The Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts (KSBMA) Report to the 112th Annual Convention of the Kansas Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association (KFDA), “The Future of Funeral Service: Get Ready, Get Set, Go!”, 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 28, 2009, Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka, Kansas
By KSBMA President, Fred Holroyd
On behalf of the Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts, welcome to Topeka and to the 112th Annual Convention of the Kansas Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association! It’s my pleasure to address you this morning with the Annual Report of the Mortuary Arts Board.
The five current members appointed to the Mortuary Arts Board by Governor Kathleen Sebelius, are:
Licensed embalmer-funeral director Bill Young. Bill is the Board’s vice president and resides at Lake Quivira. He has been affiliated with Maple Hill Funeral Home in Kansas City, Kansas for many years. Bill is a Commander/Team Leader for the DHS/FEMA/National Disaster Medical System, Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team of DMORT Region VII.
Licensed embalmer-funeral director Barry Bedene. Barry is the Immediate Past President of the Board and is the owner-operator of Bedene Funeral Home in Arma, Kansas. Barry is a Past President of District Three of the Kansas Funeral Directors Association and is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association.
Consumer Melissa Wangemann. Melissa is a Past President of the Board. Ms. Wangemann formerly served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Legal Counsel in the office of Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh. She is currently the Legislative Services Director and Legal Counsel for the Kansas Association of Counties.
Melissa is active in the Topeka Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association and the Topeka Women Attorneys Association.
Consumer Charlie Smith. Charlie is a retired school administrator, with 34 years of service in the Shawnee Mission Public School System. He served in the U.S. Army and Air Force prior to beginning his career in education.
And myself, Licensee and Board President Fred Holroyd. I have been with Penwell-Gabel Funeral Homes since 1971, and I’m the Vice President of Community Development.
Our administrative staff, consists of:
Administrative Specialist/Office Manager Mary Kirkham. Mary is in her 8th year with the board and resides in Valley Falls, Kansas. She is an avid horse enthusiast and barrel racer.
Inspector Francis Mills. Francis is in his 24th year with the board and is a licensed embalmer-funeral director and resides in Overbrook, Kansas.
Executive Secretary Mack Smith. Mack is in his 29th year of working for the board. He is a licensed embalmer-funeral director and is in his third term as mayor of Silver Lake.
The Board’s legal counsel, includes:
Assistant Attorney General Camille Nohe and Assistant Attorney General Steve Phillips. Camille serves as the board’s attorney, while Steve is our litigation attorney and is responsible for prosecuting cases referred to the Attorney General by the Board.
Some news from the Board:
License renewals can now be renewed online on the board’s website. While payment can be made online, it is still necessary to send your signed renewal, continuing education or material required with funeral home and crematory renewals in the mail to the board. Licensees are responsible for all credit card or E-Check costs which are listed online. Renewals must be paid prior to midnight of the due date or late fees will apply and must be sent in via mail to the board. All fees and paperwork must be submitted by the deadline in order for your renewal to be processed and to not incur late fees.
Current State Revenue Estimates and ways to balance the State’s Finances are currently being considered by the Kansas Legislature during the Omnibus Session. Many rumors, none very positive, continue to be thrown around. While the financial status of the board is good, there is a good possibility that the Legislature may sweep fee board funds to help with state revenue shortfalls. While reasonable budget reductions can be handled internally by the board, sweeping of fee funds cannot. The sweeping of fee funds increases the possibility of future fee increases, though no fault of the board. Updates can be found on the Board’s web site under the Legislative and Newsletter links.
The number of complaints with the board has remained fairly constant with 38 complaints filed in 2008. Board actions in year 2008 have included: two license revocations, two public censures, two fines, one denial of a license application and 14 advisory/warning letters. 17 complaints have been filed in the first four months of 2009.
The funeral profession continues to change in many ways–which means that regulation and licensure must do the same. Assistant funeral directors now must pass a written examination prior to licensure. The number of crematories continues to increase along with the rate of consumers selecting cremation as their form of disposition. Green burials, home funerals with families providing a more hands-on approach to the death process is being discussed and done throughout the country. In that same respect, Regulation has–and will continue to change. How inspections and investigations are conducted, laws with the cremation process and even the license renewal process continue to change. The electronic filing of death certificates, green funerals–including the composition of merchandise, including, but not limited to, caskets, containers and urns along with personalization of the funeral process are changing regularly. The title of this year’s KFDA Convention is very fitting: The Future of Funeral Service: Get Ready, Get Set, Go is becoming a way of life that we as professionals need to adjust and learn, so the needs of consumers can be met. Regulation will also adjust, and we look forward to working with the association in the years ahead to keep the funeral profession up to date in serving the needs of consumers–in a way that protects the public in a manner that also allows the funeral profession to do their job appropriately.
On behalf of the Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts, I would like to thank the association for this opportunity to be with you today. I wish everyone the very best during the course of the convention and in the days ahead. Please feel free to discuss any concerns or ideas with fellow Mortuary Arts board members and staff here this week.
Thank you very much!
Respectfully Submitted:
Fred Holroyd, President
Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts
April 28, 2009