ICCFA Magazine August September 2015

August-September 2015
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
Legal & legislative

update: Staying on
top of changes that
could affect you
Down the up staircase:

Walking the halls
of Congress
Management/HR issues:
Employment legislation
you need to know about
Finances: Invest in the
future, for the future
of your organization
What does the Supreme
Court ruling on samesex marriage mean for
death-care providers?
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Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support
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9 MANAGEMENT: LEGAL ISSUES
The U.S. Capitol, framed by flowering

trees in the spring, undergoes repair
work. PHOTO BY SUSAN LOVING
8 Washington Report
New overtime regs will have
a major impact on business
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
50 Supply Line
54 Update
56 Lost & found:
Frank, retired funeral cat
59 New Members
59 Calendar
61 Classifieds
62 Ad Index
What does the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage mean

for death-care providers? In last years Legal & Legislative issue, Poul
Lemasters advised funeral service providers about same-sex couples and
changing right-of-disposition rules. Following the recent Supreme Court
decision on same-sex marriage, he has provided an update.
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
10 LEGAL & LEGISL ATIVE UPDATE
Staying on top of changes that could affect your organization

One new law can beget scores of new regulationsone reason federal
regulation continues to grow. ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs
Committee Chairman Irwin Shipper talks about how the association
keeps an eye on and works to influence federal legislation, regulation and adjudication that could affect cemeteries, funeral homes and
crematories.
interview of Irwin W. Shipper, Esq., CCE
22 LEGAL & LEGISL ATIVE ESSAY
Down the up staircase

Whats it like walking the halls of Congress, meeting with members
of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and their staffs? Paul
Elvig takes you behind the scenes with this years visits, coordinated
by the ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs Committee.
by Paul Elvig
28 MANAGEMENT: HR ISSUES
Employment legislation you need to keep an eye on

If your job includes hiring or managing employees, you have to keep
track of the ever-changing federal, state and municipal laws cover-
ICCFA officers
VOLUME 75/NUMBER 7
Darin B. Drabing, president
Michael Uselton, CCFE, president-elect

Jay D. Dodds, CFSP, vice president
Paul Goldstein, vice president
Christine Toson Hentges, CCE,
vice president
Scott R. Sells, CCFE, vice president
Gary M. Freytag, CCFE, treasurer
Daniel L. Villa, CCE, secretary
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
general counsel
Magazine staff
Susan Loving, managing editor

sloving@iccfa.com,
slovingiccfa@yahoo.com
ICCFA Magazine
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

rplatter@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
bclough@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1214
Robert Treadway, director of

communications & member services
robt@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

(habla espaol)
danielo@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1215
Katherine Devins, communications assistant

kd@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1218
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
publisher
rfells@iccfa.com ; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
Brenda Clough, office administrator
& association liaison
ICCFA Magazine (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 Sterling, VA, and other offices. Copyright
2015 by the International Cemetery, Cremation
and Funeral Association. Subscription rates: In
the United States, $39.95; in Canada, $45.95;
overseas: $75.95. One subscription is included
in annual membership dues. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to ICCFA Magazine,
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commentary and advertisements appearing in
ICCFA Magazine do not necessarily reflect
either the opinion or the endorsement of the
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral
Association.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
Grow with Us!
L-R: Dale Groce, Bill Groce,

Troy Lovingood and Brandon Full
The very first year of our partnership, Homesteaders

and Preneed Funeral Program helped us generate
more than a million and a half dollars in pre-need funds.
Six years ago, Dale Groce believed an active pre-need program

was not essential to the long-term success of his Asheville, NC, funeral
home. But when falling interest rates on pre-need trusts began to
affect profitability, Groce turned to Homesteaders to develop a more
strategic approach.
Preneed Funeral Program (PFP) Vice President Tr
T oy Lovingood and
Homesteaders Senior Account Executive Brandon Full worked with
Groce to actively promote advance funeral planning in the community.
Within the first year of implementing a pre-need marketing strategy, the
firm generated more than $1.5 million in pre-need sales.
We found out the conventional wisdom was
absolutely crazy, Groce reflected. It turns out our
clients did want to arrange their own funerals, and
they did want to take the decision making and the
burden away from their families.
Lovingood credits much of the success to the firms willingness to adopt

PFPs customized approach to research-based marketing. We tailor
marketing solutions to every firm, he explained. We let our marketing
analysis determine our strategy.
In the six years since joining Homesteaders and PFP
P, Groce Funeral
Home has increased its market share by 15 percent, secured more than
$8.5 million in pre-need funds and grown its at-need business by 20
percent. Groce described their success noting, I attribute a great deal of
that to the marketing being done by PFP and Homesteaders.
Contact your Homesteaders account
executive to learn more about our
resources to help your firm grow.
homesteaderslife.com/growmybiz
ICCFA news
TABLE OF CONTENTS
45 Scholarships available
for Fall Management, Sales conferences
ing HR practices. Do you know what ban the box refers to? Do you
know what constitutes discrimination against a pregnant employee?
Are you on top of efforts to make sick leave a mandatory benefit?
by Stephanie Ramsey
45 Webcasting licenses
Non-compliance for music copyrighting
could cost $30,000 per song
45 Member discounts
Take advantage of these new member
discounts
32 FINANCES & INVESTMENTS
Invest in the future, for the future of your organization No matter

the size of your funeral home, regardless of whether your cemetery is
a for-profit business or designated as nonprofit, you need to make your
money work for you.
by Len Haussler, Pat Severo, Jay Brammer and Gary Freytag, CCFE
46 Fall Management Conference

Creating new markets, change, leadership to
be discussed
46 Thank you Fall Management Conference
corporate partners
www.iccfa.com
Directories
48 Get certified
August is certification Awareness Month
48 ICCFA Cremation Arranger & Crematory
Operations programs set for Dallas
Cemeteries
Crematories
Funeral homes
suppliers
pet loss proFessionals
Submit your news

to ICCFA Magazine
have you held a groundbreaking

or grand opening for a new facility?
hired or promoted someone? is your
company offering a new or updated
product to cemeteries and/or funeral
homes? have you recently held an
unusual service or a successful
seminar at your location? Added a
grief therapy dog to your staff? Share
your news with colleagues all over the
worldsend it in to ICCFA Magazine!
n Write it down. it doesnt have to be
written perfectly (thats why we have

editors)it just needs to include the
facts. Remember the basics: Who,
What, Where, When & how (& sometimes Why).
n Send it in: Email your Word docu-
ment as an attachment to sloving@

iccfa.com, or write your release in the
body of your email. Please include
your full name and title and the companys name and location in the body
of your email.
Questions?
Need some guidance?
Email ICCFA Magazine
managing editor susan loving
at sloving@iccfa.com.
6
ICCFA Magazine
www.iccfa.com/
directories
Web Expo directory of suppliers and

professionals
Association directory
Industry event calendar

Cremation Coaching Center
www.iccfa.com/cremation
ICCFA Caf
Links to news and feature stories from all
over the world
ICCFA calendar
Cremation Arranger and Crematory
Operator Certification Course
September 9-10 Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, Dallas, Texas
2016 Wide World of Sales

Conference
January 13-15 Monte Carlo Resort &
Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
2015 Fall Management Conference

September 30-October 2
Loews Ventana Canyon, Tucson, Arizona
Co-Chairs:Stacy Adams and John Gouch
2016 Annual Convention

& Exposition
April 13-16 Ernest N. Morial Convention
Center & Hilton New Orleans Riverside,
New Orleans, Louisiana Co-Chairs: Jay
Dodds, CFSP, and Lee Longino
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Washington Report
by ICCFA General
Counsel Robert M.
Fells, Esq.
rfells
@iccfa.com
1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1212
direct line:
703.391.8401
Fells is ICCFA executive
director and general counsel,
responsible for maintaining and
improving relationships with
federal and state government
agencies, the news media,
consumer organizations and
related trade associations.
MOre FrOM ThIS AUThOr,

AbOUT ThIS SUbjeCT
Funeral radio. Fells talks
about possible changes in laws
regulating overtime pay, as well
as other subjects, such as social media and the workplace,
at www.funeralradio.com.
MOre reSOUrCeS
Wireless. ICCFA members,
send us your email address and
well send you our bi-weekly
electronic newsletter full of
breaking news.
www.iccfa.com
Model guidelines
ICCFA Government and Legal

Affairs Committees model
guidelines for state laws and
regulations
Washington Report
Recent columns are available

online
New overtime regs will have

major impact on businesses
ust prior to the July 4th weekend, the

U.S. Department of Labor set off its own
fireworks by publishing proposed new
regulations on overtime exemptions.
in other words, the Dol is signaling

that its $50,440 minimum salary
threshold is a done deal and is
The most significant change in the provisions not up for review. Regardless, the
involves raising the minimum annual salary for
exemption from the current $23,660 to $50,440 business community is expected to
by 2016.
vigorously challenge this action and
This means that next year employers must
perhaps resort to litigation to stop it
decide to pay workers overtime wages for
from going into effect.
hours worked in excess of 40 per week if those
workers earn less than $50,440 annually, or
raise their salary to that level.
The Department of Labor (DOL) estimates

that 4.6 million workers will be affected by the
regulation. In other words, 4.6 million workers
either will be paid for their overtime hours, will
work only 40 hours, or will have their annual
salary raised to at least $50,440.
The 300-page announcement modernizes
and streamlines overtime exemption
requirements pursuant to an executive
memorandum issued last year by President
Obama.
In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA) established the 40-hour work week and
required the payment of time and a half per hour
for every hour worked over 40 during a sevenday period.
The FLSA also established exemptions
from overtime pay that focuses on executive,
administrative and professional employees,
people in what are known typically as white
collar jobs.
For an employer to exempt a worker from
receiving overtime pay, three factors must exist.
The individual must be:
1.) paid a fixed annual salary;
2.) paid at least a minimum annual salary;
and
3.) assigned job duties that are recognized
as white collar tasks. Typically, teachers,
lawyers, doctors and outside salespeople are
considered exempt from receiving overtime pay.
The minimum salary amount of $23,660 was
determined in 2004 and has not been increased
since then.
ICCFA Magazine
The Department of Labor decided on the

new $50,440 minimum threshold by using the
40th percentile of earnings for full-time salaried
workers in the United States.
To avoid this amount becoming static as in
the past, the DOL proposes to automatically
increase the salary threshold each year by
either using the fixed percentile approach or the
consumer price index.
At this point, it is unclear how or why the
DOL choose the 40th percentile of full-time
salaries as opposed to, say, 30 percent or 50
percent, for example.
The Department of Labor is seeking public
comments on the proposed regulations, but
this request appears limited to reviewing the
duties requirement for overtime exemption.
In other words, the DOL is signaling that its
$50,440 minimum salary threshold is a done
deal and is not up for review.
Regardless, the business community is
expected to vigorously challenge this action and
perhaps resort to litigation to stop it from going
into effect.
The ICCFA is coordinating its response to
the new regulations through its Government and
Legal Affairs Committee.
The association is also a member of business
coalitions that are expected to challenge the new
minimum salary amount.
The proposed regulations with DOL
commentary may be read at www.dol.gov. For
more information, contact ICCFA Executive
Director and General Counsel Bob Fells by
calling him at 1.800.645.7700 or emailing him
at rfells@iccfa.com.
r
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

MANAGEMENT: L EG AL I S S U E S
in last years legal & legislative issue, poul lemasters advised

funeral service providers about same-sex couples and changing
right-of-disposition rules. Following the recent Supreme Court
decision on same-sex marriage, he has provided an update.
What does the Supreme Court

ruling on same-sex marriage
mean for death-care providers?
1. What was this case about?

The case decided by the Supreme Court,
Obergefell v. Hodges, was actually a
combination of six different state cases from
Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan.
All asked their respective states to allow the
fundamental right of marriage regardless of
sexual orientation.
The lead case was an Ohio case. James
Obergefell asked the court to force Ohio to
legally recognize his marriage in Maryland
(where same-sex marriage was already
recognized). The original case involved Mr.
Obergefells desire to handle the funeral
arrangementsincluding burialof his
partner after his partner died from ALS a few
months after they were married.
2. Do all states now allow same-sex
marriage?
Yes. As of the date of this decision, the
Supreme Court now holds that all states
must allow same-sex couples to marry.
This decision also holds that all states must
recognize all marriages regardless of where
they occurred.
3. I live in a state where same-sex marriage
is already allowed, does this change how I
serve my families?
No. If you are in one of the 37 states that
already allow same-sex marriage (Alabama,
Arkansas, Alaska, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii,
Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New
York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia,
Vermont, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin and Wyomingplus Washington,
D.C.) then this opinion makes no change to
your current practices.
4. Should I ask for a marriage certificate
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
from the spouse claiming they are in a

same-sex marriage?
No. Unless you have a practice of requiring
a marriage certificate from all spouses when
they make arrangements at your business, it is
not proper and could cause other issues.
5. Does this mean that a spouse in a samesex marriage is in the top position of
someone who is legally able to control the
right of disposition?
Yes. As a spouse, they will typically be in
the top position to make and control final
disposition of the deceased.
Remember that most states allow an
individual to appoint or designate an agent
who would be above the spouse and would
control funeral arrangements. Also, this
means that on the death certificate, the samesex spouse is identified as a spousethis was
the main issue in the original Obergefell case.
6. What if there is a dispute among the
survivors over who is in control?
A dispute would be handled the same as any
other dispute. If someone challenges the
validity of a spouse (same-sex or not) then
youas the providerhave a right to ask for
further documentation to prove or disprove
the allegations.
Remember that you can and should
slow down in case of any dispute until you
are confident about the facts presented and
believe you are dealing with the proper
decision-maker.
7. Should I stop using the Appointment/
Designation of Agent for Final Disposition
Form now?
No. This form was not created solely for the
use in a same-sex partnership. It has many
uses beyond this, and in fact should still
be used regularly to avoid various issues
such as confrontations, missing or skipping
individuals and multiple parties wanting to be
involvedjust to name a few.
r
513.407.8114
poul@lemastersconsulting.com
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight

lemasters is principal of lemasters
Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.
www.lemastersconsulting.com
he is an attorney and funeral director,

graduated from the Cincinnati College of
Mortuary Science in 1996 and from Northern Kentucky University, Chase College of
law, in 2003. he is licensed as a funeral
director and embalmer in Ohio and West
Virginia and admitted to practice law in
Ohio and Kentucky.
ICCFA membership benefit
Lemasters is the ICCFAs special
cremation legal counsel. ICCFA members in good standing may call him to discuss cremation-related legal issues for up
to 20 minutes at no charge to the member.
The association pays for this service via
an exclusive retainer.
lemasters also provides, to iCCFa members in good standing, free Gpl reviews to
check for Funeral Rule compliance.
Go to www.iccfa.com to the Cremation

Coaching Center, where you can post a
question for lemasters to answer.
ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight
L E G A L & L E G I S L AT I V E U P D AT E
ifshipper@aol.com
Irwin W. Shipper,
esq., CCe, has been
involved in the cemetery
business for more than
60 years.
he is an iCCFa past
president; has chaired
the ICCFA Government
and legal affairs Committee since 1992; and
is a member of the iCCFa hall of Fame.
One new law can beget scores of new regulationsone reason

federal regulation continues to grow. ICCFA Government
and legal affairs Committee Chairman irwin shipper talks about
how the association keeps an eye on and works to influence
federal legislation, regulation and adjudication that could
affect cemeteries, funeral homes and crematories.
he is president of rose hills memorial

