUNE 2022
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 82 | NUMBER 5 JUNE 2022
12
12
Social Media’s Viral Spiral
Take Steps to Tap into Your Network’s Networks
by Rolf Gutknecht
16 Have F.U.N. with Your Marketing

Get Cohesive, Get Practical, Get Going!
by Nicole Vullo
20 Do You Possess the Drive?

Five Ways to Weed Out Low-performing Salespeople
by Dr. Christopher Croner
24 Mount Auburn in the Summer

by Jim Gorman, Courtesy of Mount Auburn
16
28 Prose for the Quietus of Life
The Day You Left
by Author Unknown
20 24 28
2 MEMENTO MORI JUNE 2022 www.iccfa.com

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a.k.a. The Guardian or Guardian Life. 5151 04/22
MEMENTO MORI
VOL. 82 | N0. 5 JUNE 2022 DEPARTMENTS
ICCFA Officers
PRESIDENT DEAD TALKS 2022 HIGHLIGHTS
Gary M. Freytag, CCFE
Just When I Thought I Was Done, They Sucked Me Back in Again �� 6
PRESIDENT-ELECT
by Mark Ballard
Robbie L. Pape
The Golden Thread of WHY �� 8
VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION
by Honnalora Hubbard
John Bolton, CCE, CCrE, CSE, CXE
Getting ‘In Line’ with the Pre-need Family�� 10
VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING
Shawna de la Cruz by Chris Hubbard
VICE PRESIDENT, INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Mitch Rose, CCFE, CCrE DEPARTMENTS AND COLUMNS
VICE PRESIDENT, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DID YOU KNOW�� 30
Lee Longino Celebrities Who Died in June
TREASURER
Christopher Keller ANOTHER BLACK DRESS�� 32
Pre-need? Pre-planning? Or just Pre-paration?
SECRETARY
Stacy Adams by Stephanie Longmuir
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CEMETERY IMPOSSIBLE �� 34

Nadira Baddeliyanage
How Does Pre-need Add Value to Your Funeral Home?
GENERAL COUNSEL by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
Poul Lemasters, Esq.
[email protected] PLPA HIGHLIGHTS�� 36
Unbreakable Bonds: A ‘Tail’ of Two Service Dogs
Magazine Staff by Amy S. Shimp
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Tatia L. Gordon-Troy, Esq. MEMBER NEWS�� 38
[email protected] | 571.323.2983, ext. 1222
SUPPLIER RELATIONS MANAGER ICCFA NEWS �� 48

Rick Platter ICCFA Elects New Board Members During the 2022 Annual Convention �� 48
ICCFAU: Eight Great Colleges, One Career-Changing Experience �� 50
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Katherine Devins Welcome New Members of the Quarter & Half Century Club�� 52
ICCFA Educational Foundation Awards University Scholarships �� 53
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Maddy Collins
Membership Benefit: ICCFA Credit Exchange Plan �� 54
[email protected] | 800.645.7700, ext. 1215 Welcome New ICCFA Members �� 54
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PUBLISHER
Nadira Baddeliyanage AD INDEX �� 56
DESIGN & PRODUCTION

EVENTS CALENDAR�� 56
BonoTom Studio, Inc.
[email protected] | bonotom.com | 703-276-0612
Memento Mori (ISSN 1936-2099) is published by
the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral
Association®, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling,
VA 20164-4468; 703.391.8400; FAX 703.391.8416; www.
iccfa.com. Published 10 times per year, with combined
issues in March-April and August-September. Periodicals
postage paid at Baltimore, MD, and other offices.
Copyright 2021 by the International Cemetery, Cremation
and Funeral Association. Subscription rates: In the United
States, $39.95; in Canada, $45.95; overseas: $75.95. One Some people die
at 25 and aren’t
subscription is included in annual membership dues.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Memento Mori,
107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468.
Individual written contributions, commentary and buried until 75.

advertisements appearing in Memento Mori do not necessarily
reflect either the opinion or the endorsement of the —Benjamin Franklin
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.

This is a missed opportunity.
According to the Funeral and Memorial Information Council:
What
89% of people
69% of people
13% of people about
Feel a discussion
about their end-of-life
Would prefer to
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Have actually
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the other
76%?
wishes would be own service. arrangements.
meaningful.
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DEAD TALKS 2022 HIGHLIGHTS
Just When I Thought I Was Done,

They Sucked Me Back in Again
by Mark Ballard
S
TRANGE WAY TO START AN ARTICLE , but as you read you will enjoy the Feeling Rejuvenated
humor of it. ICCFA holds its annual sales conference in January every year The lineup of the speakers and activities was
to bring all of us together to learn, develop and find new ways to increase done very well, and I could not wait to see it
pre-need sales. all unfold while also stressing over “whether
what I have will be good enough.”
Many of you reading this article are Turns out, I needed this more than I
nodding your head: “I remember when I thought. With everything we have been
used to go to that conference”; I was among Our world has changed through in our profession, I needed to be
that crowd for years. In the beginning of my in the thick of things with those who could
career in this wonderful profession, I went over the years and our relate. It reminded me of where I started. I
to learn more about the profession, to hob- profession is famous for enjoyed myself immensely.
knob with the experts, and hope I could I fell in love with the new theme and
find a few nuggets of gold to take back to being slow to change. structure of it all, and appreciated what the
our funeral home. Do not let another sales committee had done to renew and
Over the years, I felt the conference rejuvenate this conference. To be among
started to develop a stale taste and very conference go by and my peers and leaders in this incredible
repetitive format, year after year. Nothing profession that we are blessed to be part of
challenged me nor was there much new in
wonder ‘what if.’ was rewarding and a renewed aura came
pre-need development. So, I stopped going! over me.
In November 2021, our president told I laughed, met old friends, made new
me ICCFA was looking for speakers and I got my presentation down to six slides, ones, and enjoyed the “out of the box”
asked if I would be interested. Gulp! My got on the plane to Las Vegas with some format of the entire event. It reminded me
reply was, “I guess I should put up or shut trepidation and my still existing “is it going of why we do this and why we ALL need to
up, huh?” He never answered me, just to be the same” attitude. be part of this so that Together Everyone
smiled. And we were still in the tail end of the Achieves More (TEAM).
As you can assume, I accepted the pandemic so I thought, “Is this even a good
invitation and nervously but with confi- time to go?” It Takes a Village
dence chose Sales Leadership. For the next Soon as I entered the hotel, memories You know you are in the right place when
three months, I worked on my slides, all flashed back of when I started in this pro- speakers mention each other. One speaker
36 of them! They were packed with great fession 11 years ago. There was a renewed would mention a few things another
information. Then I realized that I needed energy in the hotel (I do not mean the slots, speaker said. Consultants, Planners, Reps
to cut my slides from 36 to six to meet the BTW) and so many new faces. I felt like a (you know who you are) were taking notes
time limit for speakers. My gosh, where do fish out of water, but I kept saying to myself, vigorously and taking pictures of slides
I start ? “I’m supposed to be here.” and speakers as if they were movie stars
(I am not sure if I was in that group ).
Join the DEADTalks Conversation The creativity everyone used to stay within
the “DEAD Talks” theme was fun and
Are You Dead or Alive? enjoyable.
Great customer service leads to brand loyalty, brand loyalty comes from value, One of the speakers commented, “There
VALUE leads to SALES!!! Make it about them…not about you! Listen to understand, are no competitors, only colleagues.” Con-
not listen to reply! ferences like this are meant to be and we are
• Trust: prepared, educated, process, value statements, honest and transparent meant to be here. Many of you are reading
• Respect: kind, considerate, respectful and ethical this article thinking “maybe” you will go
• Like: automatic when you earn their trust and respect next year, or “I wonder if my owner/man-
ager would let me go to this?”

Options for
Memorialization
Celebrate Spirituality, Family, Passion, Life
with a Treasured Tribute
I congratulate those who earned the

opportunity through sales achievement,
which takes a lot of work. However, I would
admire, encourage, and highly recommend
owners/managers to do this for your pre-
need people, sales contest or otherwise.
Pre-need is the future of our profession
and to build our future, you need to first
build the present.
Owners/managers also need to attend
because we must always be challenging
ourselves and not be complacent. We need
to be uncomfortable so that we can change,
create stimulation, enable growth, and
achieve SUCCESS!
Stay in the Game!

My talk on Sales Leadership went very well.
Everyone was kind and complimentary; and
though I had thoughts of bailing out prior to
walking up on stage, I was extremely grateful
and blessed by the entire experience.
The subject of what we do has never
been more relevant than it is now.
Our world has changed over the years
and our profession is famous for being slow
to change. Do not let another conference go
by and wonder “what if.”
Imagine what can be and make the effort
for yourself, your funeral home, and your
pre-need team by setting aside the time to
be part of the next DEAD Talks!
I know we are all dying to go! Create a Treasured Tribute
1. Choose a photo 2. Choose a Wilbert Legacy Print
Mark Ballard has been director
of Sales for FRENCH Funerals
& Cremations for over 11 years
and absolutely loves what he
does. He has over 30 years of
sales experience and is a USAF
Veteran. Mark has been Contact your rep to learn about
married for over 20 years with four beautiful ®
children and eight grandchildren. He enjoys golf,

working out, biking, planting/gardening, playing
Scan QR Code.
outdoors with their two dogs, and wonderful
activities with his lovely bride.
JUNE 2022 MEMENTO MORI 7

The Golden Thread of WHY

by Honnalora Hubbard
W
E ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH A COMMON THREAD ; a recurring Let’s take a step back. One of the most
theme that seems to connect all the dots together. When you recognize one, famous TED Talks of all time revolves
you’re intrigued and you typically get a feeling that you’re on the right track. around WHY, literally. In 2009, Simon
Somehow when you pick up on a common thread, it creates a sense of togetherness and Sinek took the stage at TEDx Puget Sound
belonging. Common threads make sense out of everything. and mesmerized the audience that day,
and subsequently all 58 million of us who
What if you could find the valuable When you as an have watched the YouTube video. Sinek’s
thread that connects serving families and presentation on “How Great Leaders Inspire
becoming successful? What could that do individual understand Action” is a simple model that started with
for you? It might change how you serve the core of who you a golden circle and the question “WHY?” In
families, and it most certainly could change less than 18 minutes, he passionately shared
the trajectory of your career. I reference this are and why you do with us that the question of WHY is the
as the Golden Thread of WHY. Those three answer we all need. The 2022 DEAD Talks
little letters have the potential to garner you
what you do, you’ll accomplished the same thing presentation
great success! find it easier to share after presentation.
If you were able to attend the 2022 In Mark Ballard’s “Dead or Alive”
ICCFA DEAD Talks in Vegas this year, you your WHY with others, presentation focusing on sales leader-
likely picked up on the common Golden building trust with those ship, he talked about TRL. Simply, to lead
Thread of WHY throughout nearly every well and sell well you need to be Trusted,
18-minute presentation. If you weren’t lucky you meet. Respected, and Liked to build relationships
enough to attend, please, keep reading. I with employees and customers, alike. The
promise you’ll discover great things. connect with the audience, to explain their key way to accomplish this, Mark said, was
passion, to share their stories. This requires asking about and caring for their WHY!
Transparency & Vulnerability a lot of transparency and vulnerability. In “Getting in Line,” Sepio Guard’s Chris
Common threads around the industry, pas- But from a sales perspective, it’s just plain Johnson talked about connecting with your
sion, sales, and how we prepare for success smart. For those speakers sharing their family and the right way to do that from
were all shared in just 18 minutes at a time, WHY, there was greater depth and connec- your initial contact, allowing you to start
but WHY kept reappearing. The dynamic tion. They made you lean in a little bit more closing at the very beginning. Chris gave
speakers used their personal WHY to and listen a little harder. us his #1 tool to accomplish this. What did
Chris say accounts for 85% of success in
Join the DEADTalks Conversation closing from the beginning? Discovering the
WHY!
Understanding the steps of YOUR Customer’s Experience We all know being in sales requires cour-
1. Initial Engagement—Driving by your location, Google search, online reviews, age. It takes courage to hear “no” repeatedly
advertising, referrals. and still continue looking for the “yes.” But
2. Initial Interaction—Calling in or stopping by your location. what about “Compelling Courage”? Scott
3. Appointment and Setting Proper Expectations—Face to face meeting. You are the Darby shared his passion and commitment
expert and educator. They determine if they want to do business with you. to our industry in an almost tangible way
4. Purchasing Decision—They’ve decided! They want to invest in your business and in his DEAD Talk. After changing careers
believe you can meet their needs. from theatre to the deathcare industry, he
• 84% of companies that work to improve their customer experience report an discovered his WHY, his purpose and pas-
increase in their revenue sion, and was courageous enough to share
• 96% of customers say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to it. Scott led by example what he was driving
a brand us all towards: having conversations that
• American consumers will pay 17% more to purchase from a company with a touch hearts. We hold the key to shifting
reputation for great service mindsets about death and pre-planning,
and it’s connected to WHY.

