Carlos Black and Christopher Costello Elected 2025-27 At-Large Representatives to NFDA Board of Directors

Brookfield, Wis. – Carlos D. Black and Christopher Costello have been elected to serve as at-large representatives on the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Board of Directors. They will begin their two-year terms of service immediately following the 2025 NFDA International Convention & Expo, taking place October 26 though 29 in Chicago, Illinois. 

On August 5, during the NFDA Leadership Conference in Napa, California, state association representatives elected the new at-large representatives. State association representatives are the voting representatives from each state who cast a ballot on behalf of their state for the at-large representatives on the NFDA Board of Directors. 

Carlos D. Black brings more than 30 years of experience in funeral service, having advanced from funeral attendant to general manager. He currently serves as General Manager of Small’s Mortuary Inc., which has multiple locations in Mobile, Alabama. A licensed funeral director in both Alabama and Texas, Black is known for his operations management skills, commitment to professional development and passion for community engagement. In addition to his funeral service credentials, Black is an ordained minister serving at Beth Eden Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, a role that complements his compassionate leadership style and dedication to ethical service. Throughout his career, he has championed excellence in operations, mentorship of emerging professionals and advocacy on behalf of the profession. 

“If elected to the Board of Directors,” Black stated in his campaign biography, “I will bring leadership and operational expertise, a commitment to mentoring the next generation of funeral professionals, and a strong voice for advancing policies and practices that protect and elevate our profession.” 

Christopher Costello is a licensed funeral director with Mothe Funeral Homes in New Orleans, Louisiana. A fourth-career funeral director, Costello’s professional journey has included roles as a chemist, educator, business leader and consultant. This diverse background gives him a distinctive perspective on innovation, problem-solving and public service in funeral care. Costello’s commitment to service is evident in both his professional and volunteer work. Costello was a member of the 2024-25 class of the NFDA National Emerging Leaders Program and is currently serving on the NFDA Convention Education Task Force. Over the years, he has held positions ranging from volunteer to board officer across a variety of community and professional organizations. With 30 years in New Orleans, he is deeply connected to his local community and the families he serves. 

“My experience outside of funeral service helps me bring fresh thinking to the challenges our industry faces,” said Costello. “I’m energized to offer insight from other sectors and help identify solutions that will strengthen NFDA and advance funeral service nationwide.” More information about Black and Costello can be found on the NFDA website, NFDA.org/Elections. 

NFDA Board Leadership

As announced in June, the following individuals were elected by NFDA members to serve as officers on the 2025-26 Board of Directors:

• President-elect: Chris E. Christian, CFSP, CCO, Christian-Sells Funeral Home, Rogersville, Tennessee
• Treasurer: Steven Spann, CFSP, CCO, Spann Funeral Home, Dickson, Tennessee
• Secretary: Ellen Wynn McBrayer, CFSP, CPC, CCO, CCSP, Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory, Villa Rica, Georgia 

Following his term as 2024-25 President-elect, Daniel J. Ford, CFSP, CCSP, of Alderson-Ford Funeral Home in Cheshire, Connecticut, will lead NFDA as the 2025-26 President. Current NFDA President Christopher P. Robinson, CFSP, CCO, Robinson Family Funeral Homes, Easley, South Carolina, will continue on the Board with a one-year term as the 2025-26 Immediate Past President. Also continuing their service on the NFDA Board are 2024–26 At-large Representatives Carlton Maye Jr., MBA, CFSP, CCO, of Statesboro, Georgia; and Ladd Pulliam, CFSP, CCO, of Richton, Mississippi. 

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving nearly 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and more than 40 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.

Oklahoma Governor Vetoes Extension for State’s Funeral Board, Effectively Dismantling Agency

In a move that is currently rippling through Oklahoma’s deathcare industry, Governor Kevin Stitt has vetoed House Bill 1029, effectively dissolving the Oklahoma Funeral Board—the agency responsible for regulating funeral homes, crematories, embalmers, and funeral directors. This decision leaves the state’s funeral professionals without clear oversight and raising concerns about the future of funeral service standards and consumer protections.