Park in Putnam Valley, New York.
he served as president of Beth israel
Cemetery Association and Woodbridge
Memorial Gardens, Woodbridge, New
Jersey. he was with the loewen Group for
several years before returning to private
cemetery ownership.
he chaired the new Jersey state Cemtery Board, 1972-1994.
he earned his law degree from Brooklyn
law school.
he is a board member of the Jewish
Federation of palm Beach County, Florida,
and is on the executive committee of the
Commission for Jewish Education of Palm
Beach.
MOre AbOUT ThIS SUbjeCT
The Government & Legal Affairs
breakfast, including Irwin Shipper, CCE,
and Bob Fells, esq., will be part of the
ICCFA Fall Management Conference,
september 30-october 2, loews Ventana
Canyon, Tucson, Arizona;
www.iccfa.com/Education-Events
Funeral radio.
ICCFA General
Counsel Robert Fells, Esq., talks
about legal and
legislative issues
affecting funeral, cemetery and cremation
businesses at www.funeralradio.com.
10
ICCFA Magazine
ICCFA members stand in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building during their
spring visit to Capitol hill. From left, Paul elvig; Steve Schacht, CCFe; jim Price,
CCFe, CCre; ed horn, CCe; Irwin Shipper, CCe; Larry Anspach, CCe; ICCFA General Counsel and executive Director bob Fells; and john resich jr., CCFe.
Staying on top of changes that

could affect your organization
rwin, its a great pleasure to welcome

you to our 23rd annual government
affairs interview. After all these years
chairing the Government and Legal
Affairs Committee, are there any surprises
for you now?
I dont know about surprises, but theres one
aspect that is distressingly predictable: The
continued growth of federal regulations.
Weve been saying this for many years now,
but its just not our imagination.
The unusual thing is that the number of
bills introduced into the House or the Senate
has actually declined, but the number of
published regulations has increased. For

example, in the 113th Congress that was in
session from January 2013 through January
2015, there were 10,637 bills introduced.
Only 3 percent, or 296, became law.
How did that compare to earlier
Congresses?
That total was down from earlier years.
Before that, youd have to go back to 20032004 to find as few bills introduced into
Congress. Yet if you go back to 1973-74,
youll find a staggering 26,222 bills were
introduced. A total of 772 became federal
law, but even that higher number was still
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L EG AL & L E GIS L AT IVE UP DAT E
Above left, ICCFA Members and executive Director bob Fells talk to rep. Patrick e. Murphy, r-FL, right. Above right, Fells with
Speaker of the house john boehner, r-Oh. below, ICCFA members jim Price, CCFe, CCre; and Steve Schacht, CCe; rep. janice
hahn, D-CA; the rev. Patrick j. Conroy, house chaplain; and ICCFA members ed horn, CCe; Larry Anspach, CCe; and Paul elvig.
only 3 percent of the

totalthe same as
last year.
So the sheer
number of bills has
declined, but, as I
said, the number of
published federal
regulations that
interpret the statutes
is booming, and thats
where the problem
of over-regulation
occurs. This leads
to violations and
penalties being
incurred that perhaps
are not justified, or at
least not justified in
terms of the particular violation.
On average, how many new regulations do
the federal agencies impose each year?
On average, there are about 8,000 new
regulations published each year compared
to the 296 laws that were enacted during the
past two years. As we speak, there are just
over 100 new regulations being posted, and
that number is just for today.
Over the past seven days, there were 472
new regulations posted. During the past
30 days, there were 1,937 new regulations
posted, and 6,238 were posted over the past
90 days.
People reading this may wonder if these
figures represent a spike in the usual
number of new regulations?
I wish it were a spike and that the average
12
ICCFA Magazine
numbers were much lower. But no, these

numbers I just recited are the normal
output and are not exceptional. Its a fact
that there are approximately 500 new
federal regulations each and every week
throughout the year, and that number is not
an aberration or a spike.
Is there any correlation between the
number of federal statutes enacted and
the number of new regulations published?
For example, are there two or three new
regulations for each new statute?
There are potentially an unlimited number
of regulations that can be generated out of a
single new law. Many pieces of legislation
establish only a concept, such as, We want
to regulate this activity.
First, the bill is passed by both houses
and signed into law by the president. At
that point it goes to

one or more federal
agencies to develop
the mechanics and to
figure out just how
the concept is to be
applied in actual
practice.
This gives the
agencies a great deal
of discretion and
power. There is also
the danger that an
agency could go well
beyond the intent of
the law and attempt
to regulate activities
that Congress never
intended. Thats why
sometimes these rulemaking activities end
up in court.
You mentioned that more than one agency
can be involved in developing regulations
for the same law. How does that work?
I can give you an example. When the
Telemarketing Sales Act was passed
back in the 1990s, both the Federal
Trade Commission and the Federal
Communications Commission developed
their own regulations for enforcement.
Of course, the proposed rules were
announced and the public was given
an opportunity to submit comments.
The ICCFA was actively involved
in commenting on the telemarketing
regulations.
I mention this particular law because a
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L EG AL & L E GIS L AT IV E UP DAT E
Above, ICCFA Executive Director Bob Fells talks to Mohsin Syed, legislative counsel for
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL. Below, from left, Fells; Nick Bush, legislative assistant to Rep.
Fred Upton, R-MI; Irwin Shipper, CCE; and Steve Schacht, CCE.
very strange thing happened when the FTC

staff first published its draft regulations.
There was an uproar in the business
community, with people saying that the
FTC proposals were so severe they would
make all telemarketing activities illegal.
To the FTC staffs credit, they admitted
they misunderstood the new law and
had assumed that all telemarketing sales
activities were illegal by their very nature.
The private sector had to educate the
FTC staff that telemarketing was a long
established, legitimate method of retailing.
So you can see why we have to be on the
alert whenever regulations are proposed that
can affect our businesses.
At this point in time, the new Congress,
14
ICCFA Magazine
the 114th, has been in session about six

months. Is it too early to say what direction
the legislative priorities are taking?
Well, the two-year cycle of every Congress
breaks down like this: The first year is when
bills are introduced and likely acted on.
That is, if they are ever acted on.
As we just mentioned, only about 3
percent of the bills introduced into the
House or the Senate ever become law.
But the first year of the two-year session
is usually the most productive in terms of
moving legislation forward.
Why is that? Shouldnt both years of
the two-year sessions be about equally
productive?
It would seem so in theory. But the reality

is that year two of every Congress is an
election year. This means that all 435 seats
in the House of Representatives are up for
election and one-third of the Senate seats,
either 33 or 34 seats, are up for election
that November. Obviously, this distracts
the legislators attention from passing
legislation to instead campaigning for reelection to keep their jobs.
So historically, the second year is not
nearly as productive as the first. We see this
especially with controversial issues such
as tax reform or Social Security reform.
In recent years, the issue of immigration
reform has become another controversy
where the can keeps getting kicked down
the road to the next Congress.
An election year is not a time to vote on
controversial legislation, because the voters
backlash can be immediate on Election Day.
Recently, you and several members of the
Government and Legal Affairs Committee
held a series of meeting with key members
of Congress. Can you tell us about those
meetings?
Yes. We scheduled a number of visits
on Capitol Hill with several members of
Congress who are on committees that can
affect our members business operations.
We also met with House and Senate leaders
who are responsible for moving proposed
legislation along to passage.
We do this each year, and some of the
legislators we meet with we have known
for a long time. We also make a point
of visiting with some new members of
Congress.
Who are some of the members you met on
your recent visit?
During our March visit this year, we met
with Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), who is now
the minority leader in the Senate, and Sen.
John Barrasso (R-WY). We met with the
staff of Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Bill
Nelson (D-FL). I am personally acquainted
with Sen. Nelson and I see him frequently
when hes back home in Florida.
On the House side, we met with Speaker
John Boehner (R-OH); Dina Titus (D-NV);
Fred Upton (R-MI), who chairs the Energy
and Commerce Committee; Hakeem
Jeffries (D-NY); and Patrick Murphy (DFL), whom I know quite well. Patrick is one
of the newer members of Congress and is in
his second term in the House. As you may
know, he has announced that hes running
LEG A L & LEGIS L ATIVE

UP DATE
for the Senate in next years election.
Was there any meeting you would call the
highlight of the visits?
Of course, our groups meeting the speaker
of the House was memorable, but Id say
that we enjoyed our luncheon with Rep. Joe
Barton (R-TX) in the House private dining
room.
ICCFA members may recall that Joe
Barton was an outspoken opponent of the
Bobby Rush bill back in 2010 that sought
to bring cemeteries under the FTC Funeral
Rule and also would have added a number
of new provisions to the rule. Barton shares
the ICCFAs concern that the number of
federal regulations has gotten out of hand
and that we should carefully examine
each proposal to determine its benefits and
liabilities.
Many of those who supported the
Rush bill said it was a good idea but
ignored the fact that it would impose tens
of thousands of dollars in penalties for
violations that are minor in nature. So our
gratitude to Rep. Barton in stepping up to
the plate for us is deep and sincere.
People wonder exactly what you discuss
when meeting with members of Congress.
Do you have an agenda or speaking
points?
We have some general speaking points
but we want to be flexible. We also want
to listen to anything the Congressional
members have to say to us.
You need to understand that most callers
have a list of demands or perhaps requests
that they make of their representative or
senator. The legislators are asked to support
this bill or oppose that bill. Some meetings
can be rather intense.
The ICCFA message is quite different.
First, we say that we are available to assist
any of their constituents with questions
or problems they may have with funeral
homes or cemeteries. We point out that
we have been successful in resolving most
complaints.
This offer to help the members
constituents is well received, but also
leads to the member asking his or her
staff if they are aware of any constituents
having problems with a funeral home or
a cemetery. The staff invariably indicates
that they are not aware of any problems. Of
course, this source of information is better
than our trying to claim that there are no
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We are very careful not to ask the members for favors, because we dont want to squander
our goodwill when we may need their help down the road for something truly important.
(Not the Beatles.) Making their way from one Congessional office building to
another, from left, Ed Horn, CCE; John Resich Jr., CCFE; Steve Schacht, CCE; and
Larry Anspach, CCE.
problems.
Once, following our visit, the staff of
one congressman contacted his district
offices to see if there were any reported
problems. They found out there were none
and reported that information to us.
Do you seek anything from the legislator
during your visit?
We alert the lawmaker to any pending
bills we believe could affect our members
adversely. The odds are that these bills will
not be acted on, but we take the proactive
approach to bring them to the legislators
attention.
We do this as an FYI to lay the groundwork if or when the bill might actually
move to a vote and we will need the
lawmakers help. We are very careful not
to ask the members for favors, because we
dont want to squander our goodwill when
we may need their help down the road for
something truly important.
Congressional members who have met
with us in the past know that our visits are
easy, with no stress. As a result, we have no
difficulty making appointments and we are
welcomed visitors.
Are there any bills now pending in either
house that are of concern to you?
We divide pending legislation into two
groups. First, there are bills that affect all
businesses or nearly all businesses. Those
we monitor but we know that the big
guns in other industries have the same
concerns that we do and will be using their
considerable resources to either support or
16
ICCFA Magazine
oppose the legislation, depending upon the

circumstances.
Sometimes we join business coalitions to
tackle proposed legislation. This approach
is cost-effective and allows us to go on
record without using our limited resources
on this type of legislation.
The second type of pending legislation
is that which affects only ICCFA members
and others in the funeral and cemetery
services industry. In other words, we are
out there alone and there are no big guns
from other industries to help us out.
This situation can also occur when a
bill affecting many businesses nevertheless
affects funeral service uniquely and
we have to make our own case. This is
when coalitions among our various trade
associations are so important. We are not
a large industry, so it is crucial to pool our
resources to gain a maximum effect.
I think everybody knows of times when
we were very much a divided industry,
such as in debating whether the Funeral
Rule should be expanded to other sellers. In
those instances, we as an industry split our
resources and end up not being as effective
as we could be and should be.
You seem to be saying that we need
more communication among the trade
associations.
Thats exactly what Im saying. Today we
dont have a neutral forum to discuss issues
that may divide us publicly. We may end up
agreeing to disagree, but thats all right as
long as we gain a better understanding of
and respect for the positions other groups

decide to take.
I have seen instances in the past where
the lack of unity on an issue has made it
appear that we were an industry at war with
itself. This is terrible public relations and
certainly not the impression that any of
us should want to display. Sadly, this has
happened on several occasions.
Is there any pending legislation that we
should be concerned about?
There always seems to be proposed
legislation that the business community
should be concerned with, but Im pleased
to say that at the moment there is no
adverse legislation pending that singles out
the funeral and cemetery services industry.
That may change at any time, even today,
but at this time all is quiet.
There is legislation that the ICCFA
would be interested in supporting when it
is introduced. During our Capitol Hill visits
in March, we met with Rep. Paul Gosar (RAZ), who introduced legislation in the last
Congress to regulate the transportation and
trafficking of human organs and tissue.
There is quickly becoming a new black
market whereby body parts are removed
without the knowledge or permission of
the decedent or authorized representative.
These items command big prices for use in
transplants, and that has attracted unlawful
entities to take advantage of the demand.
For the most part, funeral homes are not
involved in this illegal trafficking, though
there have been one or two incidents in the
northeast where a funeral director went to
prison for his role in this activity.
We told Rep. Gosar that the ICCFA
would be interested in supporting his
legislation. At present, very few states
have regulations in this area, and there are
virtually no federal regulations on point.
The public needs to know that there are
safeguards in place so that the remains of
their loved ones will be secure and safe
from this kind of trafficking.
In the last several years we have seen
bills introduced to expand the federal
regulation of the funeral and cemetery
industry. Is there any common factor
that seems to trigger these bills being
introduced in the House or the Senate?
Well, heres an interesting statistic regarding

Congressional bills that seek to regulate
our businesses: From the time of the first
Congress in 1787 to the year 2000, as far
as we can determine not a single bill to
regulate us had ever been introduced. Thats
over two centuries of no legislative activity.
However, from 2001 to 2014, there have
been three bills introduced by three different
members of Congress. Two of the bills were
introduced into more than one Congress. In
other words, there has been legislation to
regulate our businesses in 12 of the last 14
years, but none in the preceding 200 years.
Id say that is significant.
The events that triggered these three
bills were major events of misconduct that
received national attention in the news
media. In the early 2000s, the investigations
at Tri-State Crematory in Georgia and
Menorah Gardens in Florida triggered thenSen. Chris Dodd to introduce legislation
into three consecutive Congresses.
In the summer of 2009, there was a
major scandal at Burr Oak Cemetery
outside Chicago. This resulted in Rep.
Bobby Rush (D-IL) introducing legislation
into the next two Congresses. As I
mentioned earlier, in 2010 the Rush bill
was voted on by the Energy and Commerce
Committee.
Despite the vocal opposition by
Rep. Barton, this bill was passed by the
committee and sent on to a floor vote by the
entire House. Fortunately, the bill was never
called up for a floor vote.
The third bill was introduced into the
last Congress by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY).
The odd thing about the Whitfield bill is
that it was not triggered by any particular
problem. We understand that he may have

sponsored this bill as a favor to some
constituents.
The point is that times have changed,
and in the 21st century, our industry is
considered fair game for federal regulation.
How do you respond to the criticism that
there are no federal regulations that apply
to cemeteries, and only the FTC Funeral
Rule that applies to funeral homes? The
assumption is that our industry should be
federally regulated.
Our industry already is regulated by the
federal government. Some years ago the
ICCFA compiled a listing of federal statutes
and regulations that unquestionably apply to
cemeteries and funeral homes. It is quite a
long list, and we can provide it to anybody
whos interested in seeing it.
Critics think that unless the term cemetery or funeral home is in the language
of the law or regulation, it doesnt apply
to us, but this is wrong. The laws that I am
referring to are broadly based and apply to
most if not all retail businesses. There is
no exemption or exclusion for cemeteries
or funeral homesor crematories, for that
matter.
Many agencies, such as the Department
of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service,
the Environmental Protection Agency,
even the Federal Trade Commission, have
jurisdiction over our businesses. The FTC
has jurisdiction over unfair and deceptive
sales practices that apply to our businesses
as to any others.
In just about every incident I can recall,
when critics demand new laws be enacted
to cover our businesses, there already were

applicable laws on the books. This fact has
formed the basis for our opposition to the
three bills we just discussed.
We also found that some provisions
of these bills were punitive in nature and
served no purpose except to punish our
industry for the misdeeds of a few. Fairminded people saw this and understood our
opposition.
We understand that the ICCFA Capitol
Hill team also met with FTC staff during
your visit. Can you tell us about that
meeting?
We have always had good communication
with the FTC staff and we are here as a
resource for them. They have been helpful
in answering our questions, usually
conveyed from our members, and I think
everybody appreciates this informal
relationship.
We like to visit occasionally just to
renew our acquaintance and also to provide
an opportunity to discuss new or developing
issues. At the time of our visit in March,
the FTC was publishing the results of the
funeral home sweeps it conducted at the
end of 2014.
Out of 100 funeral homes visited by
secret shoppers on behalf of the FTC, 27
were found to be in violation of the Funeral
Rule. This means that when the discussion
of making funeral arrangements began,
the general price list was not given to the
shoppers. (Likewise, when a discussion
begins on caskets or outer burial containers,
a written price list for these items also
should be provided.)
to page 18
17
ICCFA members with (above) Speaker of the House John Bohner, R-OH, and
(below) Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV. The ICCFA visits to Capitol Hill
are nonpartisan, with an emphasis on meeting with senators and representatives
personally known by association members, who help set up the meetings.
from page 17
The violation rate of between 25 and 30
percent of funeral homes visited by secret
shoppers has been the norm in recent years.
But the staff asked us why, after 30 years of
18
ICCFA Magazine
the Funeral Rule being in effect, there is still

such a relatively high non-compliance rate.
Of course, we did not have an answer
to this and, frankly, we questioned why
the compliance rate wasnt 90 percent or
better by this time. In at least one instance,
a funeral home charged with violations