“Beware of the Friend Zone” was an be caring and attentive to their WHY. This There are many partners in our industry
incredible DEAD Talk by another Sepio is how you embrace and enhance your who understand the importance of knowing
Guard team member, Noble Sines. He customer’s experience. This starts a cycle of what connects you personally to your work.
pointed out the importance of being a happy customers, great referrals, and more Finding your WHY and the WHY behind
trusted advisor rather than friends with the happy customers. your customers’ decisions doesn’t have to
families we serve. He came out strong with All WHYs are bound by a common be difficult. Seek out companies that have
focusing on the WHY, not the what. Simply, thread that helps us grow, serve families, the passion and expertise to help you find
people buy from people they trust. Sharing and be successful. So how do you put the that alignment between them. Utilize your
your WHY along with discovering their “Golden Thread of WHY” into action for connections, partner-provided trainings,
WHY is the ultimate trust builder. your success? and industry events, like DEAD Talks, to
Richard Houston of Webcemeteries. • Find your WHY discover how to incorporate the WHY into
com unpacked a wealth of information in • Be brave and share your WHY how you service your families.
“The Yes Between the No’s.” Richard dis- • Help uncover your customers’ WHY When you tie together your WHY, the
cussed the difference between a “stall” and • Find the best path to accomplish their WHY company WHY, and the customer WHY,
“objection”. The key is getting to the heart of • Share how memorialization is key in tell- you’ve found the Golden Thread.
why families may be hesitant to move for- ing their loved one’s WHY and honoring
ward before offering a solution. Listening, their legacy With a family background in
funeral services and six years
uncovering their WHY, and making sure
of deathcare industry-related
you clarify it before offering a solution is an The Magic of Knowing WHY experience, Honnalora
incredible way to move past the stall. Take and apply your WHY from an individ- Hubbard currently serves as a
What does success mean to you? It ual, a company, and a customer perspective. regional sales manager for
was a question Spencer Larkin of Envision When you as an individual understand the Coldspring. Her dedication to
Strategic Partners dove into. In Spencer’s core of who you are and why you do what the need for permanent memorialization is based
DEAD Talk, “How to Maintain Balance and you do, you’ll find it easier to share your on her belief that every person dies twice—once
Growth in a Competitive and Changing WHY with others, building trust with those when they pass away, and the second time being
Environment,” he emphasized the impor- you meet. As a company, success is built the last time someone whispers their name. With
tance of defining “success” and what it on everyone being invested in sharing their that in mind, Honnalora brings a strong sense of
means to you. Winning means something WHY and understanding that the com- business acumen to her sales process, including
business development, sales leadership, and sales
different to everyone; to win though, you pany’s direction is built on that common
training. Coldspring has served the architectural,
must first understand your purpose. Your thread of WHY. When your WHY connects
memorial, residential and industrial markets with
WHY is central to your purpose. with your customers’ WHY and all three all types of natural stone, bronze, and industrial
In 2021, I delivered my first DEAD Talk: align—well that’s just magic! and diamond-tooling products.
“The Power of Storytelling” via video. I
shared my personal WHY as an example
of meaningful storytelling. And let me tell
you, it took courage to be transparent. In
2022, I was honored to stand on the stage
filled with some of the best in our indus- R E L A M PI N G
try and share “Embracing the Customer
Experience.” We looked at the biggest key
LED light bulbs
in exceeding your customer’s expectations:
fo r C r y p t s & N i ch e s
knowing their expectations. This begins
with understanding your families’ WHY. D O I T YO U R S E L F
We all ask for families to share so much
personally with us. That’s not always easy s e p te ch n o l o g i e s .co m
for them. We need to be vulnerable, lead by 1 8 7 7 5 1 5 - 4 67 2
example, and share our WHY first. Then,

Getting ‘In Line’

with the Pre-need Family
by Chris Johnson
A
BOUT 12 YEARS AGO, I BEGAN MY CAREER IN PRE-NEED SALES. I manufactured as opposed to the dozens of
immediately fell in love with the purpose behind what we do and the value we can others to compare it to?
provide to every client family. Although buying-in to the purpose of pre-need was Some families do, but most do not.
easy, learning the art of pre-need sales wasn’t. What most client families care about is
their very own “why.” For example, when
I had the privilege of working in a pre- we take the time to build trust and ask
need office of 30 pre-need professionals. The better we stay specific, meaningful questions such as, “why
Yes, 30 other sales agents other than myself is it important for you to take care of things
under one roof! So I did what any normal in line with what’s in advance?” Or, “what is the number one
person would do. I threw out the incredible reason why you want to take care of things
training I had received from the pre-need
important to the family, ahead of time?” you’ll almost never hear
marketing company that hired me and just until the very end of the the client family respond by saying some-
tried to listen to and learn from what my thing like, “well, I heard you just received
peers were doing in that sales office.
pre-need appointment, the latest and greatest line of caskets and I
It was a big mistake on my part. the easier it is for just couldn’t wait to get down here to the
What I gleaned from some of my peers funeral home to take a look.”
was a lot of order-taking. Because I was new the family to make What the family will actually say is
and couldn’t rely on a big, revolving book of decisions. something like this. “Well, I really don’t
business, I quickly realized that I couldn’t want my daughter to deal with the extra
afford to be an order-taker. headache of having to make these difficult
I wholeheartedly understand that in our to them. Deep down, what does the client decisions when I’m gone.”
profession, there’s a very fine line between family really value? What is their “why?”
being a trusted advisor and taking advan- Everyone has heard the term, “present Cutting the Chatter
tage of someone. Often, the fear of doing every option, every time.” While I under- The point is, each client family has their
wrong or making a misstep overshadows stand why this is said throughout our own “why” for pre-arranging, and it typi-
doing what the client family needs. profession, it should also be known that in cally doesn’t have to do with all the details
a pre-need situation (when the client family of “what” goes into someone’s pre-arrange-
Providing What’s Important doesn’t have to make decisions right away), ments. So, why do we feel the need to spend
The question is: How do we become a presenting too many options can over- most of the time in a pre-need appointment
trusted advisor without coming across as whelm and confuse the client family, caus- talking about all the details of the “what”
inconsiderate and pushy? The key to being ing them to leave with more questions than and the “how” of pre-arranging?
an effective, trusted advisor is to truly answers. Just think about it for a second. Instead, let’s be bold enough to truly take
understand what is most important to the Does the client family really care about an interest in why the client family feels
client family. It is not about what the family the texture of the lining of the casket, or the it’s important to pre-arrange. Each unique
“wants,” and not what we are trying to “sell”; exact gage of steel, or the exact temperature “why” is all we really need to focus on. Once
it is more about what is actually important of cremation, or even where the urn was we can get in-line with the family’s “why,”
the rest is easy.
Join the DEADTalks Conversation I once sat in on a fantastic group training
given by an old colleague and friend named
Getting in Line Trent. Trent was driving home the topic of
In a Pre-need presentation, where does the “close” happen? discovering the family’s “why.” He paused
• 85% - The Beginning (Warm-up & Discovering the “Why”) and said to the group, “Discovering what’s
• 5% - Presenting (Explaining Options & Merchandise) most important to the client family IS
• 10% - Closing (Payment Options & Signing Paperwork) THE CLOSE.” This statement impacted me
greatly, and I’ve never forgotten it.

We Provide Exceptional Products and Services
for Exceptional Cemetery Professionals
Architecture
& Design
• Structures
The goal is to discover and understand • Burial Gardens
the client family’s specific “why” or reason • Master Planning
for pre-planning and then develop every-
thing around that specific reason. Here are
a couple of examples:
Ex. A: “I’m going to lead you through
this planning guide because it will really construction
help eliminate the emotional burden of
decision making for your daughter, as we • Installation
talked about before.” • General
Ex. B: “Making the decision to have Contracting
a visitation will give your loved ones the • Support
ability to see you one last time, should they
choose to, and making a decision like this
ahead of time will help eliminate one less
decision that your daughter will have to
make when you’re gone, as I know that’s
important.”
PrecAst
ProDucts
Get in Line, Stay in Line • Vaults
Everything we do and say in a pre-need
appointment should be focused on the • Crypts
client family’s “why.” If the family is trying • Niches
to eliminate the emotional burden of having
to make decisions at the time of need, then
providing the family with the peace of mind
knowing that death anywhere away from
home will not add extra decisions, further consulting
accomplishing what’s important to the • Sales & Marketing
family.
In conclusion, the further we get away
• Operations
from the client family’s “why,” the further • Administration
we get away from completing their arrange-
ments. The better we stay in line with what’s
important to the family, until the very end
of the pre-need appointment, the easier it is
for the family to make decisions. Four Generations of Caring for
Let’s get “in line” with the client family,
and stay there! Generations to Come
Chris Johnson is co-founder
and CEO of Sepio Guard. He
can be reached at chris@
262.367.9991
sepioguard.com or www.TributeInc.com
949.549.1058. Sepio Guard’s
Away From Home Assurance®
262.367.9991
product is perfectly aligned www.TributeInc.com
with the client family’s “why.” A pre-arrangement
is not fully complete until an Away From Home Four Generations of [email protected]
for Generations to Come
Assurance® plan is part of it.
ICCFA Ad 2022.indd 1 JUNE 2022 MEMENTO 7:29:13 11

MORI
1/5/2022 AM
Social
Media’s

Take Steps to Tap into
Viral Spiral
Your Network’s Networks
by Rolf Gutknecht
W
HEN IT COMES TO SHARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, there’s your network of
friends and contacts. These are all the people you’re connected with on LinkedIn,
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, etc. And like you, these people have their
networks, in other words, your network’s networks. The big secret of social media for your
company is that it’s not about your network per se. It’s not even so much about reaching
those in your network. It’s about reaching your network’s networks.
Every message you put out there should be some- and least likely to be forwarded? Well, one kind is the
thing that your network wants to forward or share. “look at our facilities” (gazebo, newly paved entrance,
If your network doesn’t want to share it with their etc.) update. Or “here’s our new product.”
networks, then your brilliant post or exciting news dies Sorry to be so blunt, but who the heck really cares
with them. It’s like telling a room full of people you but your own people? It’s just you talking about you. And
know something wonderful that you would hope they isn’t that the kind of guy you hate to talk to at a party?
would tell others … but the word never gets out. Oh, and then there’s the type of messaging that you
On the other hand, if you put out content that’s find all over LinkedIn and Twitter—one post or tweet
surprising, that teaches, that adds to the conversation, after another to the point you get tired of seeing this
that provokes thought and taps into a bigger discussion, person’s face show up in your feed. If the idea of social
then people will forward it. In a sense, they reward you media marketing is to form relationships with people,
for being so clever and smart. then why would you want to undo what you’ve accom-
For example, I’m of that age where I’m taking more plished by over-marketing your company to the point
of an interest in insurance-related matters, so about a where people say, “I’ve had enough. Buh-bye!”
year ago I found myself going to New York Life’s Face- What kinds of messages generate traffic for busi-
book page. There they ask questions, have polls, allow ness and get forwarded to your network’s networks?
you to fill in the blank on things that directly have to You’ve probably experienced this in high school when a
do with insurance; but many other times, the content is message of great personal value was shared numerous
peripheral: What do you want your legacy to be? How times. I’ll call this “My parents are out of town … bring
old is the oldest person you know and what makes them your own beer” message. This type of update breaks
special? It’s the stuff people comment on a lot. through the rest of the “ho-hum” messages because it
As you may know, what happens next on Facebook does two things: it produces a high emotional response
is that those comments show up on people’s individual and people like sharing useful content to help out their
pages as commenting about something on New York friends as well as business customers or prospects.
Life’s page. So, it becomes viral … which is the art of Now I’m not a psychologist but I’ve found through
reaching your network’s networks. personal experience that the likelihood of sharing con-
tent seems to hinge on things that produce an emotional
Types of Posts response by means of wonder, joy, fear and anxiety,
What kinds of messages are likely to be forwarded, or laughter, and surprise. I’m sure there are many other
more importantly, what kinds of messages are boring motivators but let’s just talk about these for a moment.

SHUTTERSTOCK / OATAWA / OLGA DAR
SOCIAL MEDIA’S VIRAL SPIRAL
Now I’m not a psychologist

but I’ve found through
personal experience that the
likelihood of sharing content
seems to hinge on things
that produce an emotional
response by means of wonder,
joy, fear and anxiety, laughter,
and surprise.
Wonder—If it’s something truly amazing, people can’t resist Polls and Surveys
commenting on it and passing it along. This can be in the form Polls are a great type of social media post and one of the fastest
of a photograph, story, real-life event, or a list of links to really and easiest ways to drive your audience to engage, understand
great resources. issues and pain-points, etc. Let your imagination run wild.
Joy—What makes people happy? There are lots of things. It can
be something funny, inspiring, or anything that’s enlightening and Competitions
uplifting. It’s telling a story that people can connect with. People are competitive by nature, which makes competitions
Fear and Anxiety—As people move toward “carrots,” they run and sweepstakes great for engagement. The more you run inter-
from “sticks.” People react if they’re anxious or fearful. If you’re esting and worthwhile competitions, the more people will take
writing content that talks about potentially losing out on some- note of your social posts. However, any competition needs to be
thing, missing an opportunity, or heading in a wrong or even tragic relevant to your target audience. In particular, your competition
direction, you’ll get attention. More than that, this kind of emo- prize needs to be something that your audience will value.
tional content gets passed along.
Laughter—Being in the funeral business, you know the healing Livestreams
power of a good laugh. Humor has a long history of going viral. Step Another popular type of social media post is Livestreaming.
outside the dark cloak and crack a grin. Livestreaming can take place on LinkedIn, Instagram, Face-
Surprise—What surprises people? Anything that goes against book, and other social networks. Benefits include reaching a
their expectations. Things that astonish them as well as things that wider audience, getting immediate feedback, increasing cus-
might shock them, from challenging assumptions or long-held ideas tomer loyalty, and creating trust. Livestreams can be recorded,
to great new ways of doing things. so you can share it with those who missed the live event.
Here are five successful types of social media posts to help get The idea of social media is to create and strengthen relation-
your audience interested: ships with people. We do that by sharing information they’d
like to get, read, and pass along to others. That doesn’t happen
Videos
if what you share isn’t interesting. You won’t be interesting until
It took off during COVID and has no plans on slowing down
you say and do things imaginatively, originally, and freshly.
because customers prefer to watch videos. They usually get more
exposure on social media and generate more engagement compared Rolf Gutknecht is president and CEO of LA ads, a full-service marketing
to other types of social media posts. They increase trust and credi- firm specializing in helping success oriented funeral homes, cemeteries,
bility. If you have a phone, you can do this. What are you waiting for? manufacturers, and service providers create compelling marketing
messaging and develop impactful marketing programs to grow
Promotional their business. Rolf can be reached at [email protected] or
Develop a promotion that makes sense for your firm. It could be 800-991-0625 ext. 2. Check out the LAads website by visiting www.
savings attached to a product or service or a photography contest, laadsmarketing.com.
event, etc., that your audience would like to participate in.