The veto also intersects with ongoing debates over the sale of caskets and other funeral merchandise — namely, Oklahoma’s “protectionist” casket law that prohibits anyone but licensed funeral directors from selling caskets to consumers. This contentious regulation has been in place for more than a century and has been upheld by federal courts in multiple lawsuits.

Creating a regulatory vacuum

The Oklahoma Funeral Board, comprising two full-time and two part-time employees, has been the cornerstone of funeral service regulation in the state. With the veto of HB 1029, the board’s authority is set to expire, and unless new legislation reinstates it, the state could find itself without a regulatory body overseeing funeral services.

Tyler Stiles, the executive director of the Oklahoma Funeral Board, expressed uncertainty about the future.

“I don’t know of any contingency plan of any of these rules going to another agency at this time. I haven’t seen that,” Stiles told Oklahoma’s KOSU news outlet. “So my understanding is anyone could embalm a body or cremate a body without any training or education.”

Brandon Lee, President of the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association, emphasized the importance of the board’s role.

“The Oklahoma Funeral Board exists for one clear purpose: to protect the public by ensuring that funeral service professionals meet the highest ethical and professional standards,” Lee told KOSU. “This work is not simply bureaucratic. It involves deeply personal and sensitive moments in people’s lives – moments that deserve integrity, compassion, and oversight tailored to the unique nature of our profession.” 

Kudos for the veto?

Governor Stitt’s veto message criticized the Funeral Board for maintaining outdated regulations that hinder competition: 

HB 1029 would extend the life of the Oklahoma Funeral Board— a state agency that, by now, should be consolidated under a more appropriate umbrella. For too long, the Funeral Board has shielded the funeral industry from meaningful competition in the sale of caskets, urns, and other funeral related merchandise and services. These barriers keep prices artificially high for grieving families. Instead of modernizing, the Board has preserved outdated regulations and entangled businesses in unnecessary red tape. Before granting another sunset extension, the Legislature should seriously evaluate where this Board belongs and what its core duties should be. Until the Funeral Board becomes more accountable and responsive to legislative oversight, its continuation should not be rubber-stamped.

The Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm, applauded the veto, viewing it as a step toward free market reforms in the funeral industry. 

“Creating artificial barriers to selling caskets is akin to creating a death tax for all Oklahomans,” wrote The Institute for Justice Legislative Counsel Sam Hooper on the organization’s website. “Restricting supply drives up prices. In an industry which everyone will eventually encounter, Oklahomans shouldn’t have to pay more when they say their final goodbyes to their loved ones.” 

Hooper also highlighted that Oklahoma’s average funeral costs are about $800 higher than neighboring states, attributing this disparity to restrictive licensure requirements that limit who can sell caskets.

What’s next

While HB 1029’s veto dismantles the current regulatory framework, the Oklahoma Legislature has an opportunity to reshape funeral industry oversight, according to both KOSU and The Institute for Justice. Senate Bill 559, for instance, proposes allowing individuals without a funeral director’s license to sell funeral merchandise directly to the public, potentially reducing costs and increasing consumer choice.

As the state navigates this transitional period, funeral professionals and consumers alike face uncertainty. The dissolution of the Funeral Board raises questions about maintaining service quality and ethical standards in the absence of formal oversight. Simultaneously, the push for deregulation and market competition aims to make funeral services more accessible and affordable.

Foundation Partners Group Forms New Advisory Board to Enhance Strategic Growth and Community Impact

WINTER PARK, Fla. (March 3, 2025) – In one of his first actions as leader of the second largest provider of funeral services in the United States, Foundation Partners Group CEO John D. Smith today announced the creation of a new Community Advisory Board to help guide the company’s leadership team during a pivotal time of growth and transformation.

Smith, who was named Foundation Partners CEO in January, has dedicated his career to building innovative consumer experiences and transforming legacy business models across multiple industries. As Chairman and CEO of Icon Parking, he was named the National Parking Association’s Innovator of the Year in 2023 for leveraging digital technology to significantly improve the customer experience and produce major efficiencies and cost savings for Icon.

The new advisory board underscores Smith’s commitment to balancing innovation with the deeply rooted traditions of funeral service, as he builds on the company’s strong foundation to ensure that families receive compassionate care and modern end-of-life solutions. His ability to implement strategic initiatives, optimize operations and build high-performing teams has consistently delivered measurable results.