had a Funeral Rule training program for its
employees.
We discussed hosting a Funeral Rule
compliance webinar that would be available
on the ICCFA website on demand, 24/7. We
hope this program will be in place by the
end of this year.
Was there any discussion of amending the
Funeral Rule in one respect or another?
The Funeral Rule is scheduled for a review
in 2019, only four years from now. The
FTC could decide to move it up in time,
but we should expect the call for public
comment to begin in the not-too-distant
future.
There have been many changes in
marketing that occurred long after the
Funeral Rule took effect in 1984. For
example, the rule predated e-commerce
and shopping over the Internet. This
has raised questions of whether funeral
providers could comply with Funeral Rule
requirements by simply posting their price
lists on their websites. For now, the answer
is that we dont know, because the rule
doesnt address online shopping.
So the next few years will be interesting,
since the Funeral Rule may be revised for
21st century realities.
You mentioned that legislative and
regulatory activities as they relate to our
industry are relatively quiet at the moment.
Does this cause a shift in the strategies of
the government relations program?
It certainly does. The ICCFA government
relations program is like a fire department
in the sense that whether or not theres a fire
at the moment, we always have to be ready
to respond quickly and accurately.
I doubt that anybody passes by a fire
station and, seeing the firefighters out
washing down the trucks, concludes that the
station is a waste of money. We understand
that fires are unpredictable and the firehouse
must be staffed all the time, because a fire
can break out anytime.
The same thing might be said of a
hospital and an emergency room. This why
we dont have part-time hospitals or parttime fire departments.
Most of the legislative and regulatory
issues that the ICCA has been involved with
came up suddenly out of nowhere. Since
we cant predict them, we have to be on the
alert all the time.
Can you discuss how you monitor
The ICCFA PAC contributes to both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Were more interested in whether a legislator is somebody one of our members is
personally acquainted with than in what that legislators party affiliation is. When a bill is introduced
that could seriously affect our members businesses, we call on both sides of the aisle for help.
legislative activities in Congress

appreciate Pauls efforts because
and regulatory activities in the
Ive been the fundraiser for our
federal agencies?
Government and Legal Fund
since 1992.
There is so much going on at any
The ICCFA PAC contributes
point in time, we use computer
to both Democrats and
monitoring to reduce the chances
Republicans in Congress. Were
of missing anything. We use the
more interested in whether a
Lexis/Nexis system of computer
legislator is somebody one
research to go through literally
of our members is personally
every word in the massive
acquainted with than in what
Congressional Record and
that legislators party affiliation
the equally massive Federal
is. When a bill is introduced
Register for new and proposed
that could seriously affect our
regulations.
members businesses, we call on
We have developed a
Ready for any emergency? ICCFA members noticed a cabinet
both sides of the aisle for help.
keyword database that retrieves
containing emergency escape hoods was blocked by furniture.
anything containing one of a
We traditionally conclude our
number of words. For example,
charge.
annual interview by asking you
the words cemetery and funeral home
to
look
ahead
to the next 12 months. What
How is the Government and Legal
or mortuary usually results in several hits fundraising campaign going?
do you see happening during that time?
every day.
I think everyone will agree that the attention
I am pleased to say that 2014 was another
Its like looking for a needle in haystack,
of Congress is elsewhere, as perhaps it
successful year for the fund. Weve moved
and many of these hits are inconsequential,
should be. But the tide comes in sooner or
our annual fundraising campaign from
but we need to check. So our computer
later, and we need to be prepared for when
the spring to the fall, and we seem to be
program is like a metal detector to find
some event or scandal focuses attention
receiving more contributions as a result.
those needles in the haystack.
The fund underwrites the expenses of the on our industry. Anticipating that, we will
Some keywords, while important, yield
use this time to build and strengthen our
customized Lexis/Nexis search program,
too many hits. For example, the word
our outside legal counsels, special projects, relationships with members of Congress
overtime can generate dozens and even
and with staff in the federal agencies.
including the submission of amicus curiae
hundreds of hits each day. Rarely do any
Every ICCFA member should be in
(friend of the court) briefs in litigation that
of them relate to our businesses, but not to
contact
with his or her Congressional
can affect our members.
check these out is to run the risk of missing
delegation.
It takes only minutes and can
The fund also has provided the means
something important that does relate to our
be
done
on
your
laptop. Type in House.gov
for the ICCFA to expand its model legal
businesses.
or
Senate.gov
and
you will be prompted.
documents that we make available to all our
Fortunately, we have specialists on
In
a
minute
or
so
youll
be in direct contact
members. That benefit alone can pay back
staff and on retainer to keep us informed
with
the
offices
of
your
senators
and
the dues investment of membership.
of developments. Bob Fells, our executive
representative.
If you havent visited the ICCFA
director and general counsel, reviews the
Nobody mails letters anymore to
website recently, you are missing out on a
Lexis/Nexis search results daily.
their
Congressional members. Almost all
lot of benefits. Please go to www.iccfa.com.
Les Schneider, our tax counsel, keeps us
communication now is by email or phone.
Speaking of Capitol Hill visits, how is the
informed of new or pending tax issues that
I mentioned that our industry is not large
ICCFA PAC doing?
could affect our members.
by comparison with others, so we must be
Mike Pepperman, our labor law
Our Political Action Committee has been
careful to inform and educate. Nobody is
counsel, alerts us to new developments
very successful, and we are fortunate that
afraid of the funeral lobby on Capitol
in employment law and on rulings by the
quite a number of our members see the
Hill, because we are too small, even when
National Labor Relations Board.
value in contributing to it. At present we
all of our associations are pulling together.
Poul Lemasters serves as our cremation
have a war chest of a little under $40,000
But the goodwill we establish and the
counsel and, more recently, advises us on
in our PAC that we will be donating to
assistance we provide to their constituents
pet loss liability issues. Poul also reviews
Congressional candidates as the next round provide us with a very positive image in
our members general price lists for compli- of elections nears.
Congress. That is crucial when the fire
ance with the Funeral Rule. This is a
Paul Elvig has done a wonderful job of
r
alarm sounds.
valuable member benefit provided free of
fundraising, which is not easy work. I can
20
ICCFA Magazine
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by Paul Elvig
paul@elvig.org
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Elvig retired in 2008 as
general manager of Evergreen-Washelli Memorial

Park and Funeral Home,
Seattle, Washington.
He is a past president
and former secretary of the ICCFA. His
interest in cemeteries as guardians of our
nations heritage continues.
L E G A L & L E G I S L AT I V E E S S AY
Whats it like walking the halls of Congress,

meeting with members of the U.S. House of Representatives
and Senate and their staffs? Paul Elvig takes you
behind the scenes with this years visits, coordinated by
the ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs Committee.
Elvig previously worked as an administrator at the Washington State Department

of Licensing, where he assisted in the
redesign of Washington cemetery law.
He has testified in Washington, D.C.,
on behalf of the ICCFA a number of times,
including at the hearings of the Senate
Special Commitee on Aging.
www.washelli.com
ICCFA members help with the associations visits to Capitol Hill by using
their contacts to set up meetings with
members of Congress and/or a staff
representative. This years visits were to
the offices of:
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX)
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)

Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL)
Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
The ICCFA delegates also visited with

Federal Trade Commission staff and with
the Rev. Patrick Conroy, chaplain of the
House of Representatives.
22
ICCFA Magazine
ICCFA Executive Director Bob Fells and association

members Ed Horn, CCE, and Larry Anspach, CCE, make
their way to another legislative office.
Down the up staircase
t looks like were going to go back

up the staircase we just came down if
we want to see Sen. Barrasso, Larry
Anspach said, chuckling. And my feet are
killing me! Larry was part of the ICCFAs
2015 delegation visiting Congress. He knows
the Wyoming senator and arranged our visit
with him. And why did we want to meet with
the senator? Read on!
So it went for two days: Constantly
walking up and down hallways and staircases
and through tunnels, sometimes riding
underground congressional trains, all the time
dodging fast-walking members of Congress
who were answering loud bells calling for
floor votes.
Government and Legal Affairs Committee
Chairman Irwin Shipper, who once again
worked with ICCFA Executive Director Bob
Fells in coordinating this years congressional
visits, just smiled. He had been there before,
many times, and knew what we were hearing
was Congressional action. This is fun and
exciting, isnt it?
Two full days of opening doors to meet
From left, Larry Anspach, CCE; Paul Elvig

and ICCFA Executive Director Bob Fells in
the office of Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY).
with senators and representatives and-or with

congressional staffers was enough to wear
anyone out. Staffers are important people to
meet and get to know. They provide detailed
background for members of Congress when
legislation is being considered, as well as
following up on anything their bosses direct
them to.
to page 24
Mark Solverud, President and CEO
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Above, small-gauge trains run between

the Capitol and Congressional office
buildings. While riding, you might find
yourself sitting near a well-known public
figure. Here Ed Horn, CCE, and Larry
Anspach, CCE, are escorted to a train
by Daniel Rhea, who serves on Rep. Joe
Bartons staff. Staff members can be of
great assistance and are important people
to know.
Right, Irwin Shipper, CCE, shows that he
not only knows how to talk to legislators,
hes kept up with technology and knows
how to take a selfie.
Above left, all clocks

have colored lights
indicating what type
of vote is coming up
on the floor of the
House or Senate.
Above right, ICCFA
members troop into
the House Restaurant, at the invitation
of Rep. Joe Barton
(R-TX).
Right, one of the
long corridors lined
with offices, many
of which have flags
flanking their doors.
24
ICCFA Magazine
When entering Senate or House office

buildings or the Capitol building, you
must be wearing a badge liked one of
the ones pictured. You pass through
a secured entryway similar to airport
security. If you set off buzzers, you are
manually scanned with a security baton.
If you use the tunnels that connect the
office buildings, you avoid having to go
through the security line each time you
enter a new building.
from page 22
I cant believe how long these halls
are, commented Steve Schacht, despite also
having made these visits many times. Long
they are. The halls in the congressional office
buildings are so long it is difficult to take
good photosthey narrow before your eyes.
How long do you think that hall is? I have
no idea.
Many doorways along the hallways were
graced by US flags and, in most cases, the
state flag of the members state. Several
POW flags were also standing outside offices.
The members name and state appear next
to the door, and gathered just outside such
doors were visitors, the curious and assorted
lobbyists.
Hurrying around a corner in the Russell
Senate Office Building, this writer nearly
flattened Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Im
sorry, senator. Not to worry; I have to get to
the floor for a vote, the senator assured me.
Ed Horn of New York met with several
members of Congress from his home state,
including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Jim Price,
who is with the Midwest Memorial Group,
joined in most office visits and was a great
help getting our message across.
And just what message was the ICCFA
presenting to these VIPs?
Our goal was to cover as much ground as
possible, meeting as many members as time
would allow.
Our message was simple, but important:
We are not here lobbying a bill or seeking
funds. We are here to offer our help should
your district/state report problems with
cemeteries, crematories or funeral homes. We
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A blackboard in
the GOP
House office where
visitors can
sign in, if
they desire.
Above, ICCFA members with Sen. John

Barrasso (R-WY), third from right.
Below, Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA) with
ICCFA member John Resich, CCE.
Above, Rep. Joe Barton with Steve

Schacht, CCE. Below, Jinny and Michael
Doherty of Fairfax Memorial Park at Rural Society, where they hosted a dinner
for the ICCFA delegation.
are at your disposal if such is the case. Time

and again, the response to our message was,
I never hear of any problems, followed by
a glance directed at staff: Have you? No,
I havent. Mission accomplished. Members
of Congress report no problems with our
industry.
26
ICCFA Magazine
One thing you learn quickly when making

congressional visits is that in most cases,
office space is tight. Many times we entered
an office waiting area to find people standing
shoulder to shoulder.
The representatives and senators are
gracious, if sometimes a bit rushed. No one
ever objects to having candid photos taken
during our visits, which last, on average,
about 20 minutes.
Congressman Joe Barton of Texas invited
us to the House restaurant for lunch. You
must be a guest of a member to get in the
door. Wearing special badges issued by staff,
we joined the member for lunch.
Several of us ordered the famous Senate
bean soupgood stuff, if you add salt (lots
of it). Looking around the dining area, we
spotted numerous congresspersons, including
newly elected Lee Zeldin of New York, an
Afghanistan War vet. We were introduced
and made small talk as he visited our table.
There were signs and rules everywhere.
The signs at times seemed amusing and
a little silly. Relocation Site and Hard
Hats Required located right next to a
congressional committees office. Senate
Hair Care and Shoe Shine Available. Near
every elevator, For Members Only notices
were posted.
Larry, who lives in Nevada, arranged for
our group to meet Minority Leader Harry
Reid, one of his states senators. The senator
was still carrying facial bruises from injuries
he received while working out at home.
Given the scope of his responsibilities,
we didnt have private time with him as
we did with others, but we did get a photo
opportunity, with pictures taken by the
minority leaders own staff.

This was also the case with House
Speaker John Boehner, with whom a photo
opportunity was arranged by Steve Schacht.
Many people were standing around, all
wanting to see the speaker, as his staff took a
photo of us with him. We noticed that security
was high around Rep. Boehner, and for good
reason. Should the president, vice-president
and the president of the Senate die at the
same time, the speaker of the House is next in
line to assume the office of president.
We had a most interesting visit, arranged
by John Resich, to the office of the house
chaplain. The Rev. Patrick Conroy spent time
with us, sharing the little-known history of
the office and detailing his responsibilities.We
talked about opening prayers in Congress and
behind-the-scenes private issues that come
up (he of course did not break confidence
regarding private matters), and he answered
many of our questions.
The Rev. Conroy also posed for photos
with us. During our visit with him, we were
joined in his office by Rep. Janice Hahn,
D-CA, who chose to sit next to fellow
Californian John Resich. She discussed her
future plans, including the possibility of
running for mayor of Los Angeles.
At the second days end, Michael Doherty
of Fairfax Memorial Park and Funeral Home
in Fairfax, Virginia, just south of Washington,
hosted a four-course dinner at Rural Society
for all who had made it through the marathon
congressional visit. Michael and his wife,
Jinny, are familiar faces to ICCFA members
who participate in these periodic visits,
and their hospitality provided a pleasant
conclusion to our Capitol Hill visits.
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ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Ramsey is the HR
specialist for The
Foresight Companies
LLC. She has a unique
perspective on the
challenges funeral and
cemetery business
owners and managers
face when dealing with employee issues.
Ramsey has managed both small staffs
and ones with more than 200 employees
and more than 25 supervisors directly reporting to her. She also has run an 800-call
regional combination business. She has
written many employee handbooks and
other job-specific documents for clients
nationwide.
M A N A G E M E N T: H R I S S U E S
If your job includes hiring or managing employees,

you have to keep track of the ever-changing federal,
state and municipal laws covering HR practices. Do you know
what ban the box refers to? Do you know what constitutes
discrimination against a pregnant employee? Are you on top of
efforts to make sick leave a mandatory benefit?
Employment legislation
you need to keep an eye on
hile employees are among an

organizations most valuable
assets, they are also the most
challenging asset to manage. Adding to the
complexity of dealing with employees are
the rapidly changing employment laws at
local, state and federal levels.
It is difficult for the owner or manager
of a funeral home, cemetery or crematory
to keep up on all of the proposed and new
legislation at these various levels. Lets
discuss some with these laws that are quietly
beginning to make an impact on employers.
applications asking if the applicant has ever