When was the last time
you didn’t read a text?
Every one of our text messages
is sent from and responded to
by real people who are trained to
communicate with client families
effectively and sympathetically.
98% of text
messages are read
16 five-star reviews
are generated for the
98% of our partner
funeral homes are
within 90 seconds of average partner funeral ranked #1 in their
being sent.1 home within the first week.2 market on Google.3
“
Do More. BETTER.
A year later and Elizabeth still
reaches out to me to make sure ARE YOU RANKED #1
that we as a family are healing. ON GOOGLE REVIEWS?
She was so understanding and Start here to transform your aftercare efforts.
patient and had that perfect
supportive personality I needed homesteaderslife.com/solutions
while grieving such a loss.”
– Actual 5-star Review From a Family Served
1
Adobe Campaign Management Report.
2
Homesteaders Solutions internal data as of March 2022.
3
Homesteaders Solutions internal data as of March 2022. Offered through Homesteaders Life Company
HAVE
F.U.N.
with Your by Nicole Vullo
Marketing
G
enerally speaking, when someone tells you to
“have fun,” one cannot help but wonder if that is a
genuine expression or some type of passive-aggres-
sive warning. Think of when a woman says it to her boyfriend
or spouse when he wants to have a “guy’s night” or a day of golf
with his buddies. Yes, ladies, we have all been there!
NEAT
But I am here to tell you wholeheartedly that when it comes to
marketing your funeral home or cemetery business, I want you to have
F.U.N.— Functional, Unique, and Neat marketing elements.
F for Functional Marketing Now, I know you may be thinking, “Well, that just sounds boring
Every business, regardless of its industry and vertical, needs a and not really fun at all.” But in actuality, a crisp and functional
cohesive marketing strategy to engage with its audience enough marketing plan is truly vital in this current landscape. For the past
so that they will buy the product or services offered. This is where three years, our Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Studies
functional marketing comes into play. have been showing us that consumers are embracing completely
Functional marketing is the process of creating and imple- new ways of doing things and they have no intention of going back
menting practical marketing strategies into your business plan to the old ways. They have totally evolved and we must follow suit.
as opposed to strategies that are overly gimmicky and borderline When crafting your functional marketing strategy, identify spe-
hokey. Having this plan in place allows you to focus on marketing cific goals first, such as “being more active in your community” or
initiatives that will effectively promote your funeral and cemetery “execute 10 new pre-need contracts per month,” and then develop
business to achieve results. the plan for implementing those goals.

Get Cohesive,
Get Practical,
Get Going!
UNIQUE
FUNCTIONAL

SHUTTERSTOCK / WOWOMNOM / STOCK.ADOBE.COM / OLIVIER LE MOAL
HAVE FUN WITH YOUR MARKETING
Brand consistency and

cohesiveness not only create
brand recognition, they
build trust with consumers
and a loyalty that can lead
to your desired goals and
return on investment.
that can cater to every type of service and needs that

Your strategy should hit all the different marketing
channels and functions and connect them to overall our client families have when paying tribute to their
loved ones. This should also ring true with your mar-
goals. It is best to have as much exposure to your audi-
ence whether though social media campaigns, Google keting efforts.
AdWords and Display Ads, or even traditional mailers. When defining your marketing initiatives, do what
works for you and your business. Yes, it is fine to be
The more reach you have, the better! Especially when it
is done right and executed properly. mindful of your competitors, but please do not let that
dictate and define what you do. You have your voice and
U for Unique Marketing narrative and it is best to stick to it.
We know that no two funeral and cemetery businesses A unique marketing plan is one that matches the
are alike. And quite frankly, that is one of the things mission and core values of your business. According to
that make our profession so great! We have businesses a recent study from KPMG titled “Customer experience
in the new reality,” 80% of customers prefer
engaging and spending with brands that
have values that align with theirs. If you
connect your marketing strategy to your
core values and mission, you have a far bet-
ter chance of reaching your customers.
In a November 2021 Memento Mori
article of mine, “Mise en place a la Death-
care Marketing,” I referenced that having
an effective pre-need strategy is the “secret
The Revolutionary First Call Pouch, Cot Cover, & Pet Carrier Solution sauce” for an effective marketing strategy.
That statement holds true almost one year
later.
800.645.8966 | www.kanga-woo.com A solid pre-need program is one of
the ways for you as a funeral and ceme-
tery owner to reinforce your businesses

awareness and uniqueness. Pre-need programs when Marketing strategies are a slow burn and they can
done properly can push the success of your business often take weeks or months to see results. We know
over the top. that you as owners and operators of funeral homes and
The past three years have caused us all to evaluate cemeteries are busy with the day-to-day operations
our own mortality regardless of age and health. In fact, of running your businesses and being with your client
over the Easter holiday weekend, I had that very conver- families. If you do not have the time or the resources,
sation with my father. A con- please ask for help. We know
versation we as children never
Your success will be this profession is not easy,
want to have with our parents but it is important to note
but one that is needed. Long measured by how you are that there are many creative
story short, my father is look-
ing to be proactive now rather
able to adjust your business and marketing agencies and
suppliers that can help you
than having his three children model to achieve a more meet your marketing goals.
be reactive in the future. In fact, when done properly,
This awareness, the same customer-centric mindset. they seamlessly serve as an
awareness that my father and extension of your business
many other consumers have, and result in both your
allows for a massive opportunity for pre-need sales. short-term and long-term success.
Through the findings from our Funeral and Cemetery
Consumer Behavior Study, we have noticed pre-need Nicole Vullo is the marketing manager at The Foresight
Companies, a Phoenix-based business and management
sales hit levels we have never seen before. When talking
consulting firm specializing in succession planning,
to consumers, 75% have a desire to pre-plan their
representation of buyers and sellers, financing, valuations,
funeral and cemetery arrangements. The demand to human resources and compliance services. Her passion for
pre-plan is even higher if someone has experienced a marketing centers around brand building and awareness as
death. well as demand generation. Nicole can be reached at 602-
To stay ahead of these changing times and to 274-6464 or [email protected]. Check out
strengthen your business, you need to accept and additional insights and educational information by visiting
embrace the pre-planning trend. To do this, listen and www.theforesightcompanies.com. Connect with Nicole Vullo
be flexible with your client families. Your success will be and The Foresight Companies by following them on Twitter,
measured by how you are able to adjust your busi- LinkedIn, and Facebook.
ness model to achieve a more customer-centric
mindset.
N for Neat Marketing

Not only should your marketing be functional,
it also should be neat. This relates to branding.
Your brand strategy is what sets the tone for your
business. Branding is the first impression for
potential client families, whether they are on your
website, following you on social media, or receiv-
ing that mailer I mentioned above. It is incredibly
important that your business comes across as
professional and consistent no matter which path
your client families take to engage with you and
your business.
Brand consistency and cohesiveness not
only create brand recognition, they build trust
with consumers and a loyalty that can lead to
your desired goals and return on investment.
When defining your brand, do what works for
you and your business. Continue to be unique,
as your brand is your voice and not your
competitors.

STOCK.ADOBE.COM / OLIVIER LE MOAL
Do You Possess
the
DRIVE
Five Ways to Weed Out Low-performing
A
S THE ECONOMY (FINALLY) HEATS UP,
hiring managers are desperately trying to fill
sales openings. Faced with stiff competition
for a small pool of applicants, you might be tempted
to compromise on the quality of new hires. It’s easy to
rationalize: Thanks to the pandemic, the nature of sales
has changed. The role is less forward-facing than it used
ner
Cro to be, and anyone can give a virtual presentation. Good
r
phe communication skills are all a salesperson really needs.
to
h ris
.C Not so fast!
Dr
by
Given the current talent shortage, it’s hard to find good salespeople. But
lowering your standards to fill an opening—no matter how desperate you might
be—could be a fatal mistake. Before extending a job offer to a so-so candidate,
understand that filling a position with any qualified warm body, simply to plug
a hole, is a recipe for disaster.
When you lower your expectations on a sales role, you inevitably compro-
mise results. What made a great salesperson pre-COVID is still what makes
a great salesperson—and that x-factor is Drive. Because the nature of sales is
changing so rapidly, it’s more important than ever to be selective and hire a
Driven achiever.
A person either has Drive or he or she doesn’t, and only 20% of salespeople
do. You should resist the temptation to compromise on new hires and hold out
for a candidate in that 20%.
?
A Bad Hire Can Cost Thousands
A bad hire is really expensive. According to a survey conducted by SalesDrive, the
average cost to onboard a new employee is $240,000. Wrong hires account for
nearly 80% of all turnover rates in business. And when you look at the big picture,
you will see that if you onboard a bad hire to your team, you can actually see a
bottom line cost of $840,000. This includes the cost of hiring new employees,
how much it costs to keep employees on staff, the cost of paying your employees,
their severance pay when you let them go, missed business opportunities, and the
potential for damage to your company’s reputation and/or client relationships.
This can even lead to the death of a company. An ongoing pattern of
“churning and burning” through salespeople has a ripple effect. The presence of
bad salespeople, and their lackluster performance, could negatively affect your
client relationships, company culture, and bottom line. Now that competition
is heating back up post-pandemic, you may not be able to recover from a bad
hiring decision.
For younger and/or smaller companies, compromising on new hires can
lead to failure even more quickly. You’re putting your company’s hopes, dreams,
Salespeople and future on the shoulders of only a few people—what happens when they
don’t perform?

SHUTTERSTOCK / AURIELAKI
DO YOU POSSESS THE DRIVE?
Don’t limit your search to active job seekers.

Salespeople with the most Drive might not be
actively looking for a new job. Reach out to them
and explain why the opportunity you’re offering is a
better fit than what they’re doing right now.
The Offsite Work Conundrum communication skills. While having these skills certainly doesn’t
In a remote work environment, it’s too easy for bad salespeople to hurt, at the end of the day, you still have to convince somebody. You
hide. Because so many roles have transitioned to remote work, it’s still have to put yourself out there and risk rejection.
easier for a bad salesperson to coast. No supervisor is sticking their Holding out for a Driven candidate is worth it, because there’s a
head into the home office to check in. There’s no “peer pressure” huge achievement gap between average and high performers. High
from coworkers in the breakroom. Low achievers can stay on the achievers can outperform their more average coworkers by up to
payroll for a long time before leaders realize they aren’t performing. 400%. That kind of ROI is more than worth the extra time and effort
The Need for Achievement (which is part of Drive) is partic- it might take to find and hire a Driven salesperson.
ularly important with remote work. Salespeople need to get up, Pair that knowledge with the fact that a low performer will need
focus, and be motivated on their own. They need to make call after extra coaching and perhaps a corrective action plan—while costing
call, presentation after presentation, with no direct supervision. Yes, your company money in lost sales opportunities—and the reasons
an average salesperson might be able to give a good presentation, to hold out for a high performer become obvious.
but if they don’t have the Drive to make those meetings happen in You can train a new hire on industry specifics, teach them about
the first place, it’s all for nothing. the sales process, and coach them on sales strategy and technique,
but you can’t instill Drive where it doesn’t already exist. It’s the one
And What About Technology? thing candidates must already possess. If someone doesn’t have it,
Technology is only as valuable as the brain behind it. (So make sure keep looking. Period.
that brain is Driven!) For years, technology has been squeezing the
middleman out of sales. For example, people can buy insurance It’s Your Move
online; they don’t need to meet with a salesperson to choose a policy. Identifying, attracting, and hiring high-achieving salespeople
But this doesn’t mean you can rely on tech to do all the heavy requires patience and discipline, especially given the current
lifting; it simply means you need smart, Driven salespeople who talent shortage. It may be tempting to fill an empty role (and save
can utilize social media platforms, apps, and websites to build your yourself time and work) by hiring someone who’s merely qualified,
brand and attract customers. not Driven.
Average talent doesn’t know how to do those things, or that The quality of your salespeople directly determines the quality
technology should be leveraged to find customers, analyze data, and of your results. Here are five things you can do to find and hire the
support sales efforts. No matter how smart technology becomes, most Driven high performers:
you’ll never be able to automate Drive.
1. CRAFT YOUR JOB LISTING
But I Have Great Soft Skills! Attract high-Drive candidates with targeted job listings. High-Drive
Similarly, soft skills aren’t enough to sustain sales success. Soft skills people are attracted to high-Drive situations, so that’s how you
like emotional intelligence, empathy, adaptability, and active listen- should position your company in job listings. (Bonus: Low-Drive
ing are certainly a plus for salespeople to possess. But on their own, job seekers might decide for themselves that they’re not the best
they aren’t what ultimately yields results—so don’t allow yourself to fit after reading your description.) Use words and phrases that are
be distracted from seeking Drive. literally and subliminally full of high-Drive signals. For example:
You’re probably familiar with the notion that since everyone • “High-potential sales position”
has moved online, selling is now about good writing and good • “Minimum of X years of experience successfully selling tech”

• “Role includes the excitement of pure new business the best predictor of future behavior is previous behav-
development, a.k.a. hunting” ior. Questions like these will be helpful:
• “Compensation is robust for those willing to work hard” Q: What’s the toughest goal you’ve ever set for your-
• “Intense championship sales team” self? How do you plan to top it? (Allow the candidate
to fully answer the first question before proceeding to
2. READ PROFILES AND RÉSUMÉS the second.)
Look for résumés that indicate Drive. When you review A: Has accomplished a very challenging work goal;
a candidate’s résumé and/or LinkedIn profile, there are has a specific plan to top that goal.
a few indicators of high Need for Achievement (which Q: Tell me about the last time you worked with no
is a crucial component of Drive): direct supervision. What was most challenging about
• The candidate is a passive (rather than an active) that assignment for you?
candidate. If the sales candidate has been out of A: Challenges relate more to keeping others (e.g.,
work for a while, there may be a good reason for it. colleagues, customers) on schedule, rather than their
• The candidate is not a job-hopper. own time management.
• The candidate is able to provide some concrete Taking steps to identify the presence of Drive from
metrics to prove success. the very beginning will pay off for years to come. Do
your due diligence up front—you’ll thank yourself
3. REQUIRE RELEVANT EXPERIENCE later.
If you need a salesperson who is ready to hit the ground
running, look for two to three years of previous expe- Dr. Christopher Croner is principal at SalesDrive and
coauthor (along with Richard Abraham) of the book,
rience at a similarly sized company. If the candidate is
Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again: Selecting Candidates
from a larger company, consider whether that person’s
Who Are Absolutely Driven to Succeed (The Richard
previous success was because of his or her own effort Abraham Company LLC), which details his research and
or because of a strong brand recognition and collateral practice in identifying the non-teachable personality traits
materials in existence already. common to top producers. Dr. Croner received his BA in
Don’t limit your search to active job seekers. psychology from DePaul University and his master’s and
Salespeople with the most Drive might not be actively PhD in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University
looking for a new job. Proactively search resources like at Carbondale. He developed the proprietary DriveTest®
LinkedIn to find candidates who are your ideal match online sales test and The Drive Interview®, both used for
across the board in terms of experience, geography, and hiring “Hunter” salespeople. Using this methodology, he
other characteristics. Reach out to them and explain has helped over 1,200 companies worldwide to hire and
develop top-performing salespeople. To learn more, visit
why the opportunity you’re offering is a better fit than
https://salesdrive.info.
what they’re doing right now.
On the flip side, don’t stop looking for Driven candi-
dates once your open position is filled. Even if you
are not actively trying to hire someone, constantly
be on the lookout for superstars.
4. TEST FOR QUALITY

