From February 25-27, funeral service regulators and educators from across the United States and Canada convened for the 121st Annual Meeting of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ICFSEB). Held at Riviera Resort in Palm Springs, California, the event focused on key regulatory challenges and advancements within the profession. More than 100 individuals from 35 states and provinces attended.
ICFSEB Legal Counsel Dale Atkinson started the event with a session on regulatory board service.
The next day, ICFSEB President Marty Rieken officially opened the Annual Business Meeting, which included a delegate roll call, committee reports and board nominations. The delegate assembly approved revisions to the ICFSEB By-Laws and Model Practice Act. In addition, a resolution to request formally that the American Board of Funeral Service Education establish a standardized curriculum for funeral-directing-only education programs was approved.
ICFSEB elected five members to its board of directors. Kortney Adams (District 1) and Gina Sanchez (District 9) were reelected to their leadership roles. Matalie Mickens (District 3), Chris Howard (District 5) and R. DeMale Bowden Jr. (District 7) were elected to serve their first terms on the board.
That morning, the opening presentation, “Deathcare Distress: How Bad Actors Led to an Industry Overhaul in Colorado,” featured a panel discussion of regulators, a legislator and Danielle McCarthy, the wife of a Sunset Mesa Funeral Home victim. The group discussed Colorado’s regulatory journey. McCarthy’s testimony, in particular, touched the hearts of attendees and concluded with a standing ovation. The President’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies in recognition of its efforts to reform funeral service legislation and eliminate unlicensed practice.
Following the opening panel, attendees split into district meetings to discuss relevant industry trends and topics, such as methods of disposition, the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and several licensure categories.
In the afternoon, Eric D’Astolfo, vice president of business development at Pearson VUE, presented on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and generative AI on licensure exams.
The awards banquet closed Wednesday evening. During this event, several departing board members were honored, as well as Immediate Past President Rieken. District 8 Director Karen Carruthers was elected to serve as ICFSEB president; District 2 Director Lacyn Barton will serve as vice president.
The bulk of the presentations were reserved for the final day of the event and covered a variety of important topics. Atkinson provided attendees with information regarding current legislative regulatory cases. Josh Twitty presented “Labor Shortage and Professionalism,” during which he discussed the importance of maintaining competency when increasing accessibility. During “Funeral Service Regulators and Out of Jurisdiction Disaster Responders,” John McGuire gave a compelling talk on mass fatalities and disaster preparedness.
In the afternoon, Rebecca Plett, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorney, informed attendees about the FTC Funeral Rule and its legislative update. Afterward, ICFSEB staff presented on the state of the organization and its new initiatives, including candidate communications, membership polling and legislative tracking.
To conclude the meeting, Barton teamed with Garan Shaw for “Beyond the Gift: Navigating the Regulation of Anatomical Donation.” This provided a great lesson on the importance of regulation, especially regarding organ and tissue donation. Shaw, a donor recipient, offered his personal testimony.
The 122nd Annual Meeting of ICFSEB will be held February 24-26, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Seelbach Hilton. theconferenceonline.org