been arrested or convicted of a crime.
The general position taken by All of
More from this author
Us or None is that questions regarding an
Ramsey writes a quarterly blog
applicants arrest and conviction record
on HR matters that can be viewed at
lead to hiring discrimination, as individuals
www.f4sight.com
of color are disproportionately arrested,
convicted and incarcerated. In fact, there
is a perception that applicants who check
this box are never even considered for
interviews, regardless of their skills,
experience and qualifications.
If you do not have an application form
that you ask prospective employees to fill
Ban the what?
out, or you want to make sure the form you
Have you heard of the grassroots movement are using is suitable, feel free to contact me.
asking employers to choose employees for
Statistics in support of this claim are
their businesses based only on specific skills difficult to locate and correlate. However,
and qualifications for the individual position All of Us or None gained ground on this
being filled, without regard to criminal
issue when, in April 2012, the U.S. Equal
record? No? You arent alone.
Employment Opportunity Commission
Try entering the term Ban the Box or
clarified and affirmed its Enforcement
All of Us or None, a civil rights organiGuidance on Consideration of Arrest
zation leading the charge on promoting
or Conviction Records in Employment
this concept, into a search engine. Youll
Decisions.
learn that the slogan Ban the Box comes
Through this document, the EEOC has
from the small box frequently found on job established guidelines on how employers
should view criminal convictions in terms
of considering an individual applicant for a
position. These guidelines direct employers
to follow two key directives:
1. Consider only those convictions
related to specific job responsibilities of the
position in question.
2. Make individual assessments of the
circumstances surrounding a conviction and
whether an applicant is likely to commit the
same crime again.
From the EEOC perspective, it is a
From bantheboxcampaign.org, promoting the elimination on job application forms
violation of Title VII (1964 Civil Rights
of the question about whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime.
28
ICCFA Magazine
M AN A GE M E N T: H R IS S UE S
What does the Supreme Courts recent ruling mean for managers in the funeral-cemetery business?
They should review their policies to ascertain if any of them accommodate
non-pregnant employees but not pregnant employees with similar accommodation requests.
The Supreme Court actually created
a test to identify which pregnancy
discrimination lawsuits should go to trial.
Basically, a pregnant employee only needs
to show the following:
1. She was pregnant.
2. She requested an accommodation and
was denied.
3. The requested accommodation
was granted to non-pregnant employees
with similar abilities/inabilities to work.
(Someone with an injured back or heart
condition, for example.)
What does the Supreme Courts recent
ruling mean for managers in the funeralcemetery business? They should review
their policies to ascertain if any of them
accommodate non-pregnant employees
but not pregnant employees with similar
accommodation requests.
It also would be wise to train management staff on these issues so that a potential
problem doesnt develop from a lack of
knowledge and understanding.
Pregnancy discrimination act
Consider the example regarding a lifting
Most employers are aware of the Civil
restriction. If the position requires lifting, it
Rights Act of 1964 and are also conscious
of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) should be identified in the job description
of 1978. The PDA is actually an amendment regardless of gender.
Then, if an employee in that position
to the Civil Rights Act and essentially
develops a lifting restriction, the decision the
makes it unlawful to discriminate against
manager must make is whether an accomsomeone who is pregnant.
modation can or should be made, based on
On the surface, it seems that employers
the job description and the organizations
know they should treat a pregnant
individual just as they would someone who policies regarding accommodations.
is not pregnant in evaluating a persons
qualifications for a position. However, there Mandatory paid sick leave
are additional issues they should be aware
From the state of California to the city of
of as they relate to this area.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, mandatory paid
For example, lets say you have a pregnant sick leave laws are popping up throughout
employee who provides you with a doctors
the United States. In fact, mandatory paid
note indicating that she has lifting restrictions. sick leave has been the law in some of these
At a funeral home, this could impact an
states/cities for many years.
individuals ability to assist with the moving
At this time, there are three states and
of a body, casket or other equipment
18 different cities with mandatory paid
necessary to handle the funeral arrangements sick leave laws (a link to a current list can
and burial. Should you accommodate her?
be found at www.f4sight.com under our
Are you required to do so?
Human Resource tab), and many more are
According to a recent ruling by the
considering similar legislation.
U. S. Supreme Court, employers should
In January, President Obama called on
not treat pregnant employees differently
Congress to require companies to provide
from other individuals who request similar
workers up to seven paid sick leave days a
accommodations. If you fail to do so, you
year. So far, Congress has put this proposal
can be sued for pregnancy discrimination.
on the back burner as it deals with more
Act) to discriminate against an applicant
based on stereotyping by race or ethnicity in
relation to criminal activity.
What does this mean for you as an owner
or manager? Employers may want to review
their hiring policies to make sure they are
not rejecting qualified applicants without
evaluating whether or not a conviction is
relevant to the position being filled.
Accurate job descriptions become a
valuable tool when making this type of
hiring decision. There are many positions
in a funeral home, cemetery or crematory
business that may preclude an individual
with a felony conviction from being a
suitable candidate.
Positions such as funeral director,
embalmer, office manager, preneed sales
counselor and bookkeeper are just a few
examples. These positions may require
either licensing or bonding, which can be
denied based on a felony conviction.
30
ICCFA Magazine
immediate issues such as the federal budget.

The lack of action in Congress on this
issue has not prevented the idea from
gaining popularity among the millions of
American workers who do not have paid
sick leave benefits. This has left state and
city officials to consider implementing
policies themselves.
While each state or city has its own
perspective on what exactly a mandatory
paid sick leave policy should offer, it
has become clear that there are some
consistencies. For example, most mandatory
sick leave policies are based on the number
of days or hours worked by an employee,
regardless of full-time or part-time, exempt
or non-exempt status.
Consider a part-time funeral director
who does removals after regular business
hours. The time spent handling these
removals would be used as part of the
calculation of how much mandatory paid
sick leave that person may be eligible
to receive, even if you simply pay the
individual a flat rate for handling a removal.
Also, it appears that most of these
policies allow sick leave to be used for
the care of a loved one (a vague term that
could be limited to only a spouse/child or
to all immediate family members), and
the definition of a child includes not only
biological or adopted children but also
foster children and children for whom the
person serves as guardian.
Despite some similarities in existing and
proposed sick leave laws, the complexity
of this issue can be seen in the multiplicity of differences. Some states and cities
have mandatory paid sick leave laws that
apply to all businesses, regardless of the
number of employees. Others only require
businesses with more than a certain number
of employees to comply. There are even
policies that provide exemptions for certain
types of business.
Of course, it is not unusual for
employers to offer paid sick leave to
employees as part of the benefits package.
However, many employers provide these
benefits only to full-time employees.
The financial impact of mandatory paid
sick leave can be extremely variable, as
some laws allow up to a maximum of three
MANAGEMENT: HR IS SUES
days of sick leave, while others allow up to
nine days per year.
With this sick leave time being made
available to new employees as early as 90
days after hire, employers need to calculate
the potential effect of these laws on their
budgets.
While the current number of states
and cities mandating sick leave is fairly
limited, if the momentum surrounding this
movement continues, we may see many
more states and cities enact a mandatory
paid sick leave policy.
Employers who dont already offer
paid sick leave should determine if it is a
benefit they can provide. If so, they should
make sure there is a clearly written policy
available for employees to review.
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Staying in the loop
Funeral home, cemetery and crematory

owners are busy dealing with daily
operational issues and meeting the needs of
the community they serve. This leaves little
time to keep current with the ever-changing
employment law environment.
While some funeral home businesses
have dedicated HR staff to help them deal
with these issues, many do not have this
resource to keep them in the know.
How can the managers of a small
organization keep themselves informed?
There are many different options:
1. Take advantage of the Internet, a
powerful tool employers can use to help
fill this void. Join email newsletters that
talk about HR issues or visit HR-focused
websites that post timely reports on
employee law. Sign up for email blasts
sent by HR websites that will bring critical
employment trends to your attention.
2. Subscribe to industry publications
that highlight articles about employee
issues.
3. Follow the news. When an employment topic is discussed on a news report,
record it or bookmark it if possible and then
do some research on the issue or reach out to
a qualified individual to help you understand
the potential impact to your business.
4. Have a relationship with an HR
advisor (such as myself) who will keep you
informed.
While this may at first appear to be
an overwhelming challenge, just making
a conscious decision to be aware of
employment issues will put you on the right
path.
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by Len Haussler,
Pat Severo,
Jay Brammer and
Gary Freytag, CCFE
Editors note: This article is excerpted
from the financial panel presentation at the
2015 ICCFA Convention & Exposition in
San Antonio, Texas.
ICCFA Magazine speaker spotlight

lenhaussler@opus.capital
Len Haussler, CFA,
CPA, is president and
portfolio manager of
Opus Capital Management, Cincinnati, Ohio.
pat.severo@rbc.com
Patrick Severo, AWM,
CIMA, is managing
director-financial advisor,
senior consulting group,
at RBC Wealth Management, Beverly Hills,
California.
FINANCES & INVESTMENTS
No matter the size of your funeral home, regardless

of whether your cemetery is a for-profit business or designated
as nonprofit, you need to make your money work for you.
Invest in the future, for the

future of your organization
oney-managers and financial

planning advisors with
experience in the death-care
business provided information and advice
relevant to funeral home and cemetery
managers at the ICCFA 2015 Convention
& Expo.
The investment panel was moderated
by Gary Freytag, CCFE, president and
CEO of Spring Grove Cemeteries, Funeral
Homes & Crematory, who also offered
advice. The discussion took place in April.
Reviewing what happened in 2014

jbrammer@crownhill.org
Jay Brammer, Gibraltar
Remembrance Services,
is a partner in Gibraltar
Properties and president
of Crown Hill Management, Indianapolis,
Indiana, and former
ICCFA treasurer. He has
a degree in business
administration.
gfreytag@
springgrove.org
Gary Freytag, CCFE,
who moderated the financial panel, is president
and CEO of Spring Grove
Cemetery & Arboretum,
Cincinnati, Ohio, and
ICCFA treasurer. He has
an MBA degree from
Harvard.
32
ICCFA Magazine
by Len Haussler
Lets talk about what went on in 2014.
From a GDP point of view, it was great.
We started off a little bit slowly. Basically
the first quarter was a minus 2 percent
that was related to weather. Well keep
coming back to the weather.
Then we had two 4 percent quarters
the best two quarters in the last decade
or so. The fourth quarter, because of the
strong dollar, bad weather, what have you,
is coming in at 2 percent.
The forecasts for 2015 are sitting at
about 2 percent. I think thats going to be
a little hard to do, because right now the
forecasts for the first quarter are ranging
around 1 percent or so. I think the three
things youre going to be hearing about are
the strong dollar, the bad weather and the
West Coast port strike.
However, having said that, thats a lot
better than the rest of the world. Certainly
the economy in the U.S. is the best out
there.
A lot of the growth came from job
growth. Last year was the best since 1999.
We had 50 straight months of job gains
through last year. That has declined a little
bit. March came in at a gain of 126,000
not very good. Again, people might be
blaming that on the weather.

Oil prices were sitting at $100+ per
barrel, and then the last six months of 2014
they plummeted, ending the year at $53.
They hit $43 on March 17, and then were
back up to $53 in April.
In the spring, everybody has been
talking about oil prices being normalized
at about $75 per barrel, but I dont know
that we will hit that anytime soon.
As the stock market went up over
the last six years, weve seen consumer
confidence go up also. It ended the year
(2014) at 93, blipped up to 98 in February
and as of early April is at at 93.
So what did that do for returns? At least
in the U.S., returns were awesome. The
S&P 500 was up 13.7 percent. The next
highest return was the aggregate bond
index, at about 6 percent. Well discuss
why a bit later. Small cap stocks were
up about 5 percent. High-yields were up
maybe 2 percent or 3 percent. International
stocks went down 5 percent.
Over the last three years, we have been
in really uncharted territory, with a 20
percent average over the last three years
for the S&P 500. The S&P was pretty
much the only one that did well last year.
That made for a lot of cranky clients,
seeing the S&P 500 up 14 percent and then
wondering where is my portfolio? We
preach the gospel of diversification, but if
you look at a diversified portfolio put out
by Vanguard or Black Rock or T. Rowe
Price or anyone else, it averaged about 5 to
7 percent. Why? Because every time you
diversified away from the S&P 500, you
got a lower return, at least in 2014.
But thats not always the case, is it?
Remember the lost decade, which was
basically the 2000-2010 decade? The
S&P 500 was actually negative for that
entire period of time. And yet if you had
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FIN AN CE S & IN V E S T M E N T S
Pat Severo of
RBC Wealth
Management
talks about the
process fiduciaries should
follow, from
adopting an investment policy
statement to
monitoring the
performance of
investments.
diversified, you would have done quite

well, or at least had a better return than the
S&P 500.
So were telling clients, Yes, we
know youre disappointed with 2014. But
you can see that this is the first time the
S&P 500 has been the top-performing
asset class since 1998. So were still big
believers in asset allocation.
The numbers that are the scariest to
me are the bonds. Those numbers look
absolutely great over the last 40 years,
even during the last decade.
But were now in a period where we
have a lot of interest rate risks going into
this, and were sitting with 30-year bonds
at 2 percent and 10-year bonds at below
2 percent. If youre a buy-and-holder,
those are the returns youre going to get.
The other story last yearand one of
the other reasons it was difficult to get a
good returnis that we continue to have
funds with active managers under-perform
the passive indexes.
On the bond side, over the past 10-15
years, the bond funds with active managers
tend to under-perform on average, and
thats because of fees. So if you do have
an active bond manager, you have to
negotiate with him on the fees.
You can see that large-cap stocks have
under-performed over the last one- and
10-year periods. Over the past 15 years,
theyre slightly ahead. Thats because
at the beginning of that 15-year period,
there were three negative years, and
active managers tend to do well in down
34
ICCFA Magazine
Deciding on an investment policy

statement and asset allocation
by Pat Severo
Some of you act in a fiduciary capacity on a board of
some sort. As a fiduciary, you have a responsibility
to make sure things are taken care of in a prudent
fashion, and one of the ways you do that is by using
an investment policy statement.
While its not a legal document, it is in many
ways a game plan or a road map for how youre
going to invest your assets. It could be anywhere
from two or three pages or, unfortunately, Ive seen
ones that are 30 or 40 pages, which is a bit tough to
follow.
The one thing Id like you to leave here today
with is the fact that its not about performance, its
about process.
What do I mean by that? Ive been doing this for
years. I want you to

But if interest rates go
keep that in mind.
up 1 percent, 30-year
If youre thinking
Treasury prices will
about indexing now,
decline by 20 percent. So
you might want to
is the extra 0.6 percent
reconsider that.
worth it?
In terms of
Some people say it is,
intermediate and longbecause they expect U.S.
term interest rates, we
interest rates to go down
started the beginning of
even further because of
the year in 2014 with
international pressure.
the 30-year at 4 percent
Look at Germany. If you
and the 10-year at 3
go out eight years on
percent. Everybody
their yield curve, its all
and their mother were
negative. The U.S. dollar
forecasting that interest
is strong versus European
rates are going up, so
currencies. I get 2 to 2
you should shorten
percent in the U.S., versus
your duration.
a negative return in Europe.
Well, that turned
So interest rates
out to be really, really
actually could go down,
wrong. We had a little
but its a big risk.
less than a 1 percent
In the first quarter of
decline in the 10-year
2015, diversification did
and a little over a 1
paythe S&P 500 was
percent decline in the
the worst-performing asset
Len Haussler of Opus Capital
30-year rate.
class. Having said that,
Management discusses how
Theres an inverse
equities around the world
different asset classes performed reached record levels in
relationship between
in 2014.
bonds and interest rates
the first quarter during the
in terms of price, so
month of March.
long-term Treasuries were up 25 percent in
Managers continue to under-perform.
2014. Of that, a little over 20 percent was
The large cap managers out-performed by
capital appreciation.
just a hair, but only because we compared
I want to caution you that right now
them to the S&P 500. If we had compared
30-year Treasuries are at 2 percent, about them to the Russell 1000, they would have
r
0.6 percent more than 10-year Treasuries.
been slightly negative.

!