Use a quality sales aptitude test. Screen candidates
before the interview with a sales assessment test.
Administer it to every candidate you’re consid-
ering (not just some people some of the time) to
identify high-potential applicants and avoid those
with less promise. Make sure your assessment
uses a question format that eliminates faking and
can track your candidates’ level of consistency in
their responses.
5. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Follow up with a behavioral interview. Candidates
who pass the sales assessment earn the opportu-
nity to meet with you for a one-on-one behavioral
interview. Ask the candidate to discuss previous
work-related experiences that reflect the charac-
teristics you need in your new hire. Remember,

SHUTTERSTOCK / AURIELAKI
Horticulture
Highlights
Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Summer Foliage
by Jim Gorman, Mount Auburn Cemetery
L
andscape design considerations for attracting pollinators might more
recently have been increasingly focused on floriferous herbaceous perennials.
At Mount Auburn, we include many of those but also know that trees and
shrubs are an essential part of our pollinator support. Honeybees, bumblebees,
sweat bees, mason bees, mining bees among numerous other types of bees, as
well as other kinds of pollinators, are attracted to the expansive cornucopia of
blossoms throughout the total growing season within our landscape.
During the early weeks of July, countless bees

will be dancing to and from our Ural falsespi-
rea, Sorbaria sorbifolia, a native of north-east
Asia. This is one of our largest shrubs, reaching
10-feet high and with a multi-stemmed, suckering
habit that needs lots of room to accommodate its
woody colony. The stiff upright stems are covered
with 8–12-inch long compound leaves, made up
of 13 to 25 leaflets.
It is the creamy-white, 1/3-inch flowers occur-
ring multitudinously in 4–10-inch long panicles
that produce an outstanding ornamental display
and attract bees and butterflies.
On a summer visit to Mount Auburn, look
for our Ural falsespirea, Sorbaria sorbifo-
lia, between Birch Avenue and the Coolidge
Avenue fence along our southern perimeter.
COURTESY OF MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY

…I studied bees, who were able
to convey messages through
dancing and could find their
ways home to their hives even if
someone put up a blockade of
sheets and boards and wire…
—Naomi Shihab Nye

HORTICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS
…How to extract its honey from the

flower of the world, that is my everyday
business. I am as busy as a bee about
it; I ramble over all the fields on that
errand and am never so happy as when
I feel myself heavy with honey and wax.
I am like a bee searching the lifelong day
for the sweets of nature.
—Henry David Thoreau
September 7, 1851

WHEN the family is counting on you
and you’re counting on your
Insurance Assignment company,
CERTAINTY MATTERS.
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always count on us. And so can you. That’s for certain.
& You
CJF.com | 800.785.0003 | 200 Market Way, Rainbow City, AL 35906
Prose for
the Quietus
of Life
The Day You Left
With tears we saw you suffer,
As we watched you fade away,
Our hearts were almost broken,
As you fought so hard to stay.
We knew you had to leave us,
But you never went alone,
For part of us went with you
The day you left your home.
—Author Unknown

JOIN THE
MOST TRUSTED
RESOURCE OF FUNERAL AND CEMETERY SUPPLIER COMPANIES
Since 1976 IMSA has been empowering cemetery and funeral

service providers by advocating for unity with various industry
associations and ensuring greater access to supplier products
and services. Our organization of companies is committed
to supplying quality products and services to the funeral
profession while providing the leading best practices and
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MEMBER BENEFITS
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DID YOU KNOW …
Celebrities Who Died in June
1878 1939 1959 2014 2021

Crawford Williamson Chick Webb George Reeves Tony Gwynn Frank Bonner [Boers]
Long American jazz Actor (Superman, American Baseball American actor
American surgeon drummer, big band Gone with the Wind) Hall of Fame (WKRP in Cincinnati)
and pioneer (ether as leader dies of Pott’s commits suicide by outfielder, 1982–2001, and director dies from
an anesthetic) dies disease (TB of the shooting himself in 15× All-Star dies of Lewy body dementia
at 62 spine) at 34 the head at 45 salivary gland cancer at 79
at 54
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ANOTHER BLACK DRESS
Pre-need? Pre-planning?
Or just Pre-paration?
by Stephanie Longmuir
I
HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM A WEEKEND IN SYDNEY visiting my parents. In 2020, my father had a stroke and for much
of the past two years due to travel restrictions I have been unable to see him regularly. I am now trying to get to Sydney as often as
possible; having anxiously waited for months and months, these visits now feel so precious.
I’m Not Ready … I Will Be Ready …

No one is ever ready to say goodbye to a parent. Whether it is Pre-need or Pre-planning, the
Because they have always been there, the thought Not only will his importance is Pre-paration; taking the time to
of them not being around doesn’t compute, until talk, reaching out to trusted funeral professionals
it happens. I have heard this sentiment expressed words be heard for guidance and information, sharing and docu-
time and again from the families I have served; menting decisions, and ensuring the right people
and while I know that emotionally I will never through the know how to access that information.
be ready to say goodbye to my mom and dad, I I don’t know when my dad is going to die; and
decided a few years ago to make sure as a family eulogy that I will as much as I try to prepare myself for his ultimate
we will at least have the practicalities covered. fate, I am certain that grief will consume me and
Talking with parents about their end of life create from his deal with me in its randomness. This I will have
wishes and instructions can be difficult. Fortu- no control of.
nately, my parents were open to this discussion, notes, but his life What I do know is that when the time comes, I
but they have had years of listening to me talk will be able to fulfill his final wishes. I can honour
with ease and a sense of pride about my work. will be celebrated him through a funeral service that he has been
They are also pragmatic people; and at the time I a big part of shaping. Not only will his words be
sat down with them, both were very healthy and in his favourite heard through the eulogy that I will create from
well. In hindsight, phew! his notes, but his life will be celebrated in his
Having sat with too many families who venue, with his favourite venue, with his carefully chosen music,
wished they had taken the time for that conver- poetry and readings amongst his family and his
sation, I developed a website to help families and carefully chosen friends. That gives us all some peace.
individuals document their end of life wishes and
instructions. Myendnotes.com was a labour of music, … amongst Stephanie Longmuir is an end-of-life
celebrant, podcaster, and consultant.
love for me and a useful tool for anyone wanting
information, a starting point for a conversation his family and his She has been serving the families of
Melbourne and Sydney, Australia,
about end-of-life instructions, or a place to since 2009, creating unique and
document their wishes and record their life story. friends. meaningful services. Determined to
Myendnotes was the first of its kind in Australia; better prepare and inform families, in
but with an increase in death literacy in recent 2015, Stephanie founded www.myendnotes.com,
years, many have followed. Australia’s first digital funeral planning service; in 2017,
she launched a podcast series, “Dying to Tell.” Stephanie
is a skilled writer and speaker and has been invited by
ICCFA, NFDA, and AFDA to present at their annual
conferences.

Global Bronze
Page 33
CEMETERY IMPOSSIBLE
How Does Pre-need

Add Value to Your Funeral Home?
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
S
POILER ALERT! There is no Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and please don’t make me automobiles, gasoline, heating and housing
talk about Sasquatch. I am the person who has been saying for four decades, pre- is figured in both CPI and FSI. However,
need is not an asset. I am not reversing my stance on this. You can’t argue against the when CPI factors health insurance, it is
existence of gravity and that pre-need is a liability. You can put cushions on the ground so for one family. FSI figures three families
when gravity takes your body from the tree limb you have a chance to walk away. because that is the average number of
families covered by a funeral home’s health
By the same token, you can make good That is the amount of your Assets. But how insurance.
decisions in the administration of your pre- much is the Liability at the end of three If health insurance goes up 3% in a year,
need program to protect this liability from years? Well, what is the price of that funeral that is equal to a 9% increase in FSI! CPI
being too large of a liability. I will explain in if someone came in At Need? If you raised figures the increase in automobiles, but
this article. However, the theme of this arti- prices 3% per year, we would have a Liability funeral homes do not have removal cars
cle is that pre-need can add value to your of $10,927. Therefore, we are still at the that are Toyotas; and again the average
business. I will explain that as well. optimum result. funeral home has more autos than the
average consumer. Of course, CPI doesn’t
Imagine that funeral home had been aggressively factor things like caskets and vaults in their
market basket of consumer purchases each
marketing pre-need for many years and had year, but you purchase many of these indig-
enous merchandise items.
$3,000,000 in pre-need. The risk of a transfer failing The net result is, in every year I studied
is going to be much less, so a buyer would be willing burial cases, FSI was almost 200% or more
of CPI! As I have seen cremation resulting
to pay more on the higher side of FMV. in the majority of dispositions, the FSI is
not as high but it is still higher than CPI. I
Math Doesn’t Lie The Guarantee have seen the cost of staffing alone go from
In the worlds of accounting and valuation, Somewhere in the evolution of pre-need 26% of Total Revenue to 36%–40% of Total
pre-need is a simple analysis. At the end of funerals, someone thought it was a good Revenue for cremation cases.
the day the formula for pre-need is, “The idea to tell a consumer that the price they If I take you back to the analysis of “Pres-
Present Value of the Assets must be equal pay for a funeral, once funded, will not ent Value of Liabilities must be equal or
to or greater than the Present Value of the increase. This entire tangent of thought is less than the Present Value of the Assets,” if
Liability.” The Present Value of the Liability abbreviated by the phrase, “The Guarantee.” casket prices went up more than the Return
is easily determined. At the day a funeral The Guarantee seemed like a nice idea, on Investment, suddenly we have less
home writes a pre-need contract with a but in my research on the feasibility of The Assets than Liability. If we see, as we have
consumer, that Liability is the face value Guarantee, it is a terrible idea. Once again, seen in the last several decades, the Return
of the contract. If that consumer signs a math proves the idea doesn’t work. on Investment at 1% of salaries, benefits and
contract for a $10,000 funeral, the Liability When a funeral home offers The Guar- casket costs going up at a greater amount,
is $10,000. Simple. If that day the consumer antee, they are now introducing the risk of then the Liability is growing faster than
gives you $10,000 in cash or a life insurance Inflation out performing Investment Yield. the Assets. Suddenly this simple concept is
policy for that value, the formula is $10,000 Inflation is not the Consumer Price Infla- growing out of your control because of The
Liability equal to $10,000 of Assets. This is tion (CPI). Inflation is inflationary costs of Guarantee.
the optimum result. running a funeral home. I label this Funeral
Let’s take this contract out three years. Service Inflation (FSI). While some points The Trusting
Assume the cash that is invested in a trust of FSI and CPI are the same, most are Another way funeral service has screwed
at 100% and that cash yields a Total Return either different or they are amplified in FSI. up pre-need is the trusting percentage
of 3% per year, now you will have $10,927. For example, the cost of health insurance, of the deposits. Not all states are 100%

trusting. Assume a family makes a $10,000 making the net received on a trust that is The very first article I ever had pub-
funeral arrangement and pays $10,000 to paid via installments a greater shortfall than lished in the 1980s was entitled, “Pre-need;
the funeral home, but that funeral home is the lump sum deposit. Meal Ticket To The Future or Will It Eat
in a 90% trusting state. If you were to buy Preneed accounts that have been well Your Lunch?” I am sorry to say, in four
that funeral home, you now have a bunch of invested don’t necessarily increase value if decades, that question is still not universally
pre-needs that have 10% less in Assets than the excess of those accounts is given back answered.
the Liability! to the consumers, their heirs, or the state
I am sure that some pre-need insurance (in the case of SSI). While it is good for the Dan Isard, MSFS, is founder of
The Foresight Companies LLC,
company sales people are feeling mighty Present Value of the Assets to be greater
a Phoenix-based business and
confident after reading this last paragraph. than the Present Value of the Liabilities,
management consulting firm
However, the comparison is not fair. if you refund the excess, that makes the specializing in mergers and
Insurance companies ask a few questions equation of the Assets equal to the Liabili- acquisitions, valuations,
to prescreen early claims from happening. ties. Funeral homes that have the option to accounting, financing HR
These prescreening questions only affect retain the excess and give it back, yet when services and family surveys. He is the author of
those who are more likely to die before the there are shortfalls from The Guarantee several books and hundreds of published articles
insurance company can recover their costs are absorbing them, are again making the in industry magazines, including “The Director’s
of acquisition. Assets less than the Liabilities. Finance 201” column. He can be reached at
While I am comparing insurance to 800.426.0165 or danisard@
theforesightcompanies.com.
trust funding, insurance has a great advan- How Does This Work?
tage over trusts because it is self-com- So, with all this negativity, how does pre-
pleting for those paying via installments. need add value? Imagine that a valuation of
Not all families can afford to pay a lump a funeral home results in Fair Market Value
sum. If they have to pay via installments, (FMV). FMV is expressed as one number
insurance can compute what that amount but it is really a range. That range usually
needs to be to fully fund and if death is narrow, within 5% to 10% of the value.
occurs before the account is fully funded, When a funeral home has a large amount
insurance provides the difference on the in their pre-need coffers, that is going to
initial amount. reduce risk on a transfer. That reduced
As I stated above, not everyone can risk results in a higher conclusion of value,
afford to pay a lump sum when they within the range.
arrange. If you have a $10,000 funeral but The typical funeral home has about
the family can only afford to pay $2,000 a 140% of its annual Revenue as pre-need
year for five years, that is not the same as balance. So, a business doing $1,000,000
investing $10,000 as a lump sum. $10,000 of Revenue is typically going to have about
invested at 3% at the end of five years equal $1,400,000 in pre-need account balances.
$11,590 but $2,000 a year invested at 3% at That puts the risk at an average rate. Imag-
the end of five years equals $10,940. This is ine that funeral home had been aggressively
a difference of almost $650 or about 6% of marketing pre-need for many years and
the total funeral bill! had $3,000,000 in pre-need. The risk of a
Installment payments with an insurance transfer failing is going to be much less, so
company have a premium to make up that a buyer would be willing to pay more on the
difference. Trust billing typically does not, higher side of FMV.
so the trust is going to be funded to a lesser Is pre-need necessary? Yes! Is the guar-
degree when a family pays into a funeral antee necessary? No! If there are shortfalls
pre-need trust in installments. Of course, and the family has no assets to make up
there are other costs that are not taken the shortfall, then the funeral home should
into account by a trust billing, such as the have the latitude to provide a lower priced
cost of producing and accounting for those casket or other merchandise to equalize the
deposits. This could be about $25 per bill, shortfall.

