LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. – April 29, 2024 — Selected Independent Funeral Homes’ Board Director Appointment Committee has chosen Daniel J. Kochapski of Carmon Community Funeral Homes in Windsor, Conn., and Brad Pingel, of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors & Crematory in Pampa, Texas, as Selected’s incoming Board Directors. Kochapski will serve Selected’s Group 1 region. Pingel will serve the Group 5 region. Kochapski and Pingel will officially take office during the 2024 Annual Meeting at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa this September.
Daniel Kochapski has been a licensed funeral director for 10 years, including three years with a corporate-owned firm. Through involvement with Selected’s Board of Directors, he looks forward to sharing ideas and best practices with his independent-funeral-service colleagues. “It is an honor and privilege to be appointed to the Selected Independent Funeral Homes Board of Directors,” said Kochapski. “I am ecstatic to be part of the Selected Board team and look forward to the opportunities ahead to help shape the future of funeral service.”
Brad Pingel is owner, funeral director and embalmer at Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors & Crematory. Pingel currently serves as chairman of a Selected Study Group. He served the city of Pampa for 16 years as Commissioner and Mayor. His nonprofit Wheel Times, Inc. offers sporting events to children and young adults with physical disabilities. He has also served on the executive board for Texas Municipal League and Texas Lions Camp. In 2017, the Panhandle Funeral Directors Association honored Pingel as Funeral Director of the Year. After being selected as an incoming Board Member at Selected Independent Funeral Homes, Pingel said, “I’m excited that I was selected. . . . I’m eager to jump in and help where I can.”
The entire Board of Directors includes President Eric Trimble – Moline, Ill., Group 4; Board Chair John Kepner – Huntersville, N.C., Group 3; President-elect Tom Antram – Albuquerque, N.M., Group 5; Board Chair-elect John Keohane – Quincy, Mass., Group 1; Christopher Waite – Medina, Ohio, Group 2; J. Sheridan Lee – Garner, N.C., Group 3; David Moore – Mason City, Iowa, Group 4; and Barbara Risher Welch – Montebello, Calif., Group 6.
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.
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About Selected Independent Funeral Homes: Selected Independent Funeral Homes 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 to provide the public with reliable, high-quality service and funeral-related information.