"
"
"

! "
"
"

"""
35
Hiring and managing your fund managers
The single worst think some

ve only been in this business
cemeteries doIve heard
about 10 years, but this is
it way too many timesis
something thats not unique
someone says, You know
to this industry. Something I
what? My uncle Ernie used to
would encourage cemeterians
work for a firm called Long
to do is make sure you
Shot Capital. I hear they got
communicate to your fund
great returns in 2007, so were
managers what you want to
going to hire them to manage
accomplish.
the portfolio.
Also, when your investment
If you do that, youre just
managers report on how they
asking for it, and not just in
performed, are the people at
terms of the fact that your
your organization who are
returns wont be good. Youre
listening to that information
liable because you didnt go
capable of evaluating it?
through the process thats
Do they have the financial
sophistication to know that
been discussed here to get
Gary Freytag, CCFE, President and CEO of Spring Grove Cemyes, theyre getting clearly
to a consistent policy thats
communicated to and that they etery & Arboretum, advises getting professional help with the
defendable.
process of hiring and evaluating fund managers.
understand the implications?
Remember what you heard
and their job is to choose the asset classes,
Most trustees, especially on
here initially is that investment
pick the managers and then evaluate them.
policies are like HR policies: There are good
cemetery boards, are not qualified to do that.
Theyre a lot more capable of evaluating
ones and bad ones. If theyre inconsistent or
One of the things Spring Grove did is hire
performance than we are as individual
you dont follow them, you are destined for
a company to hire and fire and evaluate the
failure. And perhaps lawsuits. Gary Freytag
fund managers. We gave them our objectives, investors or trustees.
You could have a portfolio that performed poorly, but if you followed your investment policy statement,
you are never going to get in trouble, ever, because you followed the process.Pat Severo
30 years. Ive been in situations where I
have seen a portfolios performance be quite
good while the process of the investment
policy statement was not followed.
And the weird thing about that is you
actually could find yourself in a situation
where you could get in trouble for that.
You would say, Look, the performance
was great, but the reply would be, We
dont care about the performance. You
didnt follow what your investment policy
statement said.
The flip side of this is that you could
have a portfolio that performed poorly, but
if you followed your investment policy
statement, you are never going to get in
trouble, ever, because you followed the
process. Keep that in mind: Process is
going to trump performance.
There is a four-part process:
Organize. Organize what youre trying
to do with assets and put together the
investment policy statement.
Formalize. Formalize that process.
The entity, be it an investment committee
or whatever, will sign off on that. (And if
36
ICCFA Magazine
there are new members that come on board

later, youll get new paperwork in place.)
Implement. You will then take the
strategy outlined in that investment policy
statement and implement it, whether
through using mutual funds or alternatives
or money managers.
Monitor. On at least a quarterly basis,
you will look at the performance of that
portfolio. We typically suggest that 30 days
after the end of the quarter is a reasonable
time for being able to gauge that. Get
together with your investment committee,
maybe with the full board, and go over that
performancemake sure its in line with
what youre trying to accomplish.
One other thing Id like to mention
is that I think weve gotten to a point in
the investment community where we are
index-crazy. Len mentioned that the S&P
gained 13-14 percent last year. You may
not need to get that same return. It would
be a great return, but you might not want
to take on the risk.
If you did get a 14 percent return last
year, I could probably make the argument
that you took too much risk, because that

would mean 100 percent of your assets
were in the S&P 500.
How many people in this room would
want to go back to their board and explain
that in 2000 to 2002 your portfolio was
down 50 percent? I dont think anyone
would want to have that discussion with
their board or investment committee.
The investment policy statement
An investment policy statement is

essentially a business plan for a pool of
assets. It probably should be updated
about every two years or anytime theres
a change in the investment committee.
The things that we typically like to see
encompassed are:
What are the goals and objectives of
the organization?
Whos going to do what in terms of
responsibilities?
What are the legal restrictions?
Risk tolerance: How much risk are
you willing to take?
What is the maximum downside
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Severo, from page 36

that you would be willing to accept in a
portfolio?
Whats the time horizon? In this
industry, were pretty lucky that we have a
long time horizon, kind of an infinite time
horizon. So were able to do things that an
individual might not be able to do if youre
70 years old.
What are the liquidity needs? How
much cash do you need to have on hand or
in short-term instruments?
What are your investment selection
criteria?
How are you going to monitor the
portfolio, and what benchmarks are
going to be used to compare against your
managers performance?
What are the rebalancing procedures?
Anytime an asset class gets 10 percent out
of our stated objective, we rebalance the
portfolio. This forces us to take money
from the big gainers and put it into things
that have lost or done poorly. As long as
we still believe in the managers, were
going to continue to do that religiouslyit
keeps us out of trouble.
I remember back around 2000,
everyone wanted to have 100 percent of
their money in technology. I said, You
just cant do that. I know that sector is
going upits going up almost by the day.
38
ICCFA Magazine
But you cant do that.

And then when the crash came, the
tech wreck, as we called it, a lot of those
folks were very happy that they hadnt put
more money into technology stocks. So
rebalancing is an important element.
Strategic asset allocation
Asset allocation in its simplest form is just

how much, percentagewise, are you going
to put in the different assets classes.
Money market accounts. Money
markets are effectively at zero interest.
Bonds. Weve had, at least in my
professional career, the best period of
time in history for bonds. If you go back
to President Carter, interest rates were
18 percent, and theyve dropped almost
consistently to zero. I agree with Len that
theres a great deal of interest rate risk out
there. And the negative returns available in
foreign countries are amazing.
There was a Wall Street Journal article
recently about a utility company in the
Eurozone coming out with a $600 million,
five-year, 0 percent interest. I have a hard
time understanding that.
With those kinds of interest rates, bonds
are not a big choice right now in terms of
asset allocation. But you still have to have
them.
Stocks. The U.S. has seen the stock
market go from 6,300 in March of 2009 to

18,000a tremendous return. You have to
look at that and think, how much longer
can that go on? We havent had much of a
decline in the past six years.
Alternatives. In that basket we
would consider hedge funds, currency,
managed futures, private equity. So its a
little different asset class, probably more
relevant to funds that are a little bit bigger
in size, because they tend to have big
minimums.
Alternatives tend to be pretty expensive
investment choices. Many of them have
what are called 2 and 20 fee schedules,
which is a 2 percent management fee and
20 percent of the profits.
Its hard for me to believe there are
almost as many hedge funds and alternative investments as there are mutual
funds right nowabout 10,000. The really
good ones do a good job, and maybe
theyre worth that 2 and 20, but I have
a hard time justifying that fee schedule
unless you have a really great manager.
Risk vs. return
Examining risk vs. return, a portfolio of

100 percent bonds theoretically should
be the lowest-risk portfolio, and its
giving you a low rate of return. You
can add stocks to that portfolio and not
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39
Funeral merchandise and services trusts are a little different, because in most cases, we dont have
to worry about incomewere strictly worried about total return.Jay Brammer
our trusts.
What is the purpose of perpetual care
funds?
We all know were setting aside
by Jay Brammer
money as the state
About 100 years ago,
dictates, and in most
when I graduated from
states we get the income
college, my dad asked
from that trust. But thats
me to look at our
not the purpose of the
companys trust funds.
trust. The purpose is to
He said, I dont think
maintain that cemetery in
were doing very
perpetuity.
well.
And if we strictly
I greatly benefited
focus
on income,
from that experience,
were
strictly focused
because from
on
todaywere
not
then until today I
focused
on
perpetuity.
continue to study
But what does it mean
markets; I continue
to
focus
on perpetuity?
to be involved in
We
have
to have growth
investments. I dont
of
income,
and we have
make my living at it
to
grow
our
trust funds.
the way Len Haussler
Of
course
we want
and Pat Severo do, but
current
income.
Most
paying attention and
Jay Brammer of Gibraltar Rememcemeteries
today
are not
knowing something
brance talks about the wisdom of
generating
anywhere
about investments
relying on professional managers
close to enough income
helps you do a better
while also educating yourself so
job of working with
that you are a well-informed client. from their perpetual
care trusts. So what do
your professionals.
they
do?
They
over-focus
on income. And
Im going to try to put a little bit of
they
do
that
because
they
have
a limited
Len and Pat said into perspective from the
knowledge
of
the
ramifications
and how to
laymans approach or knowledge base, and
increase
income,
given
investment
options
Im going to talk about how to work with
today.
people like them.
Another area we dont do a good job
Pat talked about the investment policy
of
explaining
to our advisors involves tax
statement, which you create with your
ramifications.
A perpetual care fund has
investment professionals. Its your guide
unique
tax
statutes.
If youre a nonprofit,
for how you manage your money. But how
its
easy.
But
if
youre
a for-profit
do you get there?
organization,
a
perpetual
care trust pays
It starts with setting your goalsthat
taxes,
and
all
income,
whether
dividends,
drives investment allocations. But you
interest
or
capital
gains,
is
taxed.
Theres
have to understand the purpose of your
a
deduction
for
income
thats
distributed.
trustssomething we, as cemetery
So you should talk to your adviser about
professionals, often fail to explain to
how that works. You might be their
our investment professionals. Theyre
only perpetual care client, so they dont
trying to make recommendations without
understand how it works.
completely understanding the purpose of
In our organization, our goals include

current income, generally in the 3 percent
to 5 percent range before expenses.
Expenses matter.
We want growth of income over time
thats the only way we can maintain the
property in perpetuity.
We want growth of principal. As we go
through market cycles, income changes.
Right now, its quite low, as youve already
heard. So we have to have growth of
principal.
One of our major goals is we want
a total return that is the income plus
inflation, because if its not plus inflation,
how can we grow our trust funds at a rate
to maintain our cemeteries into perpetuity?
And, of course, we want preservation of
capital. An individual can make a choice
to be 100 percent invested in equities, to
take that risk. The problem is that most
investors think theyre willing to risk a
50 percent lossand they are, until they
experience that 50 percent loss. Then they
get scared, and they pull out at the wrong
time.
Managing risk is key, because while
it feels good when the markets up 14
percent in one year, thats when most
investors get greedy. Thats when they go
heavier in equities. In the down years, they
get out.
Vanguard, one of the largest fund
groups, did a study. They said, We know
how our funds performed. Its public
knowledge. How do the investors who
get to pick when they get in and out of
the stock market perform? There was a 3
percent difference per year, just because of
investors jumping in and getting out at the
wrong time.
Funeral merchandise and services trusts
are a little different, because in most cases,
we dont have to worry about income
were strictly worried about total return.
In quite a few states, if we can grow that
Most portfolios probably fall between

a 40/60 and a 60/40 stock-to-bond or
bond-to-stock allocation. Theres not a
significant increase in risk, but there is a
nice pickup in return.
Looking at returns for 2014, the biggest
returns were in real estate investment (30

percent increase), while the biggest drop
was in commodities (17 percent drop).
So there was a 47 percent variability in
returns, which is why you have to be
r
diversified.
Investments and working with

your investment manager
Severo, from page 38

really increase your risk very much while
increasing your rate of return. If you have
an 80/20 bond/stock allocation, there is
slightly more risk, but a pretty decent
increase in the rate of return.
40
ICCFA Magazine
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41
FIN AN C E S & IN V E S T M E N T S
As cemetery professionals we often fail to explain the purpose of our trusts

to our investment professionals. Theyre trying to make recommendations
without completely understanding the purpose of our trusts.Jay Brammer
faster than inflation, we, the funeral home
or cemetery, benefit. So that purpose drives
a somewhat different investment goal.
Weve defined the purpose of our fund,
and we know our goals. Weve heard that
asset allocation is the key to our investment
returns. How do we start to put that to work?
I think a significant part is understanding,
for instance with equities, what makes up
returns over time and what affects equity
prices. Income, growth of earnings and
change in valuation are always going to be
the three components that make up your
equity returns.
Equities have generated 9 percent to 10
percent returns over a very long period of
time, with huge ranges in between.
Dividends are an important component.
Historically, over that long period of time,
theyve generated about 4 percent. Theyre
at 2 percent now.
Growth of earnings is a large component,
and generally speaking, earnings will grow
at the rate of GDP, which includes inflation.
Thats one reason they can be great longterm assets for our trust funds.
A change in valuation is the third
component. Over this very long period of
time, thats been a 1 percent to 1 percent
addition to returns.
Looking to the future, were at high
valuation points now. Youre probably
not going to get a 1 percent to 1 percent
increase in valuation in terms of adding
to your returns. We know dividends are 2
percent rather than 4 percent. So long-term,
at todays valuations, 9 percent or 10 percent
is probably unrealistic.
Fixed-income investments: We have
heard that last year, that was the topperforming class. What does that mean to
us? Unless you have someone managing
the fixed-income investments and trying to
realize gains by changing allocations (how
long your bond maturities are), what that
means to most of us is our fixed-income
yields today are lower than they were.
How do we get our returns from bonds?
Mostly through interest. When inflation is
low, yields tend to be low. Or, when inflation
expectations are low, yields tend to be low.
And when yields are dropping, the price of
the bond goes up to give that investor the
42
ICCFA Magazine
yield hes expecting.

Most people in our industry dont use
the five investment classes; they use three:
Money markets, bonds and equities. One
of the biggest risks they dont know theyre
taking is that equities and fixed-income
investments are both affected by inflation.
In the real world, investors are trying
to take a long-period look at returns and
present-value that back. If they believe
inflation is going to be low and stable,
theyre willing to give higher prices. Thats
where we are today. If they believe were
going to head into deflation, equities really
get creamed, because they believe earnings
are going down, not up.
Dealing with todays challenges
What are todays challenges as we try

to meet the goals we talked about? We
are facing high values and low incomegeneration from most of our investment
choices. The situation is difficult, but we
can meet our goals by meeting with our
professionals and talking about it.
If you have a 3 percent to 5 percent
income goal, you have to work with your
investment advisor about how to achieve
that goal while still having the opportunity
for growth. So we get some of that income
from corporate bonds. By taking a little bit
of credit risk, we get a higher yield. We use
preferred equities. We can use closed-end
funds.
There are a number of different options.
I only listed a few because Im not an
investment manager. Im not trying to teach
you how to manage portfolios. Im trying
to show you there are options so you can go
back and talk to your financial advisor.
We look for yield with growth. There are
a lot of options for that right now. Certain
utilities are starting to become a little better
priced. Master limited partnerships. Our
company uses drug royaltiesan alternative
investment. Real estate investment trusts.
So there are options offering yield and
growth, growth with income. The focus is
on growth, but were trying to get some
income, also.
In the current environment, weve limited
the amount of equities, for instance, that our
guys can invest in that have a 0 percent or
0 dividend. We can raise our yield a little

bit just by changing what type of equities
were buying. Right now, were fortunate
that large caps are, I think, under-valued
compared to the smaller caps.
Pure growth stocks, or growth opportunities, and hedge funds dont tend to
generate income. They would be in your
portfolio to grow the corpus, not the income
side.
Once youve defined those different
buckets, you start to put the whole thing
together. Again, you should talk to your
professional investment manager about it.
But Im going to put together a portfolio
thats going to give me the current income
I need, but also figure out how to get the
growth I also need.
I think most of the people in our business, when they get their trust statements,
file them right awaythe statements are
not looked at. Look at those statements
and educate yourself. See what the current
income is. Is that meeting your goals? See
what the allocation is between bonds and
equities. These things give you clues about
how your funds are being managed.
Dont look purely at returns. Len
mentioned clients who were asking, after
last years returns, Why didnt we get
the 14 percent? Well, if you see on your
statements that half of your portfolio is in
short-term bonds, you know why, and youre
not going to make dumb decisions because
youre judging your funds performance
against how the S&P is doing.
Are you an investor who gets nervous
when the markets going up and youre not
participating? Are you one who gets nervous
when the markets falling and your portfolio
is going down? During both of those times,
you need your investment professional. You
need to understand the process, and you
need to adhere to your investment policy
statement.
The bottom line: Trust your investment
professional. Buy into a process. Develop an
investment policy statement.
Its not our job to have that knowledge
base; were busy running our businesses.
But we should try to at least understand
r
what theyre doing, to be better clients.
CHART
YOUR OWN
TERRITORY
Too many conferences are all talk. Not with ICCFA.
Every year, ICCFA hosts unique, engaging conferences designed to drive
the profession forward through expert teaching and discussion.
Join us this year in Tucson, AZ, September 30 through October 2, for our
annual Fall Management ConferenceCreating Blue Oceans in the
Desertand discover how to create new markets, lead through
change and advance as a leader.
Dont miss the boat. Visit iccfa.com/newterritory to request your special
invitation to attend this years Fall Management Conference.
iccfa.com/join
Membership That Matters.
I C C FA N E W S
Scholarships available for Fall Mgmt., Sales conferences
he ICCFA Educational Foundation

is now accepting applications
for scholarships it will give
out to those industry professionals in
need of financial assistance to attend the upcoming ICCFA Fall
Management Conference and Wide World of Sales Conference.
The ICCFA provides a variety of scholarships to attend ICCFA
educational programs through the ICCFA Educational Foundation,
a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity that supports the associations
educational programs.
The Educational Foundation offers the Fall Management
Conference Scholarship to pay for the registration fee for a
graduate of ICCFA University to attend the Fall Management
Conference, which will take place September 30-October 2 at
the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona. This
conference provides a forum for owners, executives and managers
to meet to discuss the challenges and opportunities available in our
profession. Speakers from both inside

