“Friends are the sunshine of life.” — John Hay
As I write this article from my deck on an early Sunday morning, I am reminded of how blessed I am to live surrounded by such beauty. My father purchased the land I live on in the early 1960s, and I think of him fondly as I enjoy my morning tea. He loved this land and worked hard to maintain it. As we all know, Montana weather can change in the blink of an eye, so I truly cherish the warm sunshine on this summer day.
The MFDA Convention and Trade Show, held at the Northern Hotel in Billings, was a fantastic event! This issue of the magazine highlights all the key moments, and I encourage you to check it out. Thank you to all our sponsors and attendees for making this event a success.
Bri Mulvaney of Axelsons Funeral Home in Butte and Longfellow Finnigan Riddle in Anaconda was elected to serve as your new MFDA president. I look forward to working with Bri over the next year. Many thanks to Steve Kirkegard for serving as the MFDA president from 2024 to 2025. Steve did an outstanding job representing the association.
During the convention, the MFDA membership approved the MFDA officers, board of directors and district governors for the 2025-26 term:
- MFDA President: Bri Mulvaney
- MFDA Vice President: Rick Walter
- MFDA Treasurer: Jim Asper
- MFDA Secretary: Chris Holt
- MFDA Immediate Past President: Steve Kirkegard
- NFDA Policy Member: Chris Holt
- Eastern District Governor: Brooke Gieke
- Southcentral District Governor: Kassity Sorlie
- Northcentral District Governor: Austin Asper
- Southwestern District Governor: Jessie Sather
- Western District Governor: Fred Nelson
- Future Development Leader: Katie Baca
The individuals just mentioned are volunteering their time to assist the association and Montana’s funeral industry. Serving on the MFDA board demands a significant commitment of both time and effort. If you see any of these individuals, please take a moment to thank them for their dedication.
I was fortunate to attend the NFDA Leadership Conference in Napa, California, earlier this month. The state executive meetings provided valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t in state associations. I take pride in representing Montana, and I feel for the new interim executive director from Colorado, as it will take years to resolve the issues created by a lack of proper regulation.
A few years ago, you may remember that Montana faced the possibility of losing the Board of Funeral Service due to insufficient funds to support it. The MFDA lobbied to increase the death certificate fee to help the Board of Funeral Service regain financial stability. With the passage of this legislation, there is now a surplus in their fund, which allows your license fees to be abated in 2025. The MFDA’s lobbying efforts are a valuable benefit of your membership.
The MFDA board faced the challenge of finding a new administrator for the trust. To address this, a trust committee was formed that included Steve Kirkegard, Bri Mulvaney, Jim Asper, Rick Walter, Chris Holt and Tyson Moore. We held numerous meetings with various companies interested in managing the trust, and after careful consideration, the MFDA board chose USAlliance.
Beginning Oct. 1, USAlliance will offer an interest rate of 2.99%. This rate will benefit consumers, funeral homes and the association. We are excited about this new partnership and look forward to its potential.
If you would like more information about the trust, please contact Katherine Kosloski at katherine@usalliancelife.com. Additionally, MFDA will host a webinar with Katherine at 4 p.m. on Sept. 24 to answer any questions you may have.
Please join us for the fall district meeting on Nov. 6 from 4-6 p.m. This meeting will be held virtually and will include two CE credits for FTC training.
Mark your calendars for the 2026 Convention and Trade Show, taking place from June 14-16 in historic Butte, Montana, at the beautiful Copper King Inn. MFDA will be offering education credits and hosting our annual golf tournament. For those who prefer not to golf, we will also provide an underground mine tour and a tour of the Headframe Spirits Distillery. The Mining City boasts many exciting attractions, including one of Montana’s most visited landmarks, the legendary grave of Evel Knievel. I look forward to celebrating the 125th anniversary of MFDA alongside you.
Make sure to take some time to enjoy the sunshine! I appreciate the opportunity to be your executive director, and I’m committed to leading us to great success.
Thank you!