PLPA HIGHLIGHTS
Unbreakable Bonds:
A ‘Tail’ of Two Service Dogs
by Amy S. Shimp
I
F YOU ARE A DOG PARENT, you know the strength of the human-animal bond, however, it wasn’t until her college years
but have you ever wondered how enriched that bond would be if you relied on your dog that she began to lose her sight.
to help you gain independence? Becca goes everywhere with her yellow
Lab/Golden Retriever guide dog, Birdie.
Service dogs are not considered pets, as Guided to Gold She describes the bond between a handler
they are always alert to the needs of their Becca Meyers is a two-time Paralympian and their service dog as “magical.” Becca
handler. However, that does not mean the swimmer who has competed in Rio in 2016, has had her Seeing Eye dog, Birdie, for
handler-service dog bond holds any less winning three gold medals and one silver, close to seven years. She says, “As a deaf/
unconditional love and affection—per- and in London in 2012, winning silver and blind Paralympic athlete, I am on the move
haps even more. You are about to uncover bronze. Becca was born with Usher syn- constantly, and Birdie’s skills provide me
the unique connection only a handler drome, which resulted in hearing and vision the safety and security I need to achieve my
can describe—one of trust, devotion, and loss. Becca has been deaf since birth relying goals.”
perseverance. from a young age on a cochlear implant; In July 2015, Birdie was paired with
her “fur-ever” person, a nervous, anxious
college kid terrified of the world because
she was losing her eyesight. Birdie changed
that anxious kid into a determined woman.
“Birdie has given me so much confidence in
myself and has given me the ability to show
the world what I am capable of,” shares
Becca.
Birdie began her journey as a guide dog
from birth at The Seeing Eye in Morris-
town, NJ, and then lived with a “puppy
raiser” family at just 7 weeks old. The puppy
raisers taught Birdie basic house rules, nur-
tured her, and took her on public outings
to familiarize her with the surroundings
she would one day be exposed to on the
job. When Birdie was about 15 months old,
she returned to The Seeing Eye (TSE) for
six months of formal training, where she
learned how to “guide” in a harness.
Birdie looks to Becca for cues just as
she looks to Birdie for guidance to reach
her destination safely. “This bond does not
happen instantly; it takes time, patience,
love, and dedication, not just between
Birdie and myself, but from The Seeing Eye,
puppy raisers, and family members. It takes
a village to create this opportunity,” explains
Becca.
Becca and Birdie have traveled all over
the country to swimming competitions,
Becca Meyers with Birdie at her college graduation sponsorships, engagements, college classes,

It is a true wonder an animal can correctly
assess and respond appropriately to the needs
of its human counterpart in real-time.
Some humans cannot do that!
graduation, and even vacation trips. As as dinner with family and friends without
Becca sees it, “Without Birdie, I would not being hyperaware of his surroundings.
be where I am today. The look Birdie and Louie receives his fair share of love
I give each other when we are out in the and companionship from Steve. Besides
world is like, “We got this. Let’s go conquer continuing training and learning new tasks
the world.” and commands, Louie loves going to the
dog park every day to play hide and seek
From Underdog to Top Dog and socialize with other dogs. “At home,
After serving 35 years in the U.S. Marines, Louie enjoys laying in my lap for belly, ear, Steve Koester with Louie at Louie’s graduation
Army, and Air Force, Steve Koester is now a and paw rubs, and he even looks forward to
retired veteran. Steve served in “Operation grooming time—well, maybe not the teeth
Enduring Freedom” in southwest Asia and cleaning,” admits Steve. Amy S. Shimp is general
many places over his military career, includ- manager of Dulaney Valley
ing Guam, Europe, Alaska, and Canada. Bonded for Life Memorial Gardens in
Like too many military service members, Even after first-hand accounts of the bond Timonium, MD, drawing upon
Steve suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress between a handler and their service dog, her 20 years of experience in
the cemetery profession. Amy
Disorder (PTSD). one can only begin to fully comprehend the
is serving her second term on
An Australian Shepherd/Chihuahua dynamic, interdependent connection they
the ICCFA Board in addition to the Maryland
mix, Louie was the smallest of his brothers share. It is a true wonder an animal can Cemetery and Cremation Association (MCCA).
and sisters, but that did not deter him from correctly assess and respond appropriately She has been a catalyst in changing Maryland law
achieving greatness. At 8 weeks old, Steve to the needs of its human counterpart in to benefit the death care industry and its
adopted Louie from Grass Roots Rescue in real-time. Some humans cannot do that! So, consumers. At Dulaney Valley, Amy is launching a
Delaware. After becoming aware of the U.S. next time you look into your beloved dog’s state-of-the-art cremation center with a
Kennels, Inc. program from his VA ther- eyes, remember how fortunate we are to dedicated pet loss center which lends her to
apist, Steve had Louie evaluated for their have such faithful friends to walk through share her knowledge as a member of the Pet Loss
Service Dog certification. Louie qualified for life together. Professionals Alliance (PLPA) Committee.
the program and completed it 10 months
later.
Louie comforts Steve, especially when
he is out and about in public, where certain
sights and sounds trigger his PTSD. “He
alerts me to my PTSD tics, such as exces-
sive knee-shaking and throat clearing. To
disrupt my chain of thoughts, he will jump
in my lap and give me kisses to distract me,”
explains Steve.
Steve describes his bond with Louie as
a “comradeship.” He adds, “Louie has given
me back a part of my life that I desperately
needed—the ability to be outside my home,
my comfort zone, and not be as anxious.” In
the past, Steve could not enjoy outings such

MEMBER NEWS
ON THE MOVE The Connecticut Funeral Funeral Services, Inc.

NewBridge Group, a Directors Association (FSI), the leading
leader in funeral service (CFDA) has elected Lionel deathcare trust adminis-
succession planning for J. Lessard, Jr., CFSP, as its trator for pre-need and
more than 20 years, 2022 vice president. perpetual care trusts,
announced the appoint- Lessard is a licensed congratulates Prakash
ment of Tony Kumming as funeral director/embalmer Mohan, the company’s
president. Kumming has and the General Manager of D’Esopo East Chief Technology Officer, on earning a ranking
more than 15 years’ experience successfully Hartford Memorial Chapel in East Hartford, among Alumni Spotlights’ Top 100 Chief
managing the sale of funeral homes. He holds Conn. and D’Esopo Funeral Chapel in Technology Officers for 2022 list. The
a Juris Doctor from Stetson University College Wethersfield, Conn. He is recognized as a national list encompassing industries from
of Law, and his past roles include business Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) transportation to education to manufacturing
development and analysis at Keystone Group through the Academy of Professional Funeral and more highlights an overwhelming
Holdings, and senior business advisor at Service Practice. Prior to his election as vice investment in digital and technological
NewBridge Group. In 2019, Kumming became president, he served as a member of the transformation across the country. According
a managing partner at NewBridge Group. Wethersfield, Conn.–based CFDA Executive to Alumni Spotlight, the awardees have
Founded in 2001 by now-former president Board. Lessard became a licensed funeral “proven their exceptional command of various
Jeff Boutwell, NewBridge Group specializes in director/embalmer in 1984 after receiving his unique fields in technology. Year after year
confidentially navigating the sale of funeral professional schooling from the former New they expand their own expertise as the world
homes to qualified, privately owned buyers. England Institute of Applied Funeral Arts and changes around us and lead their organiza-
Sciences in Massachusetts. He joined the tions to greater efficiency and better
D’Esopo Funeral Chapel in 2000. He previous- performance by adopting innovative solu-
ly was employed for 21 years by Newkirk & tions.” “Quite simply, the industry-leading
Whitney Funeral Home in East Hartford and records management technology that is
West Hartford. available to our clients would not be possible
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(TXLSPHQW0DQXIDFWXULQJWKH+LJKHVW4XDOLW\3URGXFWV6LQFH
ƒVDOHV#KROODQGVXSSO\LQFFRPRUYLVLWZZZKROODQGVXSSO\LQFFRP
without Prakash’s expertise and innovation,” Calhoun of Calhoun Funeral & Cremation would be overwhelmed and overjoyed that
said Bill Williams, president and CEO of FSI. Service in Bedford Heights, OH, will serve the association has allowed me to serve as its
“He plays an integral, future-focused role on as president. His firm was the first minori- President.” Calhoun is a second-generation fu-
our executive leadership team and we are ty-owned firm to be invited to join Selected. neral director. He graduated from Morehouse
thrilled to see him honored as a top 100 Chief Calhoun is the first African-American pres- College, then attended Cincinnati College of
Technology Officer.” ident in Selected’s history. “My father was Mortuary Science and earned his MBA at Bald-
very proud and excited to be extended mem- win Wallace University. His wife, Alison, is a
Thacker Caskets announc- bership to Selected [in 2001],” Byron recalled. principal scientist. They have a daughter who
es the retirement of Greg “It was somewhat of a crowning achievement is studying Economics at Spelman College.
Brehm, who joined the for him. He passed away in 2016. I know he Al Asta of Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home
company 23 years ago.
Greg joined Thacker
Caskets in 1999 as a Managing a cemetery is
difficult enough without
funeral director liaison to
assist the company in better understanding
having to also navigate a

the needs of the funeral director clientele.
Having been a licensed funeral director and
volatile market
member of the Maryland State Funeral
Directors Association since 1986, Greg proved
to be a valuable resource, a wealth of
knowledge, and an integral part of the
Let us take the worry of

administrative team. Greg has been a pinnacle
example of loyalty and hard work. For many
care fund management off

years, he has been an integral part of the
customer service team. He also proved to be
incredibly versatile, taking on other responsi-
bilities, such as accounts payable, logistics
between satellite warehouses, and processing
your hands
specialty urn and head panel orders. Greg
built an excellent rapport with customers
through the years and Thacker Caskets will
certainly miss having his expertise on hand.
Upon announcing his retirement, Greg said, “It
has been a pleasure working with all of our
customers and all of my co-workers at
Thacker Caskets. I will miss all of the friend-
So you can focus on what

ships that have been made over the years and
I wish them all continued success in their
future with Thacker Caskets.”
you do best for your families

and your cemetery
PRENEED & CEMETERY CARE
FUND MANAGEMENT
Selected Independent Funeral Homes has
announced the election of new Board Officers 800-336-1102 CFFInc.com
to lead the world’s oldest association of inde- Contact us to find out about how CFF
pendently owned funeral homes. Selected’s
clients utilize our process ®
Board of Directors elected the new Officers Information contained herein should not be treated as investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any se-
curity. This advertisement does not offer or promise to offer tax advice, and as such investors should be advised to
who will be officially installed during the An- consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of their investment activities. Investment return and
principal will fluctuate, so that a client’s initial investment may increase or decrease. Any investment is speculative
nual Meeting September 21–24 at the Grand and involves a high degree of risk, including the risk of principal loss.
Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. Byron

ICCFA20220203March.indd 1 2/2/22 4:48 PM
MEMBER NEWS
in Phoenix, AZ, will serve as Board Chair. His new members to the American Enterprise (OFG). She is also an independent director of
firm has been a Selected member since 2008. Mutual Holding Company Board of Directors, Life Storage, Inc. (LSI) and a member of the
Of his new role, Asta says, “It’s exciting and the parent company of AEG. Susan S. Harnett, Audit and Human Capital Committees. James
it’s challenging. Over the past year and a half, James M. Whisler and Gary P. Scholten have Whisler spent over 30 years of his career
Selected has been there to provide resourc- joined the Board of Directors after being ap- (25 years as a principal) with Deloitte, one of
es to families. The board has made some pointed at the organization’s Annual Meeting, the largest consultancies in the world. While
great decisions to move Selected forward. To which was held this month. In addition, the there, Whisler led complex and impactful
move forward out of that transition into the Board of Directors also approved the organi- projects for many of the most sophisticated
next phase of growth is really important. We zation’s 2021 Annual Report. “We are pleased players in the healthcare space. He oversaw
need to make sure we’re offering programs to announce the addition of these three in- strategic programs in areas such as M&A,
and resources so Selected can grow as an dustry leaders to our Board of Directors,” said product development and market-entry,
association.” Tom Swank, CEO of American Enterprise. “The health information analytics, expert testimony,
Board considered a number of highly qualified health reform, value-based care and perfor-
candidates and determined that Sue, Jim and mance improvement. Gary P. Scholten served
Gary bring the necessary knowledge, expe- as chief information officer (CIO) at Principal
rience and strategic insights at this exciting Financial for 18 years, with a total tenure of 40
time in our company. We look forward to their years with the company before his retirement
contributions and leveraging their insights to in 2020. Scholten stepped into the CIO role in
help us to continue to transform our business.” 2002 after the company went public, focusing
Susan Harnett currently serves as an indepen- his responsibilities on IT governance, global
dent director and member of the Chair of the sourcing and procurement, and IT strategy
Nomination and Governance Committee and a processes.
American Enterprise Group, Inc. (AEG) is member of the Business Risk and Compliance
pleased to announce the appointment of three of the OFG Holding Company Bank Board
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member of the Senior Leadership Team, Sam values align perfectly with the philosophy of
will help drive core strategic initiatives and the Travel Plan by Inman. The Travel Plan by
enhancements in collaboration with other Inman is funeral director owned and operated.
Jon Lefrandt, Chief departments to continue to provide the best “This is what sets them apart from other com-
Executive Officer of aftercare program in the funeral profession. panies,” stated Tom Schrote, Chief Operating
Domanicare, announced His efforts will ensure the Domanicare team’s Officer of Cincinnati Equitable Life. Inman
the promotion of Samuel ongoing commitment to leading the profes- CEO Dave McComb is a funeral director and
Ashby to vice president sion by providing a better way for families to 37-year veteran of the funeral care industry.
of Sales for the Domani- prepare for and cope with tomorrow’s loss. He understands the needs of funeral direc-
care team. In his new role, tors as well as the families they serve. “It is
Samuel will lead Domanicare’s sales team and NEW PARTNERSHIPS our honor to be associated with a company
initiatives to reach more funeral home and like Cincinnati Equitable Life” said McComb.
cemetery partners at a greater scale. “I am A one-time fee of $450 covers the cost of
grateful for Sam’s hard work and effort. He bringing a loved one home from anywhere in
caught the vision of Domanicare early and has the world for ceremony if they die more than
never looked back. As our organization 75 miles from home. Without this coverage,
continues to grow rapidly, this change is actual costs could range anywhere from
another important step to ensure we are $1,500 to $15,000.
providing the best experience for our
customers and partnerships,” Lefrandt said. Cincinnati Equitable Life Insurance Com-
“Sam is a natural leader and ambassador of pany is pleased to announce its partnership
our brand. He is committed to building with the Travel Plan by Inman. Cincinnati
relationships in this profession and helping Equitable maintains its historical respect for
solve problems in meaningful ways.” As a tradition and sound Midwestern values. These
Choose a funeral and cemetery trust team

