The Conference Hosts 122nd Annual Meeting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Funeral service professionals from across the United States and Canada convened in Louisville, Kentucky, from February 24-26 for the 122nd Annual Meeting of The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, Inc.
The meeting took place at the Seelbach Hilton and focused on timely regulatory trends and innovations within the profession. The Conference hosted more than 100 attendees from 32 different states and provinces.
“This was my first time to attend. However, I was impressed with the entire meeting and all the different speakers,” Terry Sorrells of the Alabama Board of Funeral Services said. “I look forward to the next meeting. Job well done by the entire Conference group.”
The first day included pre-meeting sessions such as Regulatory Board Service 101 led by Conference Legal Counsel Dale Atkinson and Administrators Forum for all board administrators and staff in attendance. ICFSEB President Karen Carruthers officially opened the Annual Business Meeting, which included a delegate roll call, committee reports, and board nominations.
The voting delegates approved revisions to the Conference’s Model Application and voted to adopt the Election Procedures Policy.
Six candidates ran for the Board of Directors. The delegate assembly elected three members to the ICFSEB Board of Directors, welcoming two new additions.
Amy Acord Elston (North Carolina) and Jonathan Rideout (Kentucky) were elected to their first term on the board. Mark Evely (Michigan) was elected to serve his first three-year term after being appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in August 2025.
At the awards banquet, Jon Rettig Sr. (Ohio) and R. DeMale Bowden Jr. (Louisiana) were honored for their time on the board coming to a close. Steve Spann, President of John A. Gupton College, was gifted the Partners in Professionalism Award for his article advocating for professional standards and the National Board Exam in the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association’s newsletter.
The opening presentation featured a panel discussion from prominent figures in Colorado’s overhaul of funeral service regulation. Brian Tobias, Director of Colorado’s Office of Policy, Research, and Regulatory Reform, detailed the state’s upcoming licensure requirements alongside Sam Delp and Katie O’Donnell of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
Following the opening panel, Evely gave an interactive presentation regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule. Attendees were able to scan a QR code and join a live quiz containing a multitude of FTC-related scenarios.
Harry Samit, Director of Special Investigations at Pearson, gave an insightful presentation on the ever-evolving innovations in cheating on high-stakes licensure exams. Atkinson concluded the opening day slate with an informative talk about titles and scope of practice within the funeral service profession.
The newly announced Board of Directors elected Chris Howard (Missouri) to serve as President and Kortney Adams (Nova Scotia) as Vice President. Matalie Mickens (South Carolina) was designated as Secretary/Treasurer.
The majority of the presentations were reserved for Thursday and covered a variety of important topics. Rideout and Sidney Fogle, Executive Director of the Kentucky Funeral Directors Association, gave a passionate presentation on organ procurement developments in Kentucky.
Atkinson followed up with a discussion on recent regulatory cases impacting funeral service. The Conference staff gave its annual presentation on the state of the organization and its overall mission, including updates on exam development, membership benefits, and candidate experience.
Bradley Guye, Business Development Executive at Ethics & Boundaries Assessment Services, discussed his experience in partnering with licensing boards to offer ethics-based assessment programs and disciplinary frameworks. A second panel of regulators – including Delp, Stephanie Gilman (New York), and Ben Parker (Michigan) talked about the unique disciplinary cases within their respective jurisdictions.
In closing, Bowden Jr. hosted the “Conference Fishbowl” which got participants moving. He gave attendees five minutes to discuss a certain topic at their table before having them move to an alternate table to discuss another topic with new people.
“I very much enjoyed that there were some different formats such as the panel discussions and the Fishbowl,” Rick Walter of the Montana Board of Funeral Service said. “The fishbowl had
some excellent questions that really got people thinking. I also thought that the FTC training was excellent.”
The Conference’s Annual Meeting provides a valuable opportunity for those interested in furthering funeral service regulation to exchange information, problem-solving strategies, and goals for the future of the profession. The 123rd Annual Meeting will be held on February 23-25, 2027, in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, at the Sonesta Resort.
ABOUT
The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards is headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Founded in 1904, the membership of The Conference is composed of funeral service licensing and regulatory agencies throughout the United States and Canada. For more information on The Conference, visit www.theconferenceonline.org.