and outside of the industry provide
guidance on leadership, management,
business acumen and financial issues
affecting companies in todays business climate. The event is held
in a resort setting.
The ICCFA Wide World of Sales Conference will be held
January 13-15, 2016, at the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada. It is the only conference within our profession
geared specifically for sales and marketing professionals in our
industry. Whether youre selling preneed or at-need, insurance or
memorials, services or cremation, youll want to be in attendance
to find out the best techniques, ways to provide service that sells
and methods to increase revenue. Scholarships pay for the
registration fee for the conference.
Application forms are now available at www.iccfa.com/group/
scholarshipseducational-foundation.
q
Non-compliance for music copyrighting could cost $30,000 per song
he ICCFA offers webcasting licenses that allow you to broadcast funeral or memorial services
over the Internet worldwide for just $48 per property per year. The webcasting license must
be purchased in addition to a music license. YOU MUST HAVE A MUSIC LICENSE
BEFORE YOU MAY PURCHASE A WEBCASTING LICENSE.
Sometimes it isnt possible for family and friends to attend a funeral in person due to illness or
distance. When that happens, webcasting is the perfect solution. It allows them to share in a friend or
family members funeral services that they may otherwise miss. If you offer a webcasting service to your customers, you will want to
purchase ICCFAs supplemental webcasting music license.
Both the music and webcasting licenses are with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Music licenses are only $275 per property. You
may add on an additional $48 per property for a webcasting license. There are no membership requirements, which makes these the
LOWEST PRICES available in the industry!
Licensing directly with the agencies this year would cost nearly $600 per location. In addition, music licensing is the law, and
failure to obtain a license where one is required can be costly. Copyright law provides for damages similar to fines of up to $30,000
for each song that is infringed. If your company, regardless of size, hosts performances of copyrighted musicwhether the music is
performed live or played from recordingsmusic copyright owners say you are legally required to pay an annual licensing fee.
Licenses may be purchased by any company in the cemetery and funeral service industry in the United States.
You may purchase your licenses online at www.iccfa.com/music or by calling 1.800.645.7700.
q
Take advantage of these new member discounts
ust a reminder: The ICCFA recently added several discount programs as benefits of ICCFA
membership, including partnerships with the following companies.
Save up to 25 percent off when renting a vehicle from Avis. Visit www.avis.com/iccfa or call
1.800.331.1212. Remember to use your ICCFA Avis Discount number (AWD), B636129.
Receive up to 25 percent off Budgets great rates. To book your car, visit www.iccfa.com/memberbenefit-discount-programs or call 1.800.527.0700 and mention the ICCFA Budget Discount
number (BCD) V052518 to receive your discount.
Motel 6 provides members a 10 percent discount at any of the 1,100+ pet-friendly Motel 6
locations in the United States and Canada. Call 1.800.4.Motel6, and use the code CP576803.
OfficeMax/Office Depot allows you to receive free shipping of purchases of $50 or more online, and
up to 80 percent off online or in-store purchases.
Receive up to 20 percent off the best available rate at 7,500 participating Wyndham Hotel Group
locations worldwide. Book online or call 1.877.670.7088 and give the agent your special discount ID
number, 1000010014.
q
45
I C C FA N E W S
FALL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE LOEWS VENTANA CANYON RESORT TUCSON, ARIZONA SEpT. 30-OCT. 2
Creating new markets, change, leadership to be discussed
hree of the most challenging

topics that owners, executives and
managers are faced with repeatedly
in their careers are how to: 1) create new
revenue streams, 2) successfully institute
change in their organization, and 3)
inspire people to follow you and perform
good quality work.
These topics and more will be
discussed at length during the ICCFA Fall
Management Conference, September
30-October 2 at the Loews Ventana
Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona.
The educational portion of the
conference will feature only four sessions,
but all with profound insight to impart.
The first session is a day-long
workshop on putting The Blue Ocean
Strategy in Action. Most businesses
operate in a Red Ocean, an ecosystem
where you succeed by drawing blood
from your competition. The market is
often overcrowded with shrinking profit
margins and limited growth opportunities.
In a Blue Ocean, you create new markets
instead of competing in existing ones. In
the process, you stand apart, energize your
company, take advantage of the higher
profit impact that comes with creating
new market spaces, yet keep costs low.
Blue Ocean Strategy has researched
over 150 successful and failed new market
creations over the past 100 years across
30 industries. What they have found
are systematic patterns that separate
successful, market-creating moves from
market-competing strategies.
The day-long workshop will be broken
down into five, one-hour interactive
lectures followed by group work and
discussion after each lecture. Youll be
given real world examples and use the
four tools proposed by the BOS during
the working sessions: Eliminate, Raise,
Reduce and Create.
In his role as senior
global consultant and
practice director for the
Blue Ocean Strategy
Network, Jason Hunter
has led successful strategy
development initiatives for
some of the worlds most
recognizable organizations, Hunter
46
ICCFA Magazine
including KPMG, Danone, Pearson PLC,

Toshiba, General Electric, Samsung,
LOreal, Vivendi and the World Bank.
Currently, he is leading a White House
initiative focused on dramatically raising
the value proposition of American higher
education.
As is tradition, Friday morning will be
kicked off by the Government & Legal
Breakfast. Irwin Shipper, CCE, ICCFA
Government & Legal Affairs Committee
chairman, and Robert Fells, Esq., ICCFA
executive director and general counsel,
will be joined by specialists in various
fields of law and regulation. This event
serves to deliver important news you can
use on taxes, labor law and litigation that
can affect your business.
The next session will be
led by Stephen Gilliland,
associate dean of the Elder
College of Management at
the University of Arizona.
In Creating a Culture
of Candor and Change,
Gilliland will discuss
Gilliland
how leaders are less the
architects of change and
more the facilitators of change from
within.
Based on his research examining the
fairness of management practices and
policies, corporate greed and ethical
decision-making, Gilliland says leaders
must develop a vision that inspires and
motivates, and then they need to create a
culture where change is facilitated through
sharing information openly, encouraging
experimentation and rewarding initiative.
Key principles in this talk will include:
Barriers and resistance to change and
how to overcome them
Benchmarking from outside your
industry
Reinforcing change initiative and
accepting inevitable change failures
Importance of leaders asking for help
from within
This change leadership is different in
that it requires a different magnitude of
leadership capabilities. As a matter of
fact, a leader embarking in a Blue Ocean
or large-scale change activity is required,
among other things, to:
THANK YOU
FALL MANAGEMENT
CONFERENCE
CORPORATE PARTNERS
Matthews International
StoneMor Partners LP
Service Corporation
International
Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks &
Mortuaries
Guerra & Gutierrez Mortuary
The Signature Group
Johnson Consulting Group
Homesteaders Life Co.
Live Oak Bank
National Guardian Life Insurance
Co.
Funeral Service Inc.
Gibraltar Remembrance Services
LLC
Independence Trust Co.
Hillside Memorial Park &
Mortuary
The Whitmore Group
The Tribute Companies
Williams Funeral Home &
Cremation
Batesville Casket Co.
Carriage Services
Forethought Financial Group
Coldspring
Cypress Lawn
Riviera Tailors Ltd.
Homesteaders Life Insurance Co.
Star Granite
Merendino Cemetery Care
Great sponsorship opportunities still
available! Contact Kelly Spann at
kspann@iccfa.com or 1.800.645.7700.
q
I C C FA N E W S
Focus on the specific acts and activities that you need to

display to engage the organization through the change (be a
role model for the change)
Connect to the industry and benchmark outside the industry
for instances of successful change
Create empowered leadership across the entirety of the
organization by asking for help from within
Cultivating a culture of transparency so that resistance to
change and fear can be addressed and resolved
And in our final session, entrepreneur and
author Kevin Kruse explains that we need
to embrace Wholehearted Leadership for
Employee Engagement. Kruse says that
wholehearted leadership drives higher levels of
service, productivity, quality and ultimately, sales
and profits. Besides entertaining you, this keynote
session will provide you with actionable advice
Kruse
to transform average groups into high-performing
teams:
Build trust through authenticity
Improve communication with transparency
Generate massive employee engagement
Turn task managers into people leaders
Kruse tries to offer a detailed antidote to the worldwide
leadership crisis, based on his own experience and global
research involving 10 million workers in 150 countries.
He is a successful entrepreneur who has built and sold several
companies. Kruse is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. He most recently co-authored the blockbuster
book, We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through
Full Engagement, which was named one of the top leadership
books in 2011 by 800-CEO-Read. Based on real-world
experience and surveys, it reveals how leaders who foster an
environment for growth, recognition and trust will generate
massive emotional commitment and buy-in from team members.
Apart from sessions aimed at improving your business
acumen and your business success, there are several events
offering you numerous opportunities to catch up with business
contacts and friends, or make new ones. Receptions will be held
on Wednesday and Thursday evenings featuring heavy hors
doeuvres, wine, beer, liquor and entertainment.
The Fall Management Golf Tournament is a perennial favorite
among attendees. The Ventana Golf & Racquet Club offers a
Tom Fazio-designed championship 18-hole golf course designed
to blend into the Santa Catalina Mountains natural features.
Weaving through desert cacti and scenic canyons, the course
embodies the character of the Sonoran Desert landscape, as well
as a unique variety of desert fauna. The tournament again offers
a $50,000 hole-in-one contest. There also will be a hole-in-one
competition on any par 3 hole, with the prizes being your choice
of an LCD television, Callaway golf irons or airline tickets to
anywhere in the continental United States.
Prefer to swing a racquet rather than to pick up a club? Join us
for our second-ever Fall Management Tennis Tournament. Play
some friendly doubles tennis among peers at the resorts Lakeside
Tennis Club.
The Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is a jewel of Tucson.
This four-star, four-diamond resort is nestled in a valley of
Above: The Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson,

Arizona. Below: The mountain golf course, site of the Fall
Management Golf Tournament.
the Catalina mountain range and offers spectacular views of

natural beauty. It was included on Travel + Leisures 2014 list
of the Top 50 Hotels for the Worlds Best Family Travel,
while its Lakeside Spa was named one of Conde Nast Travelers
Top 100 Resort Spas.
Amenities include:
Free wireless Internet in hotel rooms and public spaces
No resort fee for ICCFA guests
Free self-parking & valet parking for ICCFA guests
Two heated pools and a jacuzzi
Two Tom Fazio-designed PGA golf courses
Two business centers, both open 24 hours
In-room dining available 24 hours
Fitness center open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The resort is offering ICCFA attendees an incredible rate
of only $169 per night. Make your reservation by calling
1.800.234.5117 by August 31 and ask to be included in the
ICCFA Fall Management Conference room block.
More information about the conference may be found at
www.iccfa.com/fall.
q
47
I C C FA N E W S
AUGUST IS CERTIFICATION
AWARENESS MONTH
he International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association has designed certification programs to recognize those persons
who have attained the highest level of achievement within the funeral service and memorialization industry. You must be a
member in good standing to apply for, and to retain, your certification. The ICCFA awards the following certifications:
CCE
Certified Cemetery Executive

(CCE)
Awarded to individuals who have

attained the highest level of cemetery
management.
CFuE
Certified Funeral Executive

(CFuE)
Funeral directors with a vast array

of experience in funeral service are
encouraged to apply.
CCFE
Certified Cemetery Funeral Executive

(CCFE)
Recognizes professionals extremely

knowledgable in funeral and burial
arrangements.
CPLP
C
P
TM
CERTIFIED PET LOSS PROFESSIONAL
Certified Pet Loss Professional

(CPLP)
Recognizes leaders in the rapidlyexpanding funeral, memorial and grief

support world of pet loss services.
Cremation Arranger Certification
This program provides education in understanding cremation

consumers, how to arrange and create meaningful tribute
services, how to create unique options for memorialization and
how best to communicate all of this with cremation consumers.
CCrE
Certified Cremation Executive

(CCrE)
Experts in the biggest growth sector of

our industrycremationmay receive
this designation.
CSE
Certified Supplier Executive

(CSE)
Suppliers who know both the sales and

service sides of the industry may apply for
this certification.
Crematory Operator Certification
Currently required for crematory licensure in 15 states,

this program is provided in concert with a crematory and
covers all aspects of crematory operation and maintenance.
A comprehensive operations manual is provided.
Deadline for fall consideration: August 31, 2015. Visit www.iccfa.com for application forms.
ICCFA Cremation Arranger & Crematory Operations programs set for Dallas
he ICCFA will present its one-of-a-kind Cremation Arranger Certification Program on Wednesday, September 9, at the
Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas, Texas. The program includes up-to-date information vital to succeeding in a
high cremation rate market. Youll learn how to arrange meaningful tributes, create unique options for memorialization and
communicate all of this to client families.
Then on Thursday, September 10, the ICCFA Crematory Operator Certification Program will be presented by ICCFA cremation
coaches Poul Lemasters, Esq., and Larry Stuart Jr., Crematory Manufacturing & Service Inc., and will include extensive training on
the principles of combustion, cremation and the environment, incinerator criteria and design, the basics of
operating cremation equipment, forms and record keeping, and handling and exposure control.
ARRANGER: Cost $395 ICCFA/TFDA/TCA members; $495 non-members
OPERATOR: Cost $395 ICCFA/ TFDA/TCA members; $495 non-members
Register for BOTH and save: $750 for ICCFA/TFDA/TCA members; $950 for non-members
This event is held in partnership with Pierce Mortuary Colleges. Visit www.iccfa.com and click on Events to register.
q
48
ICCFA Magazine
High Performance through Passion and Partnership
Growth
Driven by
Decentralization
& Partnership
Did you know that our 110 Managing Partners:
Set their own prices
Make all staffing decisions
Determine their own service offerings
And are truly treated as a partner
Select their own vendors

Carriage Servicess decentralized operating model allows local Managing Partners to
continue to run their operations as owners. If you are considering succession planning
but want to maintain operational control over your business and be treated as a partner,
please directly contact:
David J. DeCarlo
Ken Stephens
Michael Cumby
Vice Chairman/President
Direct: 713-332-8413
Email: Dave.Decarlo
@CarriageServices.com
Director of Corporate
Development
Direct: 713-332-8452
Email: Ken.Stephens
Cumby Family
Funeral Service
Direct: 336-906-7153
Email: Michael.Cumby
3040 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 300, Houston, Texas 77056
T 713-332-8400
www.carriageservices.com/partners
F 713-332-8401
Supply Line
Paul Pickel with his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Stained Glass
Association of America.
Two of Glass Remembrances newest additions to its glass pearl

pendant line, the rose
swirl heart and the malachite drop.
Urns from Heavens Gain.

READERS: To find the products and services you need online, go to www.iccfa.com
and select directory to find:
Supply Link Search
Engine, the fastest way
to find the products and
services you need at your
funeral home, cemetery or
crematory.
SUPPLIERS: Send your press releases
about your new products and services,
and about awards, personnel changes and
other news to sloving@iccfa.com
for inclusion in Supply Line. Large files that
will not go through the ICCFA server can be
sent to slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.
50
ICCFA Magazine
n Paul Pickel, president of the CONRAD

PICKEL STUDIO, Vero Beach, Florida, has
received a Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Stained Glass Association of
America. The award was presented at the
associations 103rd annual convention. Pickel
has been creating stained glass for 50 years,
with a special emphasis on stained glass and
mosaic work for cemeteries throughout North
America. 772.567.1710;
www.pickelstudio.com
n FUNERAL DIRECTORS LIFE INSURANCE CO., Abilene, Texas, has been
recognized as one of the best places to
work for millenials for 2015. The national
awards program was presented by the Center
for Generational Kinetics, Best Companies
Group and Barnum Financial Group. The list
is the first of its kind to identify companies
that excel at recruiting, developing and retaining top performers in the millennial group,
now the largest generation in the U.S. labor
force. www.funeraldirectorslife.com
n GLASS REMEMBRANCE, Columbus,
Ohio, has announced additions to its Glass
Pearl in solid silver pendant line, Rhythm
and Tempo. The Glass Pearl line of pendants
creates a glass pearl with a loved ones cremated remains mixed into molten glass. The
pearl is placed into a solid silver setting of the
buyers choice. The glass pearls can be made
in a variety of colors. All pendants are made
in the United States. 740.877.0967;
sales@glassremembrance.com;
www.glassremembrance.com
n HEAVENS GAIN, Cincinnati, Ohio,
specializes in burial products for pregnancy
loss, including micro-preemie babies, miscarried babies, premature babies and fullterm infants. Products include high-quality,
reasonably priced caskets and urns, along
with vaults to fit each casket and urn. Solid
wood caskets are made in America by the
Amish. Urns depicting a baby in angel wings
are available in African-American, Hispanic
and Caucasian varieties. There are specialized urns for twins. Many of the urn designs
feature an Amish-made wooden box which
slides open to hold the cremated remains and
is topped with statuary.
Pregnancy loss is one of few underserved
markets in death care. Annually, one in four
conceptions ends in pregnancy loss, 500,000
miscarriages occur and there are 26,000 stillbirths. The company was started by Donna
and Jim Murphy, who were unable to find
an appropriately-sized burial container after
experiencing a miscarriage at five months.
513.607.6083; www.heavensgain.com
n FORETHOUGHT LIFE INSURANCE
CO., Indianapolis, Indiana, has named
two vice presidents in preneed sales, Steve
Correction
Tanner Lewis of Porcelains Unlimited