that shares your vision for the future.
As a national leader in funeral and cemetery trust services, Regions
understands it can be difficult to navigate the highly regulated environment
of the industry. That’s why the Regions Funeral and Cemetery Trust Services
team is staffed with both experienced professionals in trust administration
and knowledgeable Portfolio Managers. Our dedicated team goes beyond
traditional trust management, offering ancillary services for your tax and
legal needs to streamline your trust’s financial growth.
To learn more about how our team can help your company,
contact our Funeral and Cemetery Trust Services Manager or visit
regions.com/funeraltrust.
David Falconer | 713.244.8083 | [email protected]
Pre-Need Funeral | Cemetery Merchandise | Perpetual Care
© 2022 Regions Bank. Member FDIC. Only bank deposit products are FDIC insured. Some products and
services are made available through Regions Asset Management, a business unit within Regions Wealth
Management. | Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color
is a trademark of Regions Bank.
Investment, Insurance and Annuity Products:

Are Not FDIC Insured | Are Not a Deposit | May Go Down in Value | Are Not Bank Guaranteed
Are Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency | Are Not a Condition of Any Banking Activity

MEMBER NEWS
installation. Modlich creates an array of “What makes this partnership so exciting and
memorials including upright memorials, powerful is that both companies are strongly
memorial benches, cremation memorializa- committed to the long-term growth of the
tion, military memorials, public memorials and funeral profession.”
private estate mausoleums. All its employees
have many years of experience in the
Modlich Monument memorial industry and contribute to the
Company is excited to company’s legacy of producing monuments of
announce vice president lasting quality and craftsmanship. Great Western Insurance Company (GWIC®),
David Van Stone is an a subsidiary of American Enterprise Group,
equity partner in the Inc. (AEG), is pleased to announce a new
company. David Van Stone strategic product partnership with Sepio
was named vice president Guard (Sepio), provider of funeral assurance
of Modlich Monument Company in January coverage for deaths occurring 75 or more
2021 and has worked at the company for over miles away from home. Sepio’s Away from
six years. He has a wealth of sales and Premier Preneed Marketing is pleased to Home Assurance® Plan goes above and
marketing knowledge and experience. David announce the company has recently devel- beyond traditional travel insurance, covering
began working at Modlich as the director of oped a strategic partnership with Physicians the transportation costs, permits/documenta-
sales and social media in 2016. He attended Mutual. Premier and its funeral home partners tion and all other logistical considerations in
The Ohio State University and received his will now have access to Physicians Mutual’s the event of a death while traveling. “A death
bachelor’s degree focused in business, family comprehensive portfolio of funeral funding while away from home is one of the last things
and consumer sciences. Modlich is a full-ser- options. “We have partnered with one of the people think about, but unfortunately it hap-
vice monument company, owning the entire most trusted insurance carriers in the nation pens,” said Kenn Peterson, vice president of
memorial process from selecting the stone, and a company with unmatched financial National Sales—Preneed, GWIC. “Away from
custom designing and engraving and final strength,” said Jeff Wright, vice president. Home Assurance is for everyone, providing
• US is leading the way internationally

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Resomation Ad_April.indd 1 27/04/2022 17:20

the ultimate peace of mind for customers and customer like the only customer by providing display offers a pet personalized collection of
their families. This way, no matter where the the best loan service and product offerings. men’s jewelry & accessories from our brand as
death occurs, the family’s loved ones will be All growth capital is not created equal, and we well as the trusted brands Buck, Gerber, and
brought back into their funeral professional’s are pleased to offer this larger loan product Zwilling JA Henckels. The 5 piece pet
care.” backed by funeral-specific knowledge and cremation jewelry display features popular
experience to the funeral profession,” Bridgers ash-holding styles in both stainless steel and
said. sterling silver. All displays include display
forms and necessary signage for selling the
NEW PRODUCTS products. A digital marketing screen can be
Halcyon Death Care Management Solutions New Memorials Direct’s purchased to be placed on top of the tower
and Tukios are pleased to announce integra- popular 3-n-1 tower which provides additional marketing support
tion between Halcyon’s management system displays are now available for the entire New Memorials Direct Pet line.
and Tukios’s websites. This integration will in a pet only theme. This Please contact New Memorials Direct via
allow funeral directors to enter data once in new tower display features telephone at 1-253-649-0568 or visit www.
their Halcyon system and have it automatically 3 different pet themed NewMemorialsDirect.com.
sent to their Obituary information on their displays—a 7-piece pet
Tukios website. Sara Gard, president of Halcy- personalized display, an 11
on, said, “This integration is another addition piece men’s display, and a 5
to Halcyon’s growing list of quality partners piece pet cremation jewelry
that complement our software’s functionality. display. The 7 piece pet
The integration between Halcyon and Tukios personalized display
provides single data entry which decreases features engraved Thumbies® Inc., the creator of one-of-a-
the risk of errors as well as saves time that can pendants with actual paw kind keepsake jewelry and accessories, has
be spent directly helping the families served.” prints, nose print, or pet relaunched one of its most popular keepsake
“We are very excited to have completed this photo. The 11 piece men’s lines. The Elements™ line of Zirconium ceram-
integration with Halcyon. They have a very
robust and easy to use product, and a loyal
customer base. This partnership furthers our
mission to simplify the lives of funeral direc-
tors.” Curtis Funk, CEO Tukios Inc.
Do you need to get more out

Live Oak Bank and American Enterprise
Group, Inc., parent company of Great Western
of your Perpetual Care Trust?
Insurance Company (GWIC®), announced that
the companies have entered into a strategic
partnership that will provide funeral home
and cemetery business owners access to
$500,000 to $20 million and beyond in Jim Breaux
capital. Both Live Oak and American Enter-
Senior Vice President,
prise are recognized as industry leaders who National Sales Executive
have long supported the funeral profession.
This partnership brings a unique product to (504) 291-8840
the market, well suited for business owners
ArgentTrust.com OPEN CAMERA
seeking financing for their acquisition and ex- SCAN CODE
pansion plans. “Live Oak Bank’s funeral home TAP LINK
and cemetery team is excited about the lend-

ing partnership with American Enterprise,”
said Tim Bridgers, head of Funeral Home Preneed | Perpetual Care | Merchandise
& Cemetery Lending at Live Oak. “The core Trust & Investment Management
of Live Oak Bank’s mission is treating every

MEMBER NEWS
ic keepsakes return with a stronger material embalmers including ultramodern surface ten- CEO of EverArk. “The software is user-friendly
and more area to preserve prints from people sion reducers that yield superior penetration and employees don’t need to be tech-savvy to
and pets. Thumbies’ team creates a Zirconi- and preservation and broad-spectrum micro- quickly adopt and implement the product.”
um-based blend through an advanced process bial additives. Royal 33 is available beginning
known as ceramic injection molding (CIM). March 1, 2022. David Hicks, national sales Tecstone Granite has announced the launch
“We worked on research and development for manager for Pierce Chemical, is excited about of its Tecstone Value Plus (TVP) program for
this line for three years,” says Thumbies’ own- the chemical make-up of the product. “Royal all customers. The TVP program recognizes
er Tom Dougherty. “The production process 33 provides for a firm, dry cavity with tissue all customers’ loyalty with a tiered discount
is almost identical to how rare gemstones de- gas control, and has no additional additives. level based on sales as well as with a growth
velop in nature.” The ceramic blend is sculpted We believe it will be appreciated by embalm- rebate component. Customers can earn up to
into individual pieces using extreme heat ing professionals across the industry.” a 6% discount and a 2% growth rebate with
and pressure to form three shapes: Diamond, the program. “We felt it important to offer a
Bar, and Rectangle. The mold hardens into uniform and consistent purchase program to
an incredibly smooth and durable pendant all customers,” commented Jay Kown, sales
with a jet-black color. The Elements line starts director at Tecstone Granite. “Through the
at $250. Order Elements keepsakes and creation of our Tecstone Value Plus program,
see all of Thumbies’ keepsake collections at EverArk is launching its new cemetery we now have a formal and published offering
thumbies.com. management software. The software will that provides consistent discounts and growth
not only streamline funeral and cemetery rebates to all customers.” As always, orders
The Pierce Chemical Company, a division of management but also allow friends and family can be placed by speaking with a Tecstone
The Wilbert Group, has announced the rollout to create unique online legacies to remember customer service representative, using the
of a new and highly improved cavity fluid their loved ones after they’re gone. “EverArk is Tecstone online account manager platform,
known as Royal 33. The product launch is an efficient tool to modernize your cemetery or by submitting the order by email or fax.
timed to coincide with the 33-year anniver- operations by bringing everything into an Once accepted, the customer will receive an
sary of Pierce’s purchase of the Royal Bond easy-to-use platform, leaving your team more acknowledgment of the order. “Our mission at
Company originally in St. Louis, MO. Royal 33 time to spend following leads and building Tecstone is to partner with our customers to
index offers unique benefits to morticians and customer relationships,” said Greg Marmulak, ensure both their sales growth and profitabili-
ty,” added Tony Colson, president of Tecstone
Granite. “Programs like Tecstone Value Plus
help ensure we deliver on this message with
our valued customers.” Additional informa-
tion on the TVP program is available from
any Tecstone Account Manager or by calling
800-562-0777.
HONORS & RECOGNITION

Messenger recently
recognized its top sales
representatives with
achievement awards at the
company’s National Sales
Meeting held February 28–
March 2, 2022, in Clearwa-
ter, FL. The 2021 President’s Club Award is
presented to the Top 10 representatives: Tom
Ahlers, Jay Amburgey, David Bednar, Jeffrey
Burnett, Steve Coker, Meredith Feminis,
Christopher Iverson, Dave Kolbe, Ellie Dane
and Glenn Vaughn. The Vice President’s Club
Award is presented to the sales representa-
tives rounding out the top 20: Keisha
Addison, Mike Borror, John Duncan, Todd Ely,
Mark Hess, Shannon Hutchins, Brad Johnson,
husband and wife team Bill & Linda Lindley,
Sherry Noble and father and son team Gerry

and Greg Wright. Messenger’s highest sales Gregory McClary, owner
honor, Sales Representative of the Year, was and manager of Chapel of
awarded to Dave Kolbe. “Dave truly sets the the Chimes Funeral Home
bar when it comes to consulting, training and in Westland, appeared in
cultivating relationships with his accounts. We Telegram. Sorting through
are continually amazed by Dave’s strong track the tasks involving the end
record for excellence and growth year after of a life has been his life’s
year” stated Brian Clary, sales director of the calling for Gregory McClary. At the age of 9,
East Region for Messenger. Kolbe has been McClary recalls his decision to one day
serving accounts in Ohio and Kentucky since become an undertaker, the term used at that
1989. time, while he and his mother tended to his
great-grandmother’s funeral. A year later at
the age of 10, McClary’s mother engaged him
in an afterschool job at a local funeral home in
South Carolina, where he was raised. He
Express Funeral Funding began with sweeping floors and taking out
presented sales awards trash, but demonstrated a great interest in the
during the Sales Meeting. work of a funeral director. “They took an
Kevin Smith received the interest in me and from that age on up, I
top sales honor for stayed at it, graduated from high school, went
insurance funding. “Kevin to mortuary school, came back and served my
has worked hard to grow internship,” he recalls. A graduate of
his territory from the ground up. In just one Gupton-Jones School of Mortuary Science in
year, he has gone above and beyond to secure Atlanta, McClary was first licensed as a funeral
new accounts and grow funding claims for his director in 1980. He worked at several funeral
existing clients” stated Andy Buckman, vice homes in South Carolina before moving to
president of Sales at Express Funeral Funding. Michigan in 1998.
Express Funeral Funding also presented Gold
Member awards to sales representatives
Olivia Ralston, Larry McCracken and Kevin
Smith for exemplary sales achievements in
2021.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Passages International, supplier of green and Homesteaders Life Company has been
biodegradable funeral products, is opening recognized as a 2022 Top USA Workplace.
a new distribution center in Somerset, NJ, Homesteaders was selected for this award
helping funeral homes across the East Coast from 1,152 companies across the country.
receive green funeral products in a more “Last year was a historic one for Home-
timely manner. This new location will work in steaders,” said Steve Shaffer, Homesteaders
tandem with the Albuquerque, NM headquar- president, CEO and board chair. “We helped a
ters to provide quick delivery of eco-friendly record number of families make arrangements
funeral caskets and urns to the majority of the and fulfilled our commitments to families and
continental U.S. at a reasonable cost. Funeral funeral homes by paying out record numbers
home customers within 50 miles of Som- of claims, all while providing exceptional ser-
erset, NJ, will enjoy another benefit: Adult vice to our customers and managing pandem-
caskets needed urgently (within 3 days) will ic-related disruption. I view this award as a
be delivered by a Passages employee, and for celebration of the knowledge, skills, dedica-
a limited time Passages will offer this service tion and teamwork everyone at Homesteaders
free of charge. has exhibited over many, many years. I am
proud to have the opportunity to lead such an
outstanding organization.”

