Our Board Leadership
Committed. Engaged. Moving Us Forward.
The Board of Trustees is made up of men and women from across the profession whose participation is based solely upon a belief in – and a commitment to – the Foundation’s mission of lifting up grieving communities by investing in people and programs that strengthen funeral service.
Each member of our board leadership team may serve up to two three-year terms. In accordance with Foundation bylaws, at least 60% of the Board of Trustees must be licensed funeral directors and maintain membership with the National Funeral Directors Association.
2026-27 Funeral Service Foundation Executive Committee
L-R: Immediate Past Chair Jeff Smith, Treasurer John Faulk, Chair Bryant Hightower, Chair-elect Jimmy Lucas, NFDA Liaison Ellen Wynn McBrayer.
“I’m honored to serve as Chair of a Foundation that does so much for funeral service and the families our profession serves. I’m grateful to our outgoing trustees for their leadership, and I look forward to working alongside our trustees to keep lifting up grieving communities.”
BRYANT HIGHTOWER
2026-27 Foundation Chair
Hightower Family Funeral Homes
2026-27 Funeral Service Foundation Board of Trustees
Bottom Row L-R: Carmalita March-Harris, Dan Moloney, NFDA Liaison Ellen Wynn McBrayer, Treasurer John Faulk, Immediate Past Chair Jeff Smith, Chair Bryant Hightower, Chair-elect Jimmy Lucas, NFDA CEO Christine Pepper, Doug Gober, Leili McMurrough.
Top Row L-R: Kathy Kelley, Jenn Parvin, Matt Outcalt, Jimmy Altmeyer, Will Bischoff, Russ Weeks, Tyler Anderson, Carlos Quezada, Melissa Loose.
Not Pictured: David Hernandez, Michael Soper.
2026-2027 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
BRYANT HIGHTOWER*
Chair
Hightower Family Funeral Homes
Carrollton, GA
JIMMY LUCAS*
Chair-elect
Lucas Funeral Homes
Hurst, TX
JOHN FAULK
Treasurer
Service Corporation International
Houston, TX
JEFF SMITH*
Immediate Past Chair
Smith Family Funeral Homes
North Little Rock, AR
ELLEN WYNN MCBRAYER*
NFDA Liaison
Jones Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory
Villa Rica, GA
JIMMY ALTMEYER*
Altmeyer Funeral Homes
Virginia Beach, VA
TYLER ANDERSON
Precoa
Portland, OR
WILL BISCHOFF
Homesteaders Life Company
West Des Moines, IA
DOUG GOBER
Foresight
Kenner, LA
DAVID HERNÁNDEZ*
Jersey Memorial Group
Old Bridge, NJ
KATHY KELLEY
ASD
Media, PA
MELISSA LOOSE
Security National
Salt Lake City, UT
CARMALITA MARCH-HARRIS*
March Family Funeral Homes
Baltimore, MD
LEILI MCMURROUGH*
Worsham College of Mortuary Science
Chicago, IL
DAN MOLONEY*
Moloney Funeral Homes
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY
MATT OUTCALT*
Global Atlantic Financial Group
Batesville, IN
JENN PARVIN
Batesville
Batesville, IN
CARLOS QUEZADA*
Carriage Services
Houston, TX
MICHAEL SOPER
Legacy Funeral Group
Houston, TX
RUSSELL WEEKS*
Weeks’ Funeral Homes
Enumclaw, NJ
CHRISTINE PEPPER
NFDA CEO
NFDA
Brookfield, WI