shows ICCFA 2015 Convention attendees some of the companys products.
(This photo was incorrectly identified
in the July issue.) 1.866.620.4460
info@porcelainsunlimited.com;
www.porcelainsunlimited.com;
www.eternaltimekeeper.com
Feliciano and Robert Tramo. Feliciano will
serve as vice president of the Western division, while Tramo will serve as vice president
of agency sales. Feliciano spent the last two
years as a regional manager for Batesville
Casket Co. Prior to that, he spent 20 years at
Forethought working in various positions, including regional manager and vice president
of the Western Division. Tramo has spent 30
years on both the retail and wholesale sides
of the financial services and life insurance
industries. www.forethought.com
n FEDERATED FUNERAL
DIRECTORS OF AMERICA, Springfield, Illinois, has
promoted Penny Yemm to
division manager. She has
been employed with FFDA for
22 years and has worked the
last eight years as a division
supervisor.
During her tenure,
Yemm
she has also worked in the accounting department and the set-up division.
1.877.3332; -www.federated-funeral.com
n HOMESTEADERS, Des Moines, Iowa,
has expanded its pilot child/grandchild
rider, making it available nationwide. The
program is offered as a free benefit to families.
Policy owners in states where the child/grandchild rider is available may receive coverage
for up to 12 eligible children/grandchildren,
to page 52
S U P P LY L I N E
A graveside setup for a Trigard urn

vault of simulated stone with a flag
appliqu on the cover.
The
dolphin
and lotus
designs
in Passages
new
Serenity
biodegradable
urn collection.
Howard
Millers
Luke II
cabinet,
one of
three new
designs.
52
ICCFA Magazine
free of charge. If a family experiences the

loss of a child or grandchild, this protection
covers funeral costs, up to the maximum
benefit amount, for one child or grandchild.
1.800.477.3633; www.homesteaderslife.com
n TRIGARD, Danville, Illinois, has updated the designs of its Trilogy and Reflection urn vault covers. The updated designs
make it easier for families and funeral homes
to see the relationship between burial and urn
vaults. Plus, the Trilogy simulated stone urn
vault now gives families the option to honor a
loved one with a personalized appliqu, much
like the Trilogy simulated stone burial vault.
1.800.637.1992; www.trigard.com
n PASSAGES INTERNATIONAL, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has introduced its
newest line of biodegradable water urns,
the Serenity collection. Crafted by hand in
North America from recycled and kraft paper,
the urns are engineered to float briefly before
gracefully sinking. Once submerged, they
break down naturally over time. Each urn
has a unique, hand-painted design. No glue
is required to seal the urns, as each securely
closes using leather cords. A water-soluble bag
is included. Individual urns have their own recyclable, discreet and easy-to-carry TSA compliant box. The urns come in three designs: lotus, sand dollar and dolphin. 1.888.480.6400;
sales@passagesinternationalcom;
www.PassagesInternational.com
n HOWARD MILLER CO., Zeeland,
Michigan, has introduced seven new curio
cabinet styles to complement their wall,
mantel, table and grandfather clock collections. The curio units range from contemporary to trendy to traditional. Fashioned from
glass and hardwoods, the cabinets are ideal
for displaying heirlooms, plates, glassware and
other collectibles. Tessa 680-605, a traditionally-styled corner unit, provides a unique display area when flat wall space is at a premium.
This corner piece reflects collectibles from
two sides, providing a full 360-degree view of
each item. Quinn 680-599 was designed for a
contemporary application, while Luke II 680589 suits trendier dcor. 616.772.9131;
www.howardmiller.com
n MEMORIAL PAYMENT SOLUTIONS,
Warren, Michigan, has formed an alliance
with TECSTONE GRANITE USA, Columbus, Ohio, that will streamline the payment
process for monument companies. The
collaboration offers a dynamic, state-of-theart payment portal allowing a family to pay
for their grave marker in a multitude of ways
on www.memorialpay.com. Families have the
option to pay by credit card, check EFT or
insurance assignment, or even to apply for a
loan. 1.855.677.7297; www.memorialpay.com
1.800.562.0777; www.tecstonegranite.com
n ATTENDANT, New
York, New York, offers a solution for grieving families
needing to shut down or
modify services, subscriptions and utilities after a
love ones death. From Social
Security to social media,
Attendant takes care of the
Kruger
time-consuming tasks that
accompany a loss, enabling families to
spend more time with one another during
an already difficult time in their lives. The
average family saves 35 hours of work by
using Attendant. With their concierge service, after a free consultation and exchange
of information, a dedicated concierge
conducts all account modifications on the
familys behalf. The company was founded
by CEO Alex Kruger. 1.800.640.5011;
www.getattendant.com
n MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, has hired new
sales managers for cremation gardens. Carey Montes
is in charge of the western
area, while Chris Hamiel
is in charge of the eastern
area. Montes has 15 years of
Montes
industry experience, with
a heavy emphasis in cremation services,
including developing, marketing and effective sales training of cremation gardens. She
previously served as the divisional director
of cremation services, Western division,
for Stewart Enterprises, and is a licensed
funeral director and cemetery manager.
Hamiel has 20 years of industry experience, including
five as the divisional director of cremation services,
Eastern division, Stewart
Enterprises, where he led
cremation sales training,
arranger training development and event planning.
Hamiel
Most recently he served as a
market director, operating cemeteries and
funeral homes in New York, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and
Maryland, and is a licensed funeral director.
1.800.223.4964; www.matw.com
n MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recently acquired AURORA CASKET CO., Aurora,
Indiana. The company will be combined
with Matthews Funeral Home Products to
form Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions,
which will be the cornerstone of the companys memorialization segment.
r
1.800.223.4964; www.matw.com
The bridge to tomorrow

Cross over to a better future
just clicked open
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Process
TM
Wilbert ESP is more than a new cloud-based application

f r funeral profe
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f ssionals. Its a flexible, customized
fe
program that fa
f cilitates education and the selection
of a burial vault fo
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Through slides, video and funeral profe
f ssional guidance,,
fe
families concisely learn about burial vaults and
personalization options. An on-screen display of the
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ffe
your own retail pricing guides families through
the selection process. At the end, a summary of the
selection and other details such as service dates and
times fo
f r at-need arrangements is generated and stored.
Isnt it time to cross over to a better
Educated Selection Process?
Contact your Wilbert Licensee today!

For more information, watch the Wilbert ESP
video today:
wilbert.hmsbox.com/esp/
Update
Send in news about your cemetery, funeral home, crematory or association to sloving@iccfa.com. If you publish a newsletter,
please email a copy to sloving@iccfa.com or mail to: Susan Loving, ICCFA, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164.
Above and below, the new niches at

Lake View Cemeterys Community Mausoleum.
n LAKE VIEW CEMETERY, Cleveland, Ohio, recently installed two vertical

glass-fronted niches. The niches were placed
in the colonnaded atrium of its Community
Mausoleum, which features a magnificent
glass-roofed chapel and canopied entrance.
The interior is clad with expertly carved granite. The two freestanding vertical niches are
5 niches wide by 9 niches high. Each niche
is fronted with elegant clear beveled glass.
54
ICCFA Magazine
The corner niches also feature glass-sided

panels. The interior LED lighting is hidden
and provides a subtle and warm hue of light
to the entire niche wall. The niches are by LP
Bronze International, Toronto, Ontario.
n CONNECTICUT FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION members and
suppliers held a special collection drive to
support Covenant to Care for Children,
a Hartford-based nonprofit organization that
helps 13,000 Connecticut boys and girls who
are neglected, abused and/or impoverished.
Licensed funeral directors and suppliers from
all across the state carried in donations of
hundreds of school supplies and toiletries to
CFDAs summer meeting at the Waters Edge
Resort & Spa in Westbrook. Items collected
included toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap,
deodorant and backpacks containing pencils,
pens, paper, erasers, notebooks and crayons.
n The SOUTHERN CEMETERY,
CREMATION AND FUNERAL ASSOCIATION, Mobile, Alabama, provided two
full scholarships to ICCFA University. The
recipients were Tamala Randolph, Stonemor
Partners, Welford, South Carolina, and
Cynthia Hulsey, Bulloch Memorial Gardens,
Statesboro, Georgia.
The association also recently added several board members: Dewey Akers, John
Attilli, Tamala Randolph and Cheryl Reed.
Akers is vice president and CEO for Saber
Management. Attilli is a licensed funeral
director, embalmer and general manager for
Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens & Funeral
Home and Roselawn Cemetery & Funeral
Home, Princeton, West Virginia. Randolph
is a regional administrator for StoneMor
Partners and is currently managing the
North Carolina and South Carolina region.
Cheryl Reed is the executive vice president
and general manager of Historic Hollywood
Cemetery, Houston, Texas.
n William Heiligbrodt, executive vice
Pictured with some

of school supplies and toiletries
collected by the
Connecticut Funeral
Directors Association are President
Howard K. Hill,
CFSP, CPC, owner
of Howard K. Hill
Funeral Services
in New Haven and
Hartford; Catherine
Haugh, representing
Covenant to Care
for Children; and
CFDA Executive Director John Cascio.
president and secretary of CARRIAGE

SERVICES INC., Houston, Texas, has
announced his retirement as of March 4,
2016. He will serve afterwards as a consultant to me and other members of our Operations and Strategic Growth Leadership Team
for two more years in accordance with the
terms of his amended employment contract
that he and I negotiated at the beginning
of 2014 with the goal of finishing the first
five-year timeframe of Carriages Good To
Great Journey, said Carriage CEO Melvin C.
Payne. He worked at Texas Commerce Bank,
then private equity LBO group, then, in 1988,
joined Service Corporation International.
He co-founded Providence Services, an SCI
subsidiary. Carriage was founded on June 1,
1991, with a $35 million line of credit from
Provident. He left SCI in 1999, then joined
Carriages board in 2009.
n FOUNDATION PARTNERS GROUP
LLC, Orlando, Florida, has been sold to
Access Holdings, a private investment
management firm. The acquisition will
accelerate Foundation Partners ability to
fund expansion through acquisition. With
new long-term capital, we look forward to
acquiring funeral homes and cemeteries
whose owners have a desire to be leaders in
the industry, said Brad Rex, FPG president
and CEO. Foundation owns and operates 38
funeral homes and six cemeteries in 13 states.
n WEST LAUREL HILL, Bala Cynwyd,
Pennsylvania, recently held an event called
Its a Green Thing. The family-friendly
outdoor fair was held in partnership with
the Sustainable Business Network. Activities include tours of Natures Sanctuary, the
cemeterys green burial section; viewing the
Eco-goats as they remove unwanted vegetation in the area; and visiting with like-minded
sustainable vendors. Participating organizations include the Lower Merion Conservancy,
the Cynwyd Station Caf, Friends of the
UPDATE
Cynwyd Heritage Trail, John B Ward & Co
Arborists, Birchtree Catering, Cosmic Catering, Main Line Security & Energy Services
and Land Health Institute.
n Norm Shropshire, CFSP,
has been elected president
of the PENNSYLVANIA
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
ASSOCIATION. He is
owner-operator of Minshall
Shropshire-Bleyler Funeral
Home, Middletown Township Media. He is a graduate
Shropshire
of Brandywine College and
the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
He is a member and past president of the
Delaware County Funeral Directors Association and is president of the Chester Rural
Cemetery in Chester. He also has served on
the PFDA/Unichoice Board of Governors
as district governor, secretary/treasurer and
president-elect.
n SAGEL BLOOMFIELD DANZANSKY GOLDBERG FUNERAL CARE
INC., Rockville, Maryland, has relaunched
its business through acquisition and merging of two funeral firms into one entity,
to transition to independent ownership by
funeral directors Edward Sagel and Albert
to page 58
In memoriam
Always improving.
In 1985 we invented the casket protection
product that evolved the industry. In 2015
were helping more cemetery owners and
managers safely and efficiently keep their
mausoleum buildings beautiful.
Gilbert Linver
Gilbert Linver, 73, died on

June 20 at his home in Rancho
Cordova, California.
After serving in the U.S.
Army, he worked at the Toledo Jewish Family Services
Foundation and then owned
and operated Great Lakes Memorial Stone Co. He then founded a marble
importing company, traveling extensively
in Israel, China, Europe and around the
states. He moved to California to accept the
position of associate executive director at
Sinai Memorial Chapel in San Francisco,
the only Jewish Funeral Home in the Bay
Area, where he worked for 18 years until
his retirement.
Survivors include his wife, Janice; a
daughter; a grandson; three stepsons; and
six stepgrandchildren.
Funeral services were held at the Mosaic
Law Congregation, Sacramento, California,
followed by burial at the Home of Peace
Jewish Cemetery in Sacramento. Memorial donations can be made to the Golden
Valley Charter School, 9601 Lake Natoma
Drive, Orangevale, CA 95662-5022; or to
the National Kidney Cancer Foundation, 30
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55
UPDATE
Lost & found: Frank, retired funeral cat
by Nancy Lohman, LFD, CCFE
StoneMor Partners
ix years ago, our staff at Baggett and
Summers Funeral Home rescued Frank
at the Halifax Humane Society. It was
just a whim; we thought a cat in one of
our funeral homes could be a comfort to
families.
Frank ended up taking his job very
seriously. Although he didnt have any
formal training, he was a natural in his role
as grief therapy cat and was even featured
in ICCFA Magazine.
When Baggett & Summers closed, it
was a sad fact that Frank had to relocate.
Our staff had become incredibly attached to
Frank, working alongside him eight hours
or more each day. They were determined to
ensure that one of our associates or a friend
or family member of an associate adopted
Frank.
Sure enough, Frank was placed into
a loving home. Then tragedy struck. The
family had taken Frank with them on an RV
trip to the northern hills of North Carolina
and Frank somehow became lost. Our staff
was devastated by the news.
Thankfully and miraculously, after being
missing for five months, Frank was found
by a good Samaritan named Samara at a gas
station in Cleveland, Georgia. He was thin,
frail and lonely.
Samara nursed Frank back to health.
She took him to a local veterinarian clinic
and they discovered he had a chip that told
them to contact: Nancy Lohman, Lohman
Funeral Homes.
They Googled our funeral homes,
discovered we are located in the Daytona,
Florida, area, and started calling each
location, searching for me. One of the
phone calls was intercepted by Dee Rivas,
an associate who had worked with and
cared for Frank. She immediately took
action.
Having been upset for months about
Franks disappearance, Dee without hesitation
committed to going up to Cleveland, Georgia,
to bring Frank back. Carefully planning
her adventure and her return, she and her
husband, Patrick Cooney, a licensed funeral
director and senior manager who operates
Lohman Funeral Home Ormond, prepared a
bed for him in their home along with food,
treats and toys.
56
ICCFA Magazine
Above and below, Frank on duty at the funeral home. Above, joined by his supervisor,
Michael Szymczak, left, Nancy Lohman right, and other funeral home staff members.
Above, Samara holds Frank while her

boyfriend and the veterinarian look on.
Left, Ella waits to welcome Frank home.
Dee called her sister Val to share her

upcoming journey, and her sister insisted
on joining her. The two of them set forth on
their seven-hour drive.
When they arrived in Cleveland, the
veterinarian met them at her office, which
she agreed to open for their evening
reunion. Joining them at the clinic was
Samara, the young woman who had found
and cared for Frank.
After a number of laughs, tears and

