Welcome to the final 2022 edition of the MFDA Director’s Digest. Where has this year gone? The speed with which this year has passed reminds me of the following Nathaniel Hawthorne quote: “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”
In keeping with the passage of time theme, as of the annual state convention meeting held in June, MFDA has a new president guiding the ship. T.J. Stevenson with Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes stepped into the President’s role. T.J. takes over from Chris Holt, who did an outstanding job during his two-year term as MFDA President. As such, with this change of leadership at the top, this magazine edition contains a Q&A with T.J., designed to introduce you, the reader, to who T.J. is and what he is all about in championing Montana’s funeral industry’s interests. I think you will find the article quite informative. I encourage you to take a few moments to read all about the man guiding the Association for the next two years.
This being written, the best way to keep time from catching up with you is to stay busy. And staying busy has been no problem for MFDA. In October, the Association weighed in on a proposal being advanced by the Governor’s Office through the Governor’s Red Tape initiative. As part of this initiative, the Department of Labor proposes several legislative reforms that will, if adopted, impact the Board of Funeral Service. Among those reforms are the following:
- Prohibit a member of the Board of Funeral Service from also serving as an officer or a leadership position in MFDA; and
- Move fiscal decision-making and budgeting away from the Board to the Department of Labor.
As noted, MFDA testified against these provisions when a public hearing was held in Helena on October 17. (You can listen to the meeting at https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/educational-sessions)
Given the possible detrimental impact of these proposals on the independence of the Board of Funeral Services, and the ability of the industry to control licensing fees, MFDA will closely monitor this situation as it develops.
Also, in October, the Association hosted its annual Montana dinner at the NFDA National Convention, held in Baltimore this year. The Montana dinner, one of MFDA’s more popular benefits, brought together all members of the Association in attendance. If you plan to attend the 2023 national convention in Las Vegas next September, you are invited to join your colleagues for this fun event.
In early November, MFDA hosted its fall district meetings in Billings, Miles City, and Butte. Due to horrific weather conditions, the Missoula meeting was conducted via Zoom. Among the great presenters were Sgt. Jay Nelson, who provided active shooter training, Deacon Dan McGrath, and Willy Kemp, Montana’s Chief Medical Examiner.
With this being the last edition of the Director’s Digest for the year, I will use this article to remind you that MFDA member renewal notices for 2023 will be hitting your mailboxes in December. We here at MFDA understand things are tight financially for Montana’s funeral providers, particularly given the burden placed on your institutions by excessive regulation and high inflation. That is why the Association does its best to ensure you receive the maximum value for your dues while also gaining extensive support in the areas that matter. When you receive your renewal notice, we hope our efforts to tighten the Association’s belt over the last seven years while successfully expanding member services and programs will be foremost in your mind.
Thank you again for being a part of the MFDA team. And thank you for all you do on behalf of your customers and the Montana communities you serve.
See you next year, if not sooner.
James Brown
Executive Director
