©2025 The Montana Funeral Directors Association (MFDA) | The newsLINK Group LLC. All rights reserved. Directors Digest is published four times per year by The newsLINK Group LLC for MFDA and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of MFDA, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Directors Digest is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of MFDA. While a first-print policy is encouraged, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (855) 747-4003. 6 14 Cover courtesy of the Montana Secretary of State Office. President’s Message 4 Our Membership Is Our Strength By Steve Kirkegard, President, MFDA Executive Director’s Report 6 Starting 2025 Off Strong By James Brown, Esq., Executive Director, MFDA 8 2024-2025 MFDA Board of Directors 9 NFDA Update By Chris Holt, State Association Representative, NFDA 10 MFDA Legislation Report By Brad Longcake, Lobbyist, MFDA 10 MFDA 2025 Convention & Trade Show 11 Congratulations to Our 2025 Award Recipients 12 Montana Board of Funeral Service Update By Rick Walter, Board Member, MFDA 13 Parker Sappington MFDA’s Dennis Schoepp Memorial Scholarship Recipient 13 Office of Victim Services Crime Victim Compensation (CVC) 14 2025 Mid-Winter Conference In Loving Memory 16 Margaret “Peg” Kathryn Whitesitt Burt Douthit Jr. 18 The Hardest Funeral You Will Ever Do By Lincoln Plain, Licensed Funeral Director, Sales Representative, The Dodge Company 22 Scammers Impersonate FTC Officials, Including Chairman Andrew Ferguson By BCP Staff NFDA News 23 New USPS Shipping Requirement for Shipping Cremated Remains Directors Digest | 3
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