“Our mission is to bring ease and comfort to families,” Smith said. “That’s why our first three Community Advisory Board members are former funeral business owners, who represent the best in service to families. They are smart, creative problem solvers who have proven track records of success. Their advice and counsel will be invaluable as we look to accelerate performance and bring our local funeral homes, cemeteries and direct-to-consumer cremation providers together with modern tools and resources to make the end-of-life experience as easy as possible for families we serve.”

Advisory board members include:

Mark Krause, a fourth-generation funeral director and former president of Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation Services in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Krause is a nationally recognized leader and educator, who built an innovative portfolio of businesses designed to provide services to families across a wide spectrum of needs from high-touch, traditional services to simple direct cremation.

Kevin Waterston, a recognized cremation pioneer who, along with his brother, founded the Cremation Society of Minnesota in 1980 to complement the services of his family’s Minneapolis funeral home. Over the next 30-plus years, the Waterstons grew the business to five locations, becoming the leading provider of cremation services in Minnesota.

Rick Tuss, a licensed funeral director and former co-owner of Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home, Cemetery & Crematory in Punta Gorda, Florida. From 2012 to 2019, Tuss and his partner modernized and grew the business based on a culture of caring with a strong emphasis on community involvement.

“By concentrating on best practices, emerging opportunities and an expanded vision for the future, we will begin our next chapter of innovation, excellence and service. Looking ahead, we also see this board as an opportunity to draw on the experience of innovative thinkers from other areas of the end-of-life planning and care community — a community that has expanded far beyond traditional funeral service to all aspects of ending well,” Smith said.

About Foundation Partners Group 

Winter Park, Florida-based Foundation Partners Group is one of the industry’s most innovative providers of funeral services and the second-largest funeral home group in the country based on the number of families served. Foundation Partners owns and operates a network of over 250 funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries across 21 states. Our deep understanding of technology and customer experience-centered approach allows us to deliver truly innovative and compassionate care to the families we serve. Visit www.foundationpartners.com to learn more. 

Pictured above (l-r): Mark Krause, Rick Tuss, and Kevin Waterston

Maryland Governor Orders Review of Funeral Board After Crematory Controversy

Governor Wes Moore is not playing around when it comes to deathcare in Maryland. Just weeks after Heaven Bound Cremation Services was shut down in the interest of public safety after eight years of issues, Moore has forced the resignation of three members of the Maryland State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors and ordered an indepth review of the all-volunteer team that in his opinion has “failed” families. 

“Firstly, these allegations are despicable, and those responsible need to be held accountable,” Moore announced last week. “I know the board is independent, but they have failed these families and I share in their outrage, and I stand with them in demanding justice. There is an active investigation into this matter, and these families deserve better.”

Based on the information that has come to light since the board took emergency action to shutter the embattled Charles County crematory on January 23, 2025, Moore’s outrage is justified. As Connecting Directors recently shared, the closure of Heaven Bound stemmed from an inspection that found 11 issues ranging from an inoperable retort to three decomposing bodies — one of which had been in the facility since a March 2024 inspection. The facility had amassed a lengthy list of violations since its opening in 2016, including some that mandated random, unannounced inspections by the board. 

Despite these findings, Heaven Bound was only inspected a handful of times over the years. The egregious body storage issues noted in the March 2024 inspection had only worsened by the time the board’s inspector revisited the facility in January 2025. Last week, the executive director of the Maryland Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors, who has only served in the position for 14 months, admitted that inspections were “backlogged.”

“When I began my position, I noticed we were backlogged approximately 300 establishments in inspections,” said director Erika Malone. “132 have been completed in the last year.”

Malone was one of several state officials, morticians, and funeral directors who were questioned by the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee. The committee was also told that some crematories haven’t been inspected in nearly 10 years. 

Malone added that the “board did no inspections statewide for two years before the issues at Heaven Bound were exposed” because Maryland’s “lone investigator was assigned office duty for that period,”, according to WJLA ABC7 News.

Three of the 11 executive members and officers of the board have resigned “under pressure” from Gov. Moore and have been removed from the entity’s website. The site now lists the eight remaining board members as well as executive director Malone, an administrative assistant, a licensing coordinator, and the aforementioned “lone” investigator/inspector.

