BROADVIEW, IL January 2, 2024 – Pierce Colleges of Funeral Service (“PMC”) is pleased to announce the Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Joseph R. Finocchiaro, CFSP as the new Chief Executive Officer and President. Mr. Finocchiaro was recently appointed President of the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and will continue in that role.
Mr. Finocchiaro has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for over 15 years. During his time as an active professional, he was ranked nationally by Greystone Associates for his excellence in funeral directing while working at a subsidiary of the prestigious Anderson-McQueen Family of Funeral Homes of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Mr. Finocchiaro began his educational journey at Miami Dade College (“MDC”) and taught in both the traditional and distance education classrooms as a lecturer and clinician. He assumed leadership of the funeral service education program at MDC in 2014 and oversaw curriculum development, enrollment processes, and program efficiency. Towards this goal he earned certifications in both curricular design and effective teaching practices and leveraged his learning to improve student retention and program completion rates. As part of his passion for education and reaching students, he created a YouTube channel dedicated to the reinforcement of funeral service instruction and regularly live streams to assist students and talk with industry peers. His articles have been published in national funeral service publications, and he has appeared on industry podcasts.
In 2023, he was elected President of the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), the national accrediting body for funeral service education. Prior to that he served the organization as Secretary/Treasurer and on the ABFSE Curriculum Committee.
“I am honored and humbled to have been given the opportunity to steward a world class educational organization like Pierce Colleges,“ said Mr. Finocchiaro. “As a clinician, lecturer, and administrator I bring a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of both practical funeral service practice and funeral service education to my new role. Because of this, I’m able to engage effectively with all stakeholders of our organization from students to board members, and from instructors to administrators. This will allow me to evolve our institution as our student population and their needs evolve.”
About Pierce Colleges of Funeral Service.
Pierce Colleges of Funeral Service has been a national leader in funeral service education for over 54 years. The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas, Texas, Mid-America College of Funeral Service in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Stonecrest, Georgia have produced licensed funeral professionals who work throughout the United States. PMC offers a world-class education in both traditional on-campus classes as well as the distance education classroom. All three schools are accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, an agency recognized by the United States Office of Education. Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, and Mid-America College of Funeral Service are single purpose institutions offering both degrees and certificates in funeral service education. For more information about the colleges or their programs, please visit https://www.pierce.edu/ or call (888) 547–9600.
