With high-quality education, renowned speakers and engaging events, we hope to see you — along with your employees and families — in Southwest Montana in just a few weeks. All the registration information and convention details you need are included in this issue. Brad Longcake, MFDA lobbyist, has been diligently monitoring the state government decisions that could affect the funeral profession. I highly recommend you read his article on these important issues. Recently, he, President Bri Mulvaney, Past President Steve Kirkegard, MFDA Board member Jim Asper and I attended a meeting with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). They discussed a proposal to limit crematory operating hours to 1,600 per unit annually, counting only time spent actively cremating remains and excluding time needed for heating and cooling. We shared our professional insights on how this restriction could adversely impact funeral services in Montana. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide you with updates. We’re also thrilled about our new MFDA Trust partnership with US Alliance and the positive impact it’s having! We would love to hear your feedback on how this partnership is benefiting your firm. Finally, as we commemorate our 125th anniversary, I invite you to share your stories and memories for possible inclusion in upcoming issues of Directors Digest. Photographs, stories and memories related to the association are welcome! Please feel free to reach out to me by phone or email; I, along with the board, am here to support you. You, our members, are the driving force behind MFDA’s success. Thank you for your hard work and dedication — congratulations to each of you! Good News, Bad News A favorite joke of Niles Nelson, shared at his funeral service: Tom and Larry, lifelong friends and baseball fans, made a pact that whoever died first would go to heaven, ask St. Peter if there was baseball there, then return to share what he’d learned. A week after Larry’s passing, Tom heard a voice coming from his baseball glove. “Tom … it’s me, Larry. I’ve got some good news and some bad news.” “What’s the good news?” Tom replied. “The good news is that they do have baseball in heaven — the stadiums are like Gardens of Eden, and the bats are made of solid gold.” “So, what’s the bad news?” Tom asked. “The bad news is … you’re pitching on Tuesday.” Pictured are MFDA Executive Director Terri James; MFDA Past Presidents Tyson Moore, Rick Evans, Steve Schnider (and wife Carla) and Bill Rothie; Lee Darlington; Fred and Sherry Nelson; and Steve and Denise Schnackenberg. Not pictured are Charlie Wilson, Craig Riddle and James Schnackenberg. DIRECTORS DIGEST | 7
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