DEERFIELD, Ill. — May 1, 2017 — Selected Independent Funeral Homes has announced the appointment of new Board Members to lead the world’s oldest association of independently-owned funeral homes. Selected’s Board Member Appointment Committee chose the new Directors who, together with the newly-elected Officers, will be installed later this year at the 99th Annual Meeting, Sept. 10-13 at the Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago.
Arthur I. Erickson of Beecher & Bennett Funeral Service in Hamden, CT will represent Group 1. Erickson is a third-generation funeral director licensed for 32 years and is proud to have two sons licensed and working at his firm, which has been a Selected member since 1921.
He attends Annual Meetings, is a member of the Selected Study Groups Program and served on Selected’s Preferred Partner Selection Workgroup. He has been President of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association and served on the NFDA Policy Board. He is currently on the Board of the Evergreen Cemetery Association, is Treasurer of the Greater New Haven Funeral Directors Association and is active in numerous other professional and civic organizations.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve as the Group 1 representative and look forward to working with members as well as the Selected Board and Staff,” said Erickson.
Jake Johnson of Menke Funeral Home & Cremation Center in Sun City, AZ will serve as the new Group 6 representative. Menke Funeral Home has been a Selected member since 2008. Johnson describes Selected meetings as “enlightening and opportunities for forward-thinking discussions”.
While he is the Owner/General Manager of Menke Funeral Home, he has been involved in all aspects of funeral service including management of large cemetery grounds operations, technology, funeral arrangement/planning, accounting, finance, loan underwriting and more. He also is President and CEO of Johnson Consulting Group and FDMS Funeral Case Software.
“It is an honor to be associated with such a fine group of forward-thinking funeral operators,” said Johnson. “I look forward to contributing to the further growth and enrichment that the association provides to its members.”
The entire 2017 Board of Directors includes President Neil O’Connor, Laguna Hills, Calif., Group 6; Secretary-Treasurer Ann Ciccarelli, Saugus, Mass., Group 1; President-Elect Charles “Chip” Billow, Akron, Ohio, Group 2; Kim Farris-Luke, Abingdon, Va, Group 3; Secretary-Treasurer-Elect Lisa Baue, St. Charles, Mo., Group 4; Joe Jackson Jr., Laredo, Texas, Group 5, and Ex Officio Mark T. Higgins, Durham, NC., Group 3.
For more information on Selected’s programs, becoming a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes or to locate a member, visit selectedfuneralhomes.org or call 800-323-4219.
About Selected Independent Funeral Homes: Selected Independent Funeral Homes (www.selectedfuneralhomes.org) delivers innovative and pertinent resources, solutions and ongoing support necessary for enduring excellence to its international network of independently owned death-care providers who aspire to be the very best in their profession.
Members of Selected operate according to specific standards and best practices in order to provide the public with reliable, high-quality funeral services and funeral-related information.
2017 marks the organization’s 100th anniversary and a legacy of dedication and support to the death-care profession.