MEMBER NEWS
deathcare profession. On behalf of the entire and comfort. Both hospices are located in
team, I want to thank our customers for the Indianapolis. According to Maureen Lindley,
trust they place in Halcyon. We continue to “Alice and Cheryl exemplify extraordinary hos-
work hard every day to live up to this honor.” pice care as both a volunteer and caregiver.
Halcyon Deathcare Management Solutions We thank, honor and salute them both.”
is proud to announce its 20 year anniversary.
What started as a system designated solely The Garden of Remembrance (Gan Zikaron)
for funeral home management services now Memorial Park in Clarksburg, MD, recently
supports management services for pets, trade, expanded its designated Forest Conservation
cremation, aquamation and QR code body Preserve. Working through the Montgomery
tracking. Halcyon’s award-winning software County Planning Board of the Maryland-Na-
is now in use in eight different countries. tional Capital Park and Planning Commission,
Sara Gard, president of Halcyon said, “We Alice Hickok of Life’s Journey of Avon has the expanded timberlands adds several acres
are a tight-knit in-house team of talented been named the Flanner Buchanan 2021 Hos- of forests and trails to the 152-acre memorial
and conscientious software developers and pice Volunteer of the Year, and Cheryl McMa- park. “The ethical Jewish concept of “bal
customer support personnel. I am incredibly hon of Franciscan Hospice has been named tashchit” (do not destroy) has its origins in the
proud of our outstanding team of profession- the Flanner Buchanan 2021 Caregiver of the Biblical Book of Deuteronomy,” explains Hank
als. Halcyon has come a long way in 20 years, Year. The awards were presented to each by Levine, President of the nonprofit memorial
but some things remain the same. We are still Maureen Lindley, Flanner Buchanan’s vice park that serves the Jewish community of
independently held and operated. We follow president of marketing on February 18. Life’s Greater Washington. “Sustaining and protect-
the Golden Rule and demonstrate ethics and Journey offers securing comfort, empathetic ing the environment is one of our core values.”
integrity in all aspects of our business. We support and well-being for end-of-life loved The Garden of Remembrance was recently
value the role we play in supporting our cus- ones and their families. Franciscan Hospice certified as a Hybrid Green Burial Cemetery
tomers’ work and are dedicated to continuing affirms and celebrates life and regards dying by the National Green Burial Council and
to innovate and improve our products and as a natural process, recognizing that every received a Montgomery County RainScapes
services to meet the changing needs of the person has the right to die with dignity, peace grant to develop conservation landscaping
and gardens.
Express Funeral Funding is thrilled to an-

nounce the launch of their new website, www.
expressfuneralfunding.com. The new plat-
form provides a sleek, leading-edge design,
Join OpusXenta’s Online coupled with impeccable functionality and
a comprehensive overview of the expansive
Marketplace services Express Funeral Funding offers.
Request a demo and experience the indus-
try’s FASTEST. EASIEST.® three-step funding
OpusXenta’s byondcloud marketplace helps you promote your
process, customize your personalized Express
funeral home or cemetery to today’s customers online.
Hub account and discover how Family Pay can
help you and your families today! “We’re ded-
Make it easy for customers to find you icated to providing the ultimate experience
for our funeral homes, cemeteries and their
Showcase your products and services families. Our new website was strategically
designed with our customers in mind and is
just the beginning of what we’ll be releasing
this year,” said Deanna Wilkinson, director of
Register today. sales & marketing. The new website will be
updated frequently with new service launches
and Express news. Visitors are encouraged to
opusxenta.com (833) 236-2736 explore the new website and create their cus-
tom Express Hub user profile at http://www.
expressfuneralfunding.com/express-hub.

NEWS
ICCFA Elects New Board Members During

the 2022 Annual Convention & Exposition
ICCFA elected new Board of Directors members during its 2022 Annual Convention & Exposition,
March 22—26 in Las Vegas. Regular members elected to serve three-year terms
on the ICCFA Board of Directors are:
Daniel Bryan became a leader in the Georgia Cemetery board of trustees for Erskine College and
Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Association and the Southern Association Seminary. He also volunteers at an end-of-life
Home & Cemetery, Fort Meyers, holding president positions at an early age. care home.
Florida During and ICCFA Convention, he remembers
Dan Bryan comes from a when keynote speaker Ken Gronbach, a Elisa Krcilek
rich family heritage of demographer, spoke about the baby-boomers Mountain View Funeral Home &
funeral service. He is a and how they would change the industry. Cemetery, Mesa, Arizona
graduate of the Cincinnati That, along with the rise of cremation, brought Elisa Krcilek is proud to be
College of Mortuary Science him to research where the industry was a licensed funeral director,
and brings over 35 years of headed and what niche market he could serve. embalmer, cremationist, life
experience to Southwest In 2013, he established Leaf Cremation which insurance agent, and real
Florida. He is a huge advocate of community quickly became a leading cremation provider estate licensee for cemetery
involvement and encourages his team to be in Georgia. Since then, he has opened a sales. Her passion for this
the “light” in their community. His team has location in Ohio, with plans to expand. He profession started when she
partnered with several churches in their looks forward to continuing to provide was 12 and by age 15, she volunteered at the
community through coordinating food drives. leadership and knowledge to those coming local funeral home doing cleaning, mowing
Most recently they partnered with a local into our industry going forward. Clift is a grass and the highly sought-after responsibili-
church for a peanut butter and jelly food drive graduate of the ICCFA University and a ty of “wake duty attendant.” She completed
through an area radio station. In addition, they Certified Cemetery Funeral Executive. her mortuary studies at SIU-Carbondale, IL,
have partnered with the Fort Myers Police and accepted her first job with Lain-Sullivan
Department C.O.A.C.H. program to provide Sam James Funeral Home in Park Forest, IL. They were
Christmas gifts and food items during the James Funeral Home & Northlake part of Cremation Society of Illinois, which
holidays. Dan has held a seat on the board of Memorial Gardens, Huntersville, North eventually became her sole employer. She
directors of the Florida Cemetery, Cremation Carolina worked her way up to vice president and
and Funeral Association (FCCFA) since 2019 Sam James is a first-gener- stayed with them for 18 years. In 2008, she
and serves on their education and convention ation funeral director. He became the western regional director of the
committees. started working at a funeral bronze division for Matthews International,
home when he was 16. In where she learned the cemetery business and
Clift Dempsey his mid-20s, he opened his what it meant to be a “combo.” After
CCFE, Leaf Cremation, Acworth, own funeral home which he Matthews, she went to work for Stewart
Georgia built from the ground up Enterprises as Director of Cremation Develop-
Being a third-generation and purchased an existing cemetery in 2013. ment, which was later acquired by Service
cemeterian, Clift Dempsey He has his B.S. from Erskine College and an Corp Intl. She stayed in the Phoenix Market as
has “grown up” in this Associate’s Degree from the SC College of the Manager of Pre-planning Advisors. Two
industry. He began selling Funeral Service. He created the online funeral years later she went to Mountain View Funeral
cemetery property when he service program for the SC College of Funeral Home Cemetery and Crematory to be their VP.
was in college and quickly Service in 2007 and taught in the funeral She has become the local spokesperson for
grew his business education service department for ten years. He has also the funeral profession in the Arizona market.
by attending the Southern Sales Schools lead taught in Australia and China. He currently Particularly during COVID, they were contact-
by Gary O’Sullivan, Asher Need and David serves on the board of SCCFA, as well as on ed by numerous large TV and radio stations to
Whitener. Managing the sales at his family’s the pursuit of excellence committee for NFDA. discuss the current state-of-affairs. Elisa is a
three cemeteries in Rome, GA, he grasped the Sam is also very involved in his community, past-president of CANA, and a member of the
importance of learning from others and serving as president of the Lake Norman cemetery council board. She is active with her
applying that knowledge to his operations. He Rotary Club, an elder at his church, a board state association and is on the board of
became involved with his state association member of the Lake Norman Chamber, and directors for the Apache Junction Chamber of
and the Southern Cemetery Association and recently he rotated off as chairman of the Commerce.

Jan Smith Accountant in New York and runs an account- Nick also serves as an elder at his local church
CFSP, Flanner Buchanan Funeral ing, tax and wealth management practice. where he helps to oversee church direction
Centers, Indianapolis, Indiana Prior to working at Ferncliff, he was a partner and operations as well as counsels families.
Jan Smith holds a Bache- in a Manhattan CPA firm for 14 years. During Nick is a longstanding member of the ICCFA,
lor’s degree from Eastern the COVID pandemic, as president of the NYS serving on the Sales and Marketing Commit-
Illinois University, graduated Association of Cemeteries he worked closely tee and previously the Next Generation
from Worsham College of with the executive director and association Committee, speaking at the Annual Confer-
Mortuary Science in 1998 as lobbyist dealing with the regulators from NYS ence, and teaching at the ICCFA University.
a funeral director and as well as the governor’s office. He currently Nick has co-chaired the Wide World of Sales
embalmer, and received her serves on the ICCFA Sales and Marketing event and is the incoming Dean for the new
MBA at Indiana Wesleyan University in 2015. Committee. Over the past two decades Phil College of Technology at the ICCFA University.
She has served as the VP/COO for Baue has been actively involved on the boards and Nick is also actively involved in other state and
Funeral Homes for ten years, worked as a as an officer of the NYS Association of regional associations, frequently speaking at
Manager Partner for Carriage Services and has Cemeteries (NYSAC) and the Metropolitan events and writing articles for industry
been serving as the VP of Operations for Cemetery Association, in both cases working publications. He also serves on the Catholic
Flanner Buchanan Funeral Homes for almost through all officer positions through the Cemetery Conference Information Technology
10 years, overseeing 13 rooftops. In her last 20 Presidency. Currently, he is serving as the Committee and was a founding instructor of
years in the profession, she has served in immediate past president and board member the Catholic Cemetery Conference School of
various organizations supporting women in of NYSAC, along with working on several Technology.
business including ESPW (Encouraging, committees.
Supporting, Promoting Women), NAWBO Members of the 2021–2023
(North American Women Business Owners) Supplier/Professional member Executive Committee are as
with the largest chapter in Indianapolis, and elected to the ICCFA Board of follows:
the Indianapolis Chamber Women’s Events. Directors:
ICCFA President: Gary M. Freytag
She has spoken on end-of-life planning both Nick Timpe, CSE CCFE, Spring Grove Cemetery &
for the public and professionals, as well as webCemeteries.com, Kutztown,
Arboretum, Cincinnati, Ohio
mentoring students regularly through training Pennsylvania
and presentations to interns and local Over the course of 15 years, ICCFA President-elect: Robbie L. Pape
mortuary schools. She is a past recipient of Nick Timpe has helped Service Corporation International,
the 40 Under 40 Award and Dove Award for hundreds of leading Houston, Texas
Personal Achievement. cemeteries across the US ICCFA Immediate Past President: Jay
and Canada create and Dodds
Phillip Tassi execute plans to computer- CFSP, Park Lawn Corporation,
CPA, Ferncliff Cemetery Association, ize their records and Houston, Texas
Hartsdale, New York leverage technology to serve their families
Phil Tassi has served as the and grow their businesses. These projects President’s appointment: Darin
Executive VP, Treasurer, frequently transform the cemetery operation, Drabing
CFO, board of director and resulting in higher levels of service to families, Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks &
investment committee new revenue for the cemetery and positive Mortuaries, Glendale, California
member at Ferncliff local news coverage. Since 2017, Nick has Past President’s appointment: I.
Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY. served as the CEO of webCemeteries and has Frederick Lappin
His primary responsibilities led the company’s software, team and client Knollwood Memorial Park, Canton,
include the finance department where he base to grow exponentially. Nick is an ICCFAU Massachusetts
oversees the accounting, accounts receivable, graduate, a Certified Supplier Executive and a
accounts payable and payroll departments, as certified crematory operator. Prior to working Last year’s election ballot included a pro-
well as overseeing the sales department, in our profession, Nick earned his degree in posed proviso asking if the ICCFA Bylaws
managing the staff and overseeing all government from Patrick Henry College and should be temporarily amended to allow for
marketing and advertising efforts. His role also interned at the White House Office of Faith an additional one (1) year term of new offi-
includes actively engaging with their Based and Community Initiatives. Locally, Nick cers elected in the 2021 election. The proviso
investment managers, as well as being a serves on the advisory board for Ben Franklin passed, extending the presidential term of
pension trustee for their plan. In addition to Technology Partners of Northeast PA, where Gary Freytag, CCFE, and his officers to the
the cemetery work, Phil is a Certified Public he helps early-stage technology companies. 2023 ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition.

NEWS
Eight Great Colleges, One Career-Changing

Experience: The 2022 ICCFA University
As summer approaches and our minds are With insightful workshops and education-
filled with thoughts of beaches and barbe- al sessions conducted by Dean Timpe and
ques, let’s take a moment to consider this: other tech industry experts, the curriculum
Why not invest some time in your career de- will cover topics ranging from websites and
velopment this summer and join us and your online marketing, internal operations and
fellow deathcare professionals on the beau- sales systems, and strategic planning for IT
tiful campus of Emory University in Atlanta, projects and implementation. Learn how to
GA, for the 2022 ICCFA University? make memorable digital first impressions, the
ICCFA School Deans and their teaching ins and outs of engaging customers through
staffs are preparing a wonderful learning ex- digital aftercare, the importance of follow-up
perience for students from across the profes- surveys, and more!
sion. The University consists of eight different These seven returning Colleges for 2022
pillars of learning. This year, our second year are the other gems in the crown jewel of the
at Emory University, we’re especially excited college will provide practical strategies for at- deathcare professionals’ premier learning
to welcome a new gem to ICCA University, tendees to apply technology to their business- event. Don’t miss five days spent learning
the College of Technology! Led by Dean Nick es for improving operations and better serving and growing in beautiful Atlanta on July
Timpe, CSE, the CEO of webCemeteries, this their families. 22–27!