Charles P. Scheeler was asked by Gov. Moore to lead the review, which will involve a “thorough assessment of the board’s structure and operations and whether changes to law or regulations are warranted,” says the Southern Maryland News. Scheeler is a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Catching Up With CANA’s Newly-Elected Board President Ryan Wiseman

Every board of directors is tasked with providing advice and oversight to an organization to ensure it operates as effectively as possible. Strategic planning, fundraising, and policy making are just a few of the duties entrusted to a board’s officers and members. But according to Ryan Wiseman, the newly-elected president of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) board of directors, his team has an additional, yet equally important, assignment: Keeping CANA Executive Director Barbara Kemmis busy and challenged. 

“That’s one thing about Barbara,” Wiseman says, with a tone of admiration in his voice, “she wants feedback from us. She wants to be challenged, and she always wants to keep busy and find more ways to keep CANA on the forefront. And she’s doing a great job.”

Although CANA members only recently elected Wiseman to the office of board president, he’s quite familiar with the body’s multi-faceted responsibilities, as he’s served as a board member for more than six years. 

“I’ve been very educated and have learned a lot being on the board for the past six years,” Wiseman says. “Our board is very talented, and we’re very lucky to have some really smart people from all across the United States. Everyone brings a wealth of very diverse knowledge on not just cremation, but what’s going on in their state, so it’s very interesting.”

As co-owner of both Porter Funeral Homes in Kansas City and Lenexa, Kansas, and the Cremation Society of Kansas and Missouri, brings his own unique perspective as second-generation director beginning his third decade in deathcare. His own market closely aligns with the 2023 average U.S. cremation rate of just over 60% that was shared by CANA earlier this year along with other statistics that show that cremation is still growing, but just at a slower rate.

“I know that here in the Midwest we’re seeing cremation rates continue to go up,” he says. “I think that it’s still going to keep going, but just not increasing at the rate that it has been. I think we are right where we want to be, and we’re helping people navigate cremation and educating people. So I think we’re in a good spot.”

Even though more people are learning about cremation, more cremation-related options are being made available, like solidified remains, cremation diamonds, and even cremains-filled fireworks — and CANA strives to stay on top of them all.

“So many things continue to come out,” Wiseman adds. “You think you’ve seen everything and then you come to a CANA convention and there’s a new exhibitor, and you’re saying, ‘Wow, I never thought I would see something like that, it’s very interesting.’”

One rapidly-growing option that CANA’s board and staff are closely following is alkaline hydrolysis, which some states’ lawmakers have tried to fit in under the “cremation” label, even sometimes dubbing the process “water cremation.”

 “CANA has worked on our actual statement of what we believe cremation is and what we believe cremation is not,” Wiseman says,. However, states are legalizing alkaline hydrolysis as cremation, and we follow the law. 

The CANA definition of cremation includes alkaline hydrolysis and has done so for a decade. It is NOR that we have a position statement opposing calling it cremation and providers agree. 

Wiseman is well aware of the various governmental challenges when it comes to deathcare laws and regulations, and he’s proud of the work Kemmis and her team have done in cooperation with various entities. 

“Government agencies and state agencies look to us to help guide them,” Wiseman says “And I love that.”

Over his term as board president, Wiseman hopes even more people learn about CANA and its important role in cremation education and in representing the cremation community. One of his goals for the coming year is to continue building CANA’s membership by promoting the organization and sharing the many perks of involvement, especially with the online Funeral Professionals Peer Support Group seminars and with in-person events like the CANA symposiums and annual convention.

“I think all organizations are seeing numbers drop as far as attendees in-person with the staffing shortages in our industry,” Wiseman says. “So we’re going to keep the word out there about our conventions and symposia and try to get people to come out to events to get educated and hopefully connect with other like-minded people in our industry.”

Selected Educational Trust Announces New Appointments to the Board of Trustees

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — October 10, 2024— Selected Independent Funeral Homes Educational Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees.

Tiffany Pape Hofer is a first-generation funeral director and owner of Luce, Luze, & Reck Funeral Homes, with four locations in South Dakota. Pape Hofer has been an active supporter of the Trust for more than ten years and was integral in initiating policy changes to the Trust’s Second-Career Scholarship program earlier this year. “I am honored to join the Board of Trustees,” said Pape Hofer. “The Trust’s vital work has a profound impact on the future of funeral service, and being a part of this makes me exceptionally proud.”  

