Policy Board Meeting Report – April 26, 2017 by Steve Palmer

[member only] POLICY BOARD MEETING – April 26, 2017 by Steve Palmer ARRANGER TRAINING Lacy Robinson gave a 15-minute recap of arranger training. It is more than getting information and setting services. It is to get everyone to the “Life Honoring Point”. You must ask “Who are my customers?”. Everyone that was touched y that person’s life is your customer. Everyone that reads the memorial tribute/obituary is your customer. Customer behavior has changed; but the …

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AFCCA Board Members Attend the 2017 NFDA Advocacy Summit

This past week, Steve Palmer (AFCCA Board Treasurer and NFDA Policy Board Rep) and Mike Darus (AFCCA Board Vice President) ventured to Washington D.C. to represent the state of Arizona at the NFDA Advocacy Summit. Legislative issues that were presented to our State Representatives were: H.R. 1212: The BRAVE Act: Burial Rights for America’s Veterans’ Efforts Act of 2017 H.R. 2022: The LATTS Act: The Labeling and Transporting Tissues Safety Act of 2017 For two …

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Achieve More in Life: NFDA Launches Work/Life Resource Program

Brookfield, Wis. – To help members find balance between a fulfilling career and meaningful life outside of the funeral home, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is happy to introduce the Work/Life Resource Program (EAP) as a new benefit of membership. Supporting grieving families and ensuring every detail of their loved one’s service is perfect requires extraordinary effort. Being a funeral director is gratifying work, but it can be physically and mentally taxing. The Work/Life …

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Board of Director Seats Open for Election June 2017

Deadline to apply for an open seat is April 30, 2017! The AFCCA is constantly looking for new talent, thoughts on the industry and emerging leaders. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the association, please apply for a board seat in the upcoming election. Those who choose to be considered for an elected leadership role with the AFCCA will be working on behalf of the Association on projects and initiatives that benefit the …

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2017 Arizona Legislation: SB1295 and SB1296

What You Need to Know: SB1295 – http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/53leg/1r/bills/sb1295p.htm This bill would reduce the number of Funeral Directors that can serve on the Arizona State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers from 4 to 3 and increase the public members to 4. 1/26/17 – Introduced by Sponsor Farnsworth 2/13/17 – Read to Commerce Committee – Failed to pass with a 5-2-1-0 Vote SB1296 – https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/69094?SessionId=117  Originally introduced removing educational requirement to receive Funeral Directors License. Amended version now …

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National Legislation to Watch 2017

Department of Homeland Security May Get Its Own Funding Bill Last month, House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mike McCaul (R-TX), along with the chairs of seven other House committees that share homeland jurisdiction, signed a memorandum of understanding which could improve chances for Congressional approval of the first-ever department-wide authorization bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In essence, the 10-point agreement directs the committees to prioritize funding of DHS components in their jurisdiction …

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2017 Cemetery Maintenance Seminar Recap

Thank you to all who attended our 2017 Maintenance Seminar, held at Green Acres Mortuary and Cemetery in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Green Acres was a gracious host, and we truly appreciate Amie Gazda and her staff for working so hard to make sure this event was the success it was! We had a great line up of speakers this year that covered everything from pavement, to water regulations, to safety, and more. Thank You Speakers Jared Jones, …

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Is It Time For Funeral Homes To Ban Employees’ Use of Cell Phones While Driving?

Posted: July 13, 2012 By T. Scott Gilligan, NFDA general counsel In the past 20 years, reports from government agencies and health groups documented the dangers of second-hand smoke from cigarettes. The mounting evidence led to several campaigns to restrict smoking in public areas. How well did those campaigns work? Consider that in 2000, no states prohibited smoking in private sector work sites, restaurants and bars. However, by 2010, 26 states had laws prohibiting smoking …

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NFDA Cremation Retreat: Seize the Opportunity

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) will host its second annual Cremation Retreat March 15-16, 2017, at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. The one-of-a-kind NFDA Cremation Retreat offers funeral professionals from small- to mid-sized firms an opportunity to explore and reflect on cremation from a variety of perspectives, discern what cremation means to the future of their business, and explore proven strategies to increase the value – and profit …

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