I write this column with both a sense of sadness and accomplishment, for this is the last column I write with the title of MFDA Executive Director.
As you may have heard by now, my nine-plus-year term as MFDA executive director came to an end on May 1. I am very pleased that my friend and long-time MFDA administrative assistant and membership director, Terri James, will be taking over the reins moving forward. Terri has done incredible work for the association since she joined the MFDA team in 2017. And, as a result, it was an easy decision for the MFDA Board in February of this year to bring her on to captain the ship.
To parrot the words of the Grateful Dead, “What a long, strange trip it has been” these past few years. My tenure as MFDA executive director started out a bit tenuous. I came on board the MFDA team on Feb. 1, 2016. My transition came on the heels of a quick transition away from the previous executive director, a half-planned state convention and tradeshow that was to take place in a few short months, and an association in the midst of a cash flow problem. Further, then MFDA President Travis Newman was assigned the task of taking me around the state and introducing me to MFDA’s membership and, frankly, to the mechanics of the industry itself.
Fast forward to 2025, I am pleased to write that MFDA is, according to long-time members of the Association, in the healthiest place it has been for many years. Since 2016, much great work has been accomplished by association staff and the various board members who have served over the years. In this time period, the association turned around its overspending issue. And, as a result, the association has grown its assets by roughly $280,000 over the last decade. To this end, and in conjunction with more prudent spending habits, the Board also created an investment fund that ensures the association has adequate funding in reserve to operate the association for at least two years in an emergency or should there be a need for an additional immediate infusion of income.
What’s more, unlike many other state trade associations, MFDA has grown both in terms of increasing funeral home membership (nearly reaching a penetration rate of 100%) and in terms of increasing associate member participation. Through enhanced and refocused outreach efforts, including the creation of a dedicated association magazine, MFDA has expanded its statewide presence. This has resulted in substantially increased attendance at the annual convention and tradeshow over the last decade. During my tenure, the association has expanded its community presence by updating and modernizing its website multiple times and by creating an association Facebook page.
Further, MFDA has once again become an association that makes an impact at the Montana Legislature and at the federal level. MFDA has successfully championed legislation that has benefited every member of the association. Legislative wins on the state level include finding a dedicated source of funding for the Board of Funeral Service (which has resulted in the end of continual special assessments being imposed on licensees to fund board operations and the capping of license fees); changing state law to allow for internships to be served prior to graduation from mortuary school; raising the statutory limit on funeral insurance coverage; revising state law to allow the MFDA funeral trust to be more competitive; championing MDFA members through the legislative confirmation process; and defeating multiple efforts to disband the Board of Funeral Service.
On the federal level, MFDA has strengthened its partnership with the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) in order to push policy through Congress that benefit veterans and their families. Plus, the Association has weighed in on behalf of Montana’s funeral industry on harmful efforts by the FTC to revise the funeral rule and by the EPA to revise its risk evaluation process for formaldehyde. What’s more, MFDA has been the voice and champion of Montana’s funeral providers on other federal and state regulatory matters over the years.
Perhaps the most rewarding accomplishment of my tenure is that serving in this position has brought me so many new friends and Montana colleagues. Truly, the board members with whom I have worked and the industry professionals I have come to know have become part of my community. It has been an honor to work with and alongside each of you.
When I stepped into this role, I knew I was joining a group with a strong history and a bright future. What I did not anticipate was just how rewarding it would be to witness your commitment to our mission and to help support the meaningful work you do every day. From our annual meetings and professional development initiatives to our advocacy efforts and local outreach, I have been continually inspired by the energy and innovation MFDA’s members and associate members bring to the table.
Leading this association has not only been a professional privilege — it has been a personal joy. I have learned from so many of you, celebrated our collective wins and faced challenges with the confidence that comes from being part of a strong, values-driven community.
Thank you for your trust, your collaboration and your belief, so many years ago, that I could successfully lead the Association. Serving as your executive director has been one of the greatest honors of my career.
In the meantime, I will be helping Terri transition into her new role and will be providing her support at the upcoming 2025 convention and tradeshow. I hope to see you in Billings in June. And, in keeping with the Grateful Dead theme, “just keep truckin’ on.”