College of 21st Century Services tiation. You’ll learn Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s apply them within today’s highly mobile,
Dean Glenda Stansbury creative service management system and its multi-cultural, high-tech, information-driven
How do you respond to a family who says, specific applications to our profession. marketplace.
“We don’t want a traditional funeral”? You’ll
learn how to go beyond tradition with inno- College of Cremation Services Register now and apply for one of 50 schol-
vative offerings and become certified as a Dean Jim Starks, CFuE, CCrE arships to receive this incredible educational
funeral celebrant trained to provide meaning- Cremation doesn’t have to mean “no service” experience for free! The ICCFA provides a
ful alternatives to clergy-led services. or “no memorialization.” You’ll discover how variety of scholarships to attend ICCFA edu-
to better serve families, improve cremation cational programs through the ICCFA Educa-
College of Hospitality & operations, and increase your company’s cre- tional Foundation. Scholarships are available
Customer Experience mation-related revenues. You’ll also earn three for the ICCFA University, including the new
Dean John Bolton, CCE, CCrE, CSE, types of certifications: operator, administrator, School of Technology. For scholarship infor-
CXE and arranger. mation, please visit: iccfa.com/university The
Going into its fourth year, this college is de- deadline to apply is June 3. You must be an
signed to give students a foundation in funeral J. Asher Neel College of Sales ICCFA member to qualify for a scholarship.
home/cemetery hospitality and catering and Marketing ICCFA has reserved hotel lodging for
management. Topics range from basic event Dean Daniel Thomas attendees at the Emory Conference Center
planning to interpreting financial budgets, The principles of sales and marketing don’t Hotel (404.712.6000) with a rate of $165 +
leadership, and catering team management. change; only technique and application tax. For more information on hotel book-
do. Learn how to take the tried-and-true ings and to register, visit https://iccfa.com/
College of Land Management & principles of cemetery and funeral sales and university.
Grounds Operations
Dean Gino Merendino t h e u lt i m ate in
Exceptional cemetery service starts with
the grounds and operations department.
Without effective land management and a
CASKET&
commitment to an attractive, well-maintained
property, there will be no sales or service. MAUSOLEUM
You’ll learn how your grounds management
team can succeed and continuously improve
interments, landscaping, buildings, grounds
PROTECTION
MausoGuard
TM
maintenance, and exceptional client experi-
ence and satisfaction.
A state-of-the-art casket
College of Leadership, enclosure for your
Management and mausoleum
Administration
Dean Gary Freytag, CCFE
The cemetery, cremation and funeral service
profession is changing, and so are the skills PATENT 6,253,503
needed to manage and lead effectively.
You’ll receive solid, relevant, results-focused
training targeted at today’s required core
competencies.
MausoTray TM
A low-cost “insurance”
College of Funeral Home for your mausoleum
Management
Dean Todd Van Beck, CFuE VKM International Inc.
Too many managers consider “creativity” CALL: 800.886.2417 • FAX: 352-861-2473
someone else’s department. In funeral service, www.vkminternational.com
creative management is the key to differen-

NEWS
25 Years in One Hand

A Half Century in the Other
Introducing the Latest Members of the Quarter & Half Century Club
Individuals who have been ICCFA members for 25 and 50 years were inducted into the Quarter • David Wharmby, CCE—Inglewood Park
and Half Century Club at the Annual Convention & Expo during the Closing Banquet on March Cemetery
25. On behalf of ICCFA leadership and staff, congratulations to the following inductees: • Gary O’Sullivan, CCFE—Gary O’Sullivan
Company
Quarter Century Club Inductees: • Leslie Carraway Mansoor—Mt. Elliott Ceme- During the Executive Certification awards cer-
• Richard Abrams—Surety Capital tery Association emony on Thursday, March 24, two individuals
• Jerome Auer—Cincinnati Catholic Cemetery • Jennifer Olvera, CCE—Green Hills Memorial were recognized for attaining the highest level
Society Park of achievement within the funeral service and
• Daniel Becker—Becker Funeral Homes • Rusty Scott—Star of David Cemetery & memorialization industry in ICCFA’s Certified
• Gregory Bird—Greenlawn Funeral Home Chapel of the Palm Beaches Executive Program. ICCFA congratulates the
• Kevin Doherty—Park Lawn Corporation • Stan Stobierski—Heritage Memory Mortuary following individuals:
• John Evans—Edmonds and Evans Funeral & Cemetery • Lauren Blevins for earning her Certified Pet
Home & Heritage Cemetery and Crematory • Philip Tassi—Ferncliff Cemetery Loss Professional (CPLP) certification.
• Timothy Fish—Ring Ring Marketing • Clift Dempsey for earning his Certified
• Henry Kerns—New Tacoma Cemeteries and Half Century Club Inductees: Cremation Executive (CCrE).
Funeral Home • Richard Moylan, CCE—The Green-Wood We thank you for your continued support,
Cemetery commitment, and participation in ICCFA!
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ICCFA Educational Foundation Awards 2022
ICCFA University Scholarships
to ABSFE Certified Funeral Service
Educational Programs
Continuing the tradition of making educational opportunities available to the deathcare Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta.
profession, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association’s (ICCFA) The ICCFA Educational Foundation is a
Educational Foundation will be awarding one free scholarship to the 2022 ICCFA University 501(c)(3) entity, established to make ed-
to each American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABSFE) accredited funeral service ucation accessible to future leaders in the
and mortuary science program in the United States. In turn, the funeral service educational deathcare profession and thereby raise the
programs will select one deserving student to receive the scholarship and join their peers standards of professionalism within the
industry. To learn more about the work of
at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, this July 22–27, 2022.
the Foundation and upcoming educational
When asked about this initiative, Educa- istration fee. Students will be responsible for opportunities, please visit https://iccfa.com/
tional Foundation president Jim Price, CCFE, February
their travel and'21 ICCFA:Layout
accommodations at the1 Emory
12/24/20 5:13 PM Page 1
educational-foundation/.
CCrE, commented, “We believe that educa-
tion is critical to the well-being and future
of the deathcare profession, so what better
place to start a career-long learning path
than with today’s students of our mortu-
ary science programs? By giving them the
opportunity to attend ICCFA University at no
cost, learn from those already established in TM
their careers, and experience the comradery Keep

that comes from being with like-minded sake Pendants
individuals, we believe their passion and
commitment to funeral service will last their The opportunity to choose a
lifetime.” Keepsake Pendant
ICCFA University is a one-of-a-kind
presents itself only once.
program designed by top experts in the
cemetery, cremation, and funeral service
The comfort
profession. Its eight colleges cover every a Keepsake Pendant offers,
area of management and operations, and lasts a lifetime.
Known for quality materials
classes are continually updated to include
and craftsmanship,
the latest innovations and techniques.
Madelyn Co. Keepsake Pendants
Courses combine proven business theory
are hand-made using jewelry-grade metals.
with practical operational instruction, and
the staff encourages ongoing participation call about monthly specials or visit our website
and interaction.
800-788-0807 Fax 608-752-3683 www.madelynpedants.com e-mail [email protected]
The scholarships will cover the $2,000 reg-

NEWS
Your Real Source. Welcome, New Members!

Anywhere. Anytime. Funeral Homes/Crematories
• Chubenko Family FH’s/ • Rozga Funeral &
Apyre NCS Cremation Services
w h a t
Port Reading, NJ Milwaukee, WI
c t l y
Find exa
• Funeza Funeral Home • Salser & Dillard Funeral
k i n g f o r ! Del. Álvaro Obregón Chapel
o
you’re lo
Mexico City, Mexico Visalia, CA
• Holman-Howe Funeral • Shannon & Malone
Home Chapel of Peace
Lebanon, MO Funeral Home and
Cremation Services
• Magnus Poirier Inc. LLC
Montreal, Quebec
Superior, CO
Canada
• McDougald Funeral • Grand View
Cremations
Services
Glendale, CA
Anderson, SC
• Metcalf Mortuary Inc. Supplier
St George, UT • Crystal Impressions
Eagan, MN
www.nomispublications.com
INVITE THEM
TO SERVE.
YOUR NEXT GREAT HIRE AWAITS. A veteran’s commitment to serve doesn’t end when their
service ends. Help them reignite their call of duty in a funeral service career honoring the
values revered in every branch of our military. Respect. Dedication. Commitment to community.
VISIT JOURNEYTOSERVE.COM to download a FREE comprehensive toolkit designed to help

you recruit and hire veterans into your business. Enlist the talents of a veteran to bring value
to your business, comfort to your community, and purpose and possibility to your next great hire.
BE A PART OF A VETERAN’S NEXT JOURNEY TO SERVE.
A JOINT PROJECT BETWEEN Learn more at

JOURNEYTOSERVE.COM
JTS_MM_Half_Horizontal_8.75 x 5.indd 1 7/23/2021 9:49:30 AM

2022 ICCFA ANNUAL
CONVENTION & EXPOSITION
Las Vegas, Nevada
Thank you to our generous sponsors

that help make the Annual Convention
& Exposition possible!
Answering Service for Foundation Partners Group National Guardian Life
Directors (ASD) Funeral 365 Insurance Company
Argent Trust Funeral Decisions NOMIS Publications, Inc.
Axiom, Powered by JMT Funeral Directors Life NorthStar Memorial Group
Consulting Insurance Paradise Pictures
Batesville Funeral Service Credit Park Lawn Corporation
Behar Mapping Union Physicians Mutual
Biondan North America Inc. Gaffney Group PlotBox
Blackstone Cemetery Global Atlantic Financial Precoa
Development Group
Premier Preneed Marketing,
Cairn Partners Guerra & Gutierrez an Integrity Company
Carriage Services Mortuary
Professional Cemetery
Carrier Mausoleums Heritage Flower Co. Services
Constructions Inc. Hillside Memorial Park & Ring Ring Marketing
Cave Hill Cemetery Mortuary
Security National Life
CemSites Homesteaders Insurance
ClearPoint Federal Bank & IMSA Service Corporation
Trust Inglewood Park Cemetery International
Coldspring J3Tech Solutions Spring Grove Cemetery &
Columbarium by Design Johnson Consulting Group Arboretum
Cremation Recycling Kyber Columbarium StoneMor Inc.
CUNA Mutual Legacy.com Tile Artisans
Cypress Lawn Legacy Funeral Group TribuCast
Davey Tree LoveUrns, LLC The Tribute Companies
Domani Madelyn Company Trust 100
Flowers for Cemeteries, Inc. Matthews Memorialization USA Today Network /
Gannett
The Foresight Companies McCleskey Mausoleums
The Wilbert Group
Forest Lawn Memorial- Merendino Cemetery Care
Parks & Mortuaries webCemeteries.com
ADVERTISER INDEX
American Cemetery/Mortuary Consultants Inc. (ACMC)��37

Answering Service for Directors (ASD) ��52
Argent Trust��43
Bogati Urn Company ��44
C&J Financial, LLC��27
Coldspring�� C2
Continental Computer Corp. ��47
Cooperative Funeral Fund Inc. (CFF) ��39
Crowne Vault��23
Ensure-A-Seal��30
Flowers for Cemeteries��52
funeralOne�� C4
Funeral Services, Inc. (FSI) ��31
Global Bronze��33
Holland Supply Inc.��38
Homecoming, Inc.�� 5
Homesteaders Life Company ��15
International Memorialization Supplier Association (IMSA)��29
Kanga-Woo��18
Kryprotek ��40
Madelyn Co.��53
Merendino Cemetery Care �� 1
MorTrack ��45
National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL)�� 3
Nomis Publications��54
Obermayer ��35
OpusXenta ��46
PlotBox �� C3
Premier Columbaria��56
Regions Bank ��41
Resomation��42
SEP TECHNOLOGIES INC�� 9
Supply Link—Multiview��19
The Tribute Companies��11
VKM International��51
The Wilbert Group �� 7
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
July 22–27, 2022 September 11–13, 2022

ICCFA University ICCFA First-Annual
Emory University, Atlanta, GA Deathcare Classic Golf
Visit https://iccfa.com/university Tournament
Talking Stick Golf Club and
Camelback Golf Club
Scottsdale, AZ
Visit www.iccfa.com/golf

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MEMENTO MORI

Help families plan for their future,

Close more sales and increase your

16 Have F.U.N. with Your Marketing

20 Do You Possess the Drive?

24 Mount Auburn in the Summer

2 MEMENTO MORI JUNE 2022 www.iccfa.com

Experienced sales Online access Quick, easy Flexible products Financial

*Not available in Texas.

VICE PRESIDENT, INTERNAL AFFAIRS

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Individual written contributions, commentary and buried until 75.

4 MEMENTO MORI JUNE 2022 www.iccfa.com

According to the Funeral and Memorial Information Council:

Why aren't more people choosing to pre-plan?

Just When I Thought I Was Done,

6 MEMENTO MORI JUNE 2022 www.iccfa.com

I congratulate those who earned the

Stay in the Game!

children and eight grandchildren. He enjoys golf,

JUNE 2022 MEMENTO MORI 7

The Golden Thread of WHY

8 MEMENTO MORI JUNE 2022 www.iccfa.com

JUNE 2022 MEMENTO MORI 9

Getting ‘In Line’

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ICCFA Ad 2022.indd 1 JUNE 2022 MEMENTO 7:29:13 11

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Now I’m not a psychologist

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Brand consistency and

that can cater to every type of service and needs that

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N for Neat Marketing

Don’t limit your search to active job seekers.

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4. TEST FOR QUALITY

5. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

by Jim Gorman, Mount Auburn Cemetery

During the early weeks of July, countless bees

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…How to extract its honey from the

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Since 1976 IMSA has been empowering cemetery and funeral

FIND A SUPPLIER OR BECOME A MEMBER AT WWW.IMSA-ONLINE.ORG

1878 1939 1959 2014 2021

LEARN MORE AT ENSUREASEAL.COM

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Learn more about our PRISM platform at FSITrust.com.

I’m Not Ready … I Will Be Ready …

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How Does Pre-need

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ON THE MOVE The Connecticut Funeral Funeral Services, Inc.

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