photos, Dee and Val set out for the long
drive home with Frank comfortably
sleeping in the back seat.
Early the next morning, they safely
returned to Daytona Beach. Now on what
seems to be his fifth life, if Ive counted
correctly, Frank is once again in the
loving arms of a two very special Lohman
associates, safe, healthy and loved.
r
If youre a funeral industry supplier but not an IMSA member, you should
know what our members are getting that youre not: the best booth pricing
at the major tradeshows, hours of free one-on-one consultation from top
industry experts, business-boosting webinars, networking with other IMSA
members, and so much more. And the kicker is, our members pay only
$175 a year for the privilege. Is that unfair? It is, unless you join IMSA
too. Dont lose the upper hand. Join now at www.IMSA-Online.
UPDATE
from page 55
Bloomfield. A new location is under construction across the street from the current site.
Edward Sagel is a first-generation funeral
director who began his career in 1991. He
later founded Sagel Funeral Direction in
1994, which he sold to Service Corporation
International two years later. Sagel successfully managed both firms for SCI. Sagel and
Albert Bloomfield, a funeral director for 21
years, purchased both Sagel Funera Direction
and Danzansky Goldberg Memorial Chapels
from SCI during the recent divestiture and
formed one funeral home, Sagel Bloomfield
Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care Inc.
Above and below, pages from Ferncliff Cemeterys award-winning presentation brochure. The page below highlights the cemeterys cremation options.
n All of the students in the mortuary
science program at SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Salt Lake City,
Utah, were able to attend the Utah Funeral
Directors Association Convention. The
students and the programs full-time faculty
also recently attended a certified crematory
operator seminar.
n The ORDER OF THE GOLDEN
RULE FOUNDATION, Austin, Texas,
recently elected its board and directors.
Peter Skip Urban, Anton B. Urban Funeral
Home, Ambler, Pennsylvania, was elected as
board chair; Matt Stradling, Stradling Funeral
Homes, Akron, Pennsylvania, was elected
Left Charles
n FERNCLIFF
as secretary-treasurer. Elected directors
Kanet of Kanet
CEMETERY,
ARBOinclude Roger Beyers, Beyers Funeral Home,
Advertising and
RETUM
AND
CRELeesburg, Florida; Mike Butler, LivingstonFerncliff SuperMATORY,
Springfield,
Butler-Volland Funeral Home, Hastings,
intendent Stan
Ohio,
recently
accepted
Nebraska; and Adam Martin, Martin Funeral
Spitler hold the
the
2015
Hermes
Gold
Home, Cremation & Tribute Services, Mt.
Hermes Award,
Award
for
its
presentaMorris, Michigan.
given for Ferntion brochure. The award
n Robert Mighty, artistcliffs presentawas presented to Ferncliff
in-residence at MOUNT
tion brochure.
Superintendent Stan
AUBURN CEMETERY,
Spitler by Charlie Kanet
Cambridge, Massachusetts,
of Kanet Advertising, whose creative team designed the 16-page brochure.
recently presented a preview
of earth.sky, a multimedia
was awarded a grant from the Institute of Mu- monument collection and fine arts statuary.
installation created for
Mount Auburns Story Cha- seum and Library Services for a two-year col- As part of this project, he was engaged for an
lections stewardship project to catalog, pho18-month artist-in-residency with funding to
pel. The installation consists
PHOTO BY
tograph and assess the cemeterys significant create documentary videos and a film about
EDWARD HOLLEY of synchronized high
the preservation of the Binney
Mighty
definition video and
Monument, one of the cemeterys
audio projections onto interior architecmost significant monuments.
tural surfaces within the 19th-century
During his time at the cemchapel. In earth.sky, audiences experietery, Mighty has been touched by
enced a uniquely emotional, historical
Mount Auburns landscape and
journey through breathtaking landscape
residents. His explorations of the
cinematography, high-fidelity audio,
landscapein all seasons and all
music and photography, while hearing
hours of day and nightand his
the inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking
research about those buried here,
and often uplifting words of individuboth historic and contemporary
als interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery
figures, inspired him to envision a
from its inception to today.
media project about the cemetery
Mighty became the cemeterys first
artist-in-residence in 2014. In 2013, the From Robert Mightys earth.sky, a multimedia installation that combines film, historic voices,
layered design and music.
Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery
at Mount Auburns Story Chapel.
to page 60
58
ICCFA Magazine
Calendar
New Members
E-mail calendar listings and additions or

corrections to Association Pipeline to
bclough@iccfa.com.
For continually updated meeting listings
and direct links to websites for professional
associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select
Directory, then Industry Association Directory.
To see all industry conventions and meetings
for a particular month, go to www.iccfa.com;

select Find a Member, then Industry Calendar.
August 1-6: National Funeral Directos &

Morticians Assn. 78th Annual Convention &
Expo, Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel,
Missouri. 1.800.434.0058
August 3-5: Ohio Cemetery Assn. Annual
Convention annual Convention, Hilton Garden
Inn, Miamisburg.
www.ohiocemeteryassociation.com
August 3-5: Professional Grounds Management Socitys School of Grounds Management
Summer Confernce, Sacramento, California.
www.pgms.org
August 5-6: National Funeral Directors &
Morticians Assn. 77th Annual Convention &
Expo, Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas.
nfdma@nfdma.com
August 7: Order of the Golden Rule Regional
Workshop, The Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary
Science. www.ogr.org
August 6-8: Washington Cemetery, Cremation
& Funeral Assn. 5th Annual Death Care
Professionals Convention, Emerald Queen
Casino, Fife. info@wccfa.us
August 14-16: West Virginia Cemetery &
Funeral Assn. 65th Annual Convention, Canaan
Resort, Davis. www.wvcfa.org
August 16-19: New York State Funeral
Directors Assn. Annual Convention & Exhibition,
Poughkeepsie. www.nysfda.org
September 9-10: ICCFA Cremation Arranger
& Operator Training, Dallas Institute of Funeral
Service, Dallas, Texas. www.iccfa.com
September 16-19: Selected Independent
Funeral homes 97th Annual Mtg., New Orleans,
Louisiana. www.selectedfuneralhomes.org
September 18: Massachusetts Cemetery Assn.
Suppliers Day Expo & Clambake, VFW Medway.
www.macemetery.org
September 20-22: Independent Funeral
Directors of Georgia Annual Convention, Hyatt
Regency, Savannah. www.ifdg.org
September 22-25: Catholic Cemetery Conf.
66th Annual Convention & Exposition, Town &
Country Hotel, San Diego, California.
info@catholiccemeteryconference.org
September 23-26: ALPAR (Latin America)
Convention, Fortaleza, Brazil. www.alpar.com.co
September 24-26: Monument Builders of
the Carolinas Annual Convention, Landmark
Resort, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
www.mbcarolinas.org
September 25-27: Devota, Messegelande, Reid
im Innkreis, Austria. www.devota.at
September 27-29: Texas Cemeteries Assn.
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative

guidance and support to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation
professionals worldwide
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE ICCFA AND MEMBERSHIP:
Go to www.iccfa.com/membership to download a benefits brochure and an application form.
Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership information faxed or mailed to you.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
Admission to ICCFA membership normally requires a majority vote of those present and voting
at any meeting of the executive committee. The names of all applicants must be published in this
magazine. ICCFA members objecting to an application must do so in writing to the ICCFA executive director within 45 days of publication. In the event of an objection, the executive committee
will conduct an inquiry. If an applicant is rejected, they will be granted an appeal upon written
request. The decision of the Board of Directors shall be final.
Regular
City of Bozeman Parks & Recreation

Department
Bozeman, Montana
City of Pacific Grove El Carmelo
Cemetery
Pacific Grove, California
Dorchester Memory Gardens Inc.
Summerville, South Carolina
James H Hunt Funeral Home
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Orange County Cemetery District
Lake Forest, California
Repatriacion Latina Corp.
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Simpson Funeral & Cremation Services
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Professional: Pet Loss Services

Family Pet Cremation
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Part of the Family Pet Memorial Centre
Edmonton, Alberta
Por Siempre Amigos
Luquillo, Puerto Rico
Professional/Supplier
Chapter Eternal Enterprises LLC

Flemington, New Jersey
Denmar Management
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Hallmark Monogram Co.
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Metallic Arts
Spokane Valley, Washington
Wanner Sculpture Studio
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
to page 60
59
UPDATE
2014-2015 board
members of the Museum of Funeral History
in Houston, Texas,
from left, Jim Shelger,
Jason Altieri, Museum
President Genevieve
Keeney, Bob Fells,
Bob Waltrip, Jerry
Runnels, Buck Kamphausen, Gregory C.
Jewell, the Rev. Msgr.
Kevin McCoy, Blair
Waltrip, John Firestone, Dwayne Spence,
Bob Boetticher Sr.,
Mike Webb and Steve
Tidwell.
PHOTO BY MONICA RHODES
The National Museum

of Funeral History is
offering scavenger
hunts this summer.
The first scavenger
hunt activity leads
participants throughout the museum and
encourages them to
discover interesting
facts from the history
of the funeral industry.
The second scavenger
PHOTO BY MYKE TOMAN
hunt is designed specifically for the Celebrating the Lives & Deaths of the Popes exhibit, which explores the traditions of
the Roman Catholic Church and the papacy, including what happens when a pope dies. Guests who submit their completed
(and correct!) scavenger hunt forms earn a one-time 10 percent discount on purchases in the museums gift shop. As we approach the one-year anniversary of Robin Williams death (August 11), the National Museum of Funeral History is remembering him with a tribute event on August 8 from 10 a.m.5 p.m. The highlight of the memorial event will be the unveiling of a new
permanent addition to the museums Thanks for the Memories exhibit, the boots Williams worn in the movie RV.
r
CALENDAR
from page 59
Maintenance Conf., Embassy

Suites Dallas-Park Central, Dallas.
817.339.8210
September 29-October 1: New
Jersey State Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Atlantic
City, New Jersey, www.njsfda.org
September 30-October 2: ICCFA
60
ICCFA Magazine
Fall Management Conf., Loews

Ventana Canyon, Tucson, Arizona.
www.iccfa.com
October 1: Ohio Cemetery Assn.
Fall Maintenance Sem. South,
Ferncliff Cemetery, Springfield.
www.ohiocemeteryassociation.com
October 2-4: Pacific Northwest
Monument Builders Assn. Fall Mtg.
& Skills Sem., Whistler, British

Columbia. www.pnmba.org
October 3-6: New York State
Assn. of Cemeteries 37h Annual
Fall Conf., The Sagamore, Bolton
Landing. www.nysac.com
October 6: Ohio Cemetery Assn.
Fall Maintenance Sem. North,
Catholic Cemeteries Toledo. www.
ohiocemeteryassociation.com
October 7-8: Illinois Cemetery
Funeral Home Association 87th
Annual Fall Convention, Harrahs
Joliet Hotel & Casino.
www.ICFHA.org
October 9-10: California Assn. of
Public Cemeteries Ed. Seminar/Area
Mtg., Crowne Plaza Beach Hotel,
Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm

To place a classified, contact Rick Platter, rplatter@iccfa.com
Cemetery & preneed

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IMSA executive director
The International Memorialization

Supply Association (IMSA) is
seeking qualified candidates to
apply for its newly created execu
tive director role. IMSA comprises
the group of organizations and
their representative professionals
that offer products and services for
use in funeralrelated commerce.
IMSA exists to create member
benefits by working in conjunction
with the various industry associa
tions.
The complete position descrip
tion follows. Additional informa
tion about IMSA is available
online, www.imsa-online.com.
Interested candidates should email
their resume to Gary Forston,
sales@forston.com.
International Memorialization
Supply Association: executive
director position description:
Position overview
Responsible for directing all
functions related to the operation,
administration and communication
of International Memorialization
Supply Association (IMSA).

Essential responsibilities
Maintain historical and
current records of IMSA.
Accept all incoming commu
nications to IMSA and relay
them as appropriate to IMSA
officers and members and respond
accordingly.
Review, verify and submit
bills for payment.
Collect annual membership
dues, send reminder notices,
maintain records of current and
past members and communicate
membership status to IMSA Board.
Work with the president to
develop meeting and conference
call agendas.
Prepare and disseminate
meeting materials and details prior
to the inperson meeting 30 days
prior.
Record and distribute draft
minutes for review with the
Secretary, then distribute to all.
Administer and implement
decisions resulting from meetings,
as appropriate.
Secure convention/hotel space
as required for IMSA Membership
Meeting.
Plan and coordinate meeting
logistics, including meals, AV,
room setup, transportation and
extra events.
Oversee and direct the
work of the marketing, fundraising
and other consultants.
Review all invoices against
contracts and services provided.
All other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Bachelors degree required.
Strong interpersonal skills, strong
leadership skills and vision, along

with the ability to communicate
effectively, both verbally and in
writing, are essential. Position
requires an ability to handle
multiple projects and tasks, an
attention to detail and the highest
degree of confidentiality. Must
be able to work in a fastpaced,
deadlineoriented environment
with a variety of diverse indivi
duals. Must be flexible regarding
work hours and have the ability to
travel occasionally. Knowledge of
all Microsoft Office applications
required. Prior experience in non
profit/associations preferred.
Physical requirements
The physical demands
Classifieds
described here are representative

of those that must be met by an
employee to successfully perform
the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties
of this job, the employee is regu
larly required to sit for a long
time period, use hands/fingers to
manipulate a computer keyboard,
communicate verbally over the
phone and in person and hear.
The employee is required to stand
and walk, sometimes bend, twist,
stoop, reach, kneel, crouch, grasp
and lift up to 35 pounds. Specific
vision abilities required by this job
include close vision, color vision,
peripheral vision, depth perception
and ability to adjust focus.
r
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3 ft. - $9.95
5 ft. -$13.50
Grave Cover
Made
w/fresh
fir boughs.
Maple Ridge Evergreens Posen, MI. (989) 356-4807
CALENDAR
Ventura. publiccemeteries@aol.com
October 18-21: Australasian
Cemeteries & Crematoria Assn.
Annual Conf., Hobart, Tasmania.
www.accaweb.com.au
October 18-21: National Funeral
Directors Assn. Annual Convention
& Expo, Indianapolis, Indiana.
www.nfda.org
November 5-7: Pennsylvania
Cemetery Cremation Funeral
Association Fall Conf., Pittsburgh,
Institute of Mortuary Science.
contactus@pccfa.com
November 9-11: Two Hearts Pet
Loss Centers Pet Loss & Grief
Companioning Certification Course,
Austin, Texas. 317.966.0096
November 18-19: Casket &
Funeral Supply Assn. Fall Conf. &

Trade Show, J.W. Marriott Hotel,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
www.cfsaa.org
December 3: Maryland Cemetery,
Funeral & Cremation Assn. 8th
Annual Holiday Gathering, The
Rusty Scupper, Baltimore.
www.mcfca.us
December 15: Maryland State
Funeral Directors Assn. Annual
Holiday Mtg. & Party, The Hotel at
Arundel Preserve, Hanover
www.msfda.net
2016
January 13-15: ICCFA Wide World
of Sales Conf., Monte Carlo Hotel &
Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.iccfa.com
r
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61
AD INDEX
39 Abbott & Hast
17 AFCTS
31 American Cemetery/Mortuary
Consultants
41 ASDAnswering Service for
Directors
31 Biondan North America Inc.
49 Carriage Services
51 Continental Computer Corp.
55 Ensure-A-Seal
35 First Guaranty Insurance Co.
41 Flowers for Cemeteries
2 Forethought Life Insurance
Companies
55 Funeral Call Answering Service
63 Funeral Services Inc.
31
5
57
35
21
7
59
19
15
33
23
39
55
Grever & Ward

Homesteaders Life Co.
IMSA
J. Stuart Todd Inc.
Kryprotek
Live Oak Bank
Madelyn Co.
Merendino Cemetery Care
Miles Supply
MKJ Marketing
National Guardian Life Insurance Co.
Nomis Publications
Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell &
Hippel
25 Paradise Pictures
37 Park Place Equity
11
39
15
43
64
3
41
35
27
13
53
41
29
21
39
Physicians Mutual
PlotBox
SEP Technologies
SRS Computing
StiloGuard
SuperNova International
Supply Link
SVE Portable Roadway Systems
The Foresight Companies LLC
U.S. Metalcraft
Wilbert Funeral Services
WithumSmith + Brown
Worsham College
Wuxi ANA Industries Ltd.
Zontec Ozone
Above left, a 1949 Sayers & Scovill Knickerbocker owned by John Royark Jr. leads the Professional Car Societys 2014 convoy. Above right, a 1916 Studebaker owned by George W. Quast and bought by his grandfather. The PCS this year held its
annual international meet in Houston, holding its concours at the National Museum of Funeral History.
Above left, Mike Burkharts best-in-show 1941 Henney Packard Model 4198-L custom built Landaulet funeral coach.
Above center, August J. Schleichers 1894 horse-drawn hearse by James Cunningham Son & Co. Above right, Jon Wurms
1977 Buick Electra from Armbruster/Stageway.
62
ICCFA Magazine
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Legal & legislative

Down the up staircase:

with Forethought InSightSM, a visual business analytics tool

From Death Care

7 New Profit Streams

Personalized and unique

monuments and other memorial

Read the full article:

Casket Engraving: MSRP: $499

LEADING THE WAY

The U.S. Capitol, framed by flowering

What does the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage mean

10 LEGAL & LEGISL ATIVE UPDATE

Staying on top of changes that could affect your organization

22 LEGAL & LEGISL ATIVE ESSAY

Down the up staircase

Employment legislation you need to keep an eye on

Darin B. Drabing, president

Michael Uselton, CCFE, president-elect

Susan Loving, managing editor

Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

Robert Treadway, director of

Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

Katherine Devins, communications assistant

August-September. Periodicals postage paid

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Grow with Us!

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The very first year of our partnership, Homesteaders

Six years ago, Dale Groce believed an active pre-need program

Lovingood credits much of the success to the firms willingness to adopt

32 FINANCES & INVESTMENTS

Invest in the future, for the future of your organization No matter

46 Fall Management Conference

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n Write it down. it doesnt have to be

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n Send it in: Email your Word docu-

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ICCFA Government and Legal

Recent columns are available

New overtime regs will have

ust prior to the July 4th weekend, the

in other words, the Dol is signaling

The Department of Labor (DOL) estimates

The Department of Labor decided on the

by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

in last years legal & legislative issue, poul lemasters advised

What does the Supreme Court

1. What was this case about?

from the spouse claiming they are in a

ICCFA Magazine author spotlight