Selected Independent Funeral Homes Educational Trust received a $100,000 gift from Brad and Mary Kay Speaks and the Speaks Foundation during the association’s Annual Meeting in October. This gift will support and enhance the trust’s workforce development tools, continue the work of connecting independent funeral homes with the next generation of professionals, and provide progressive skill development training for funeral service professionals.
“We are proud of our Selected Independent Funeral Homes heritage and have learned so much from our peers over the years,” said Brad Speaks. “Now it’s time to give back, and we are pleased to provide this unrestricted gift to the Selected Educational Trust out of gratitude and a desire to continue making a difference in funeral service.”
In other news, the trust also raised $24,400 in donations between September 1 and October 15, 2023, thanks to a generous donation match challenge issued by National Guardian Life Insurance Company, which matched donations dollar for dollar up to $10,000.
Finally, the trust appointed four new members to its board of trustees: Robert Justen, owner of Justen Funeral Home & Crematory, McHenry, Illinois; Leigh Klemencic, director-preneed with Physicians Mutual in Omaha, Nebraska; JimmiAnne Lowe, corporate secretary and funeral director/embalmer at Lowe Funeral Home & Crematory, Burlington, North Carolina; and Jason Winters, funeral director/embalmer and cremation counselor with McClendon-Winters Funeral Home, Okmulgee, Oklahoma. selectedtrust.org
Nearly 250 people gathered at J.W. Marriott Chicago, as well as virtually, for Selected Independent Funeral Homes’ 2023 Annual Meeting last October. The meeting included presentations on such key topics as leadership, HR laws, attracting and retaining staff, growing a business through acquisition, website marketing and crisis communication. In addition, several member-exchange sessions provided opportunities to engage in open conversation on topics currently impacting member firms. The meeting concluded with the Futures Session, which featured speakers Chris Cruger of The Foresight Companies, Dan Sharp of Tribute Technology, Marty Strohofer of Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions, Courtney Gould Miller of MKJ Marketing and Paul St. Pierre of St. Pierre Family Funeral and Cremation Services.
During the meeting, the association inducted its new board officers. Eric Trimble of Trimble Funeral Home & Crematory will serve as president, and John Kepner of Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home will serve as board chair. New board members J. Sheridan Lee of Bryan-Lee Funeral Home and David H. Moore of Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapels were also inducted.
Finally, Selected recognized the following firms for 50 years of continuous membership: Brashears Funeral Home and Crematory, Huntsville, Arkansas • Paul L. Gravenor Home for Funerals, Ephrata, Pennsylvania • Gunderson Funeral Home, Madison, Wisconsin • Hadley Funeral Home, Windsor, Missouri • Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes, Kingsport, Tennessee • McCaw Funeral Service, Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada • Messinger Mortuaries Cemeteries Crematories, Scottsdale, Arizona • Mueller’s Funeral Home, Kennewick, Washington • Neal Funeral Home, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee • Leroy Rader Funeral Home, Longview, Texas • Saddleback Chapel, Tustin, California • Scobee-Combs-Bowden Funeral Home & Crematory, Boynton Beach, Florida. selectedfuneralhomes.org