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For Immediate Release: March 9, 2026

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Leadership Development Committee has announced the slate of qualified candidates for open positions on the NFDA Board of Directors.

Each year, NFDA members have the opportunity to help shape the future of funeral service by electing leaders who will guide the association’s priorities, strengthen advocacy efforts and support funeral professionals across the country.

Participation in the election process is an important way for members to ensure their voices are represented in the leadership of the profession. NFDA encourages all eligible members to review candidate profiles, learn about their ideas and priorities, and take part in the voting process.

Officer Candidates

Qualified NFDA members will elect officers via an electronic ballot from June 11 through 24. Those elected will serve a one-year term beginning after the 2026 NFDA International Convention & Expo. The individual elected as president-elect will automatically assume the role of NFDA president following the 2027 Convention.

The candidates for officer positions are:

President-elect

• Steve Spann, CFSP, CCO, Spann Funeral Home, Dickson, Tennessee

Treasurer

• Ellen Wynn McBrayer, CFSP, CPC, CCO, Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory, Villa Rica, Georgia

Secretary

• Carlton Maye Jr., MBA, CFSP, CCO, Serenity Funeral Home, Dublin, Georgia
• Ladd Pulliam, CFSP, Jones and Son Funeral Home, Richton, Mississippi

At-Large Representative Candidates

During the NFDA Leadership Conference, August 2 through 5 in Louisville, Kentucky, state association representatives will elect two at-large representatives to the Board of Directors. Each elected representative will serve a two-year term beginning after the 2026 NFDA International Convention & Expo.

State association representatives are the designated voting representatives from each state who cast votes on behalf of their state for the at-large representatives serving on the NFDA Board of Directors.

The candidates for at-large representative positions are:

• Christopher Holt, Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home & Crematory, Helena, Montana
• Steven L. Johnson, CFSP, CCSP, H.E. Turner & Co. Inc., Batavia, New York
• Maureen E. Krienen, Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home, Wilmington, Delaware
• Shelby Ogozaly, Perman Funeral Home, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Get to Know the Candidates

NFDA members are encouraged to visit NFDA.org/Elections to learn more about each candidate, review their backgrounds and priorities, and prepare to cast their vote.

To ensure all eligible members receive voting credentials and important election communications, NFDA must have accurate contact information for all licensed funeral directors at member firms, including:

• The name and unique email address of the primary contact (must be a licensed funeral director)
• The names and unique email addresses of all licensed funeral directors at the firm

Members can verify or update their contact details by:

• Calling their NFDA Member Services Representative at 262-789-1880
• Updating their profile at NFDA.org/My-Profile

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org. 

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Media Contact: Jessica Koth, NFDA, 262-814-1536, JKoth@NFDA.org