Courtney Gould Miller is the Chief Customer Officer at Tribute Technology, focusing on providing high-quality customer experience journeys for funeral directors and families, along with leading the company’s sales and marketing teams. Gould Miller is a frequent author and speaker in the deathcare and end-of-life industries. Tribute Technology has shown ongoing support of the Trust, including funding matching gift challenges in 2022 and 2024, helping to raise a combined $72,000. “For me, it’s all about giving back to this profession that has given so much to me and countless others,” said Gould Miller. “I’m passionate about helping funeral professionals grow and succeed, and I look forward to working with the Trust to create meaningful learning opportunities that will support our profession for the future.” 

Trustees serve 3-year terms and work to guide the programming and fundraising efforts of the Trust. “We are honored to welcome Tiffany and Courtney to our Board of Trustees during this pivotal moment for our organization,” said Stefanie Favia, the Trust’s Executive Director. “Their diverse expertise and innovative insights will be invaluable as we advance our mission of promoting lifelong learning in independent funeral service and navigate the challenges ahead.”

For more information about the Selected Educational Trust, visit www.selectedtrust.org or contact Stefanie Favia at stefanie@selectedtrust.org. 

About the Selected Educational Trust

The mission of the Selected Educational Trust (www.selectedtrust.org) is to provide the best educational opportunities for the advancement and support of all who work within the independent funeral service profession. To fulfill this mission, the Trust provides programs which offer scholarships to mortuary science students and funeral service professionals, online education through its Institute for Exceptional Funeral Service powered by National Guardian Life Insurance Company (www.funeral-institute.org) and networking and employment opportunities through its Workforce Development Centers.

The Serenity Funeral Home in Berwick, Nova Scotia. Source: Google Maps.

A funeral board in Nova Scotia has decided to tighten rules after a woman was accidentally cremated during a tragic mixup of bodies.

The Nova Scotia Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors also decided to revoke the licence of funeral director David Farmer, who was was responsible for mistakenly cremating the body of  65-year-old Sandra Bennett.

To make matters worse, the body of 96-year-old Myrtle Wilson was embalmed and presented as Bennett during a family visitation last Dec. 27, which shocked the family.

Bennett’s sister, Carolyn Dominey, said the family planned to have an open casket service, but when they looked inside, they saw the body of another woman dressed in Bennett’s clothing.

“I was shocked,” Dominey told reporter Aly Thomson of The Canadian Press. “It’s like they degraded my sister’s body against her wishes.”

Dominey and her daughter, JoAnne, said staff at the Serenity Funeral Home in Berwick, N.S., insisted the woman in the casket was Bennett. When they realized it wasn’t, the family says they were presented with another body in the casket purchased by Bennett’s husband, Gary. It wasn’t Bennett.

The family was then told that Bennett had been mistakenly cremated.

Geoff MacLellan, the Nova Scotia cabinet minister responsible for issuing licences to funeral homes, earlier called the funeral home’s mistake unacceptable.

“Losing somebody and a death in the family is the hardest thing you’ll go through. It takes every bit of your strength mentally, emotionally and physically just to deal with the process,” he told The Canadian Press.

“To have this happen and impact these families in this way is tragic, it’s devastating, and quite frankly from the government’s perspective, it’s unacceptable.”

MacLellan ordered an investigation, which concluded earlier this month that the funeral director made the mistake so his licence was revoked.

The funeral board also asked the province to require all funeral home staff to identify a body before it’s transported, and called for fines similar to other jurisdictions (including British Columbia) and recommended more open hearings for professional misconduct.

MacLellan responded to the report by saying he hopes to bring in legislative changes soon.

“We’re going to get working immediately on the legislative piece and any other regulatory aspects so we’ve fully implemented what they (the board) have asked us to do,” he said.

In B.C., there are laws protecting consumers when purchasing funeral services. Those consumer rights are available online.

One of the laws protecting consumers is that funeral homes must present a price list to customers for funeral services

Consumer Protection BC also investigates complaints against funeral service providers and takes enforcement action when service providers are not in compliance.