George R. Kelder Jr., CFSP
I’ve drafted the obituary for our industry. It simply reads:
“They saw the change coming. They knew it mattered. And they chose to do nothing.”
The good news? That obituary hasn’t been published yet. And we still have time to rewrite it.
Here’s a reality we can’t ignore: Last year 2,016 people graduated from accredited funeral service programs. But nearly one in five people never took a job in our industry.
That’s 373 trained people who could have been answering calls, serving families and shaping our future … but they’re not here.
At the same time, two major bills have been signed into law–measures that will change how we offer a new, innovative process to families and hopefully open the doors for more people joining our ranks.
We’re also at the end of a gubernatorial election race that will influence our industry for decades.
These are not side notes. They are the headlines.
And yet the collective reaction from our members? Mostly silence.
I’ll be blunt: if we treated the families we serve the way we’ve been treating our own profession, we’d be out of business.
But I’m here because I believe we can–and will–do better.
Investing in Ourselves
The Northeast Funeral Service Partnership launched initiatives to better prepare funeral directors for the realities of recruiting and managing staff across generations.
Over six months, participants from five member states–Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania–took part in our inaugural monthly 90-minute online seminars.
Of the 49 funeral directors who started, only 17 completed the coursework and earned the Certified Funeral Service Employer designation.
New Jersey stood out. Eight of the 15 participants from our state earned the designation, representing 47 percent of all who completed the program.
The remaining participants have until November 1 to complete their coursework, and then we will open registration for our newest offering aimed at funeral home employees.
We’ve also continued our Convention forum connecting interns and funeral directors with prospective employers–now in its third year–to help strengthen the workforce pipeline and providing valuable face-to-face time between potential employers and employees.
Legislative Challenges and Wins
Over the past 18 to 24 months, the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association has been deeply engaged in significant legislative initiatives.
Three major bills–two now signed into law–carry the potential to reshape our profession.
The funeral licensing bill was by far the most complex.
The original version, crafted by SCI/Dignity Memorial, was riddled with definitional problems that could have undermined seven decades of industry norms and blurred the lines between funeral service, cemeteries, and other entities.
Our approach was strategic:
- Remove the language that risked unintended consequences, specifically the term “arranger”
- Maintain comprehensive training in both the arts and sciences for both licenses
- Give interns the choice at registration to pursue licensure to perform or not perform arterial embalming
- Reduce the required number of embalming cases for licensure from 75 to 50
- Make the National Board Exam optional
- Keep managerial requirements tied to a full license to ensure proper oversight
While the current licensing system has served our traditional but declining demographic–for religious, cultural, environmental and philosophical reasons–an increasing number of funerals, more than 60 percent, now center around disposition without embalming.
The law allows pending licensees the choice of whether to pursue licensure for embalming (Practitioner of Mortuary and Embalming Science) or not (Practitioner of Mortuary Science), a model already adopted by 30 other states.
We believe that this new law neither diminishes licensure requirements nor lowers academic standards. Instead, it reflects a pragmatic approach to modernizing the law while upholding the values and standards of the funeral profession in New Jersey.
The standalone crematory bill is still alive and still a threat.
Working with the New Jersey Cemetery Association, we’ve opposed it as a solution in search of a problem.
There simply is no reason for non-funeral directors or non-cemeterians to open crematories anywhere they please.
The human composting (natural organic reduction) law could have been another loss for our profession if not for our intervention.
After extensive research and engagement with stakeholders and consultation with industry experts, it became clear that natural organic reduction needed to be defined and regulated as a mortuary process, not a form of final disposition by cemeteries, as NOR needs the oversight of licensed funeral directors, specifically trained in the complexities of handling unembalmed deceased human remains.
The bill just signed into law last week now includes environmental safeguards, family disclosure requirements and Board of Mortuary Science oversight. It is a model for other states considering NOR.
Strategic foresight and careful direction were essential in addressing these legislative challenges.
The Political Reality
In two months, one of two people will be our next governor. Whether you’re excited, disillusioned or rolling your eyes so hard you’ve given yourself a headache, one fact remains: Whoever wins will shape our professional and personal lives.
We have spent years earning respect at the Statehouse–not with nameplates, but by showing up, engaging and investing in relationships.
The truth is simple: Campaign contributions and face-to-face participation open doors. They create goodwill. They make it harder for lawmakers to ignore us.
As my late father always said, “You can either be in the room or be on the menu.”
Tools for a Modern Association
Since last Convention, we’ve launched Online Account Creation for the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund, allowing funeral directors the ability to set up accounts online right from the arrangement office, print paperwork immediately and fund accounts electronically, often within 24 hours.
Our user-friendly interface guides participants through the process step by step, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for both families and funeral directors.
Compliant and required paperwork can be printed in office at the conclusion of each prearrangement.
Families may safely and securely fund their account electronically with several clicks.
This process allows for account creation online without dealing with delays often caused by the post office that could jeopardize SSI/Medicaid eligibility.
Our Trust system continues to use the latest security protocols to protect your families' personal and financial information.
This digital choice ensures your prepaid funeral arrangements are in place and funded, providing comfort and reassurance to you and the families you serve.
Furthermore, consumers who already take part in the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund now have a new way of making additional deposits electronically.
These new optional features are sure to enhance your prearrangement experience with Funeral Planning CHOICES, making it easier than ever to start, fund and make additional deposits.
We’ve also rolled out the next phase of the NJSFDA app, following a successful contested election using this new tool.
We have added:
- Access to The FORUM articles
- Classified listings
- Convention schedules, maps and seminar materials
- And interactive tools for engaging with speakers and exhibitors
The app will feature a searchable member directory, making it easier to connect with each other directly.
Once the new directory is available, it will allow users to search by name or funeral home and connect with members through one-touch calling, email, in-app messaging and geolocation.
I encourage each of you to download the app and upload a professional headshot of yourself to help your colleagues match names with faces and strengthen professional connections across our association.
Where We Go from Here
The consumers we serve today are not the same as they were 20 years ago. They expect choice, convenience and authenticity.
The services we are asked to deliver are not as they were 20 years ago. They are typically abbreviated, with death today and memorialization somewhere in the future, with the majority rarely ending in burial or entombment.
We can meet those expectations without abandoning our values, but only if we are willing to engage in what the NJSFDA offers and adapt.
Think about the last time you worked with a family who felt powerless. You gave them facts, you helped them navigate decisions and you stood beside them.
Today, you are that family–but for the profession you’ve built your life around.
Two bills have passed.
The election is coming.
A new wave of graduates–many of whom may never join us–is already here.
The future is being planned right now, either with you in the chair or with you on the sidelines.
All I’m asking every member to do for your profession is what you do for grieving families every day: step in, get informed and help this newest generation of competent volunteer leaders act.
And should an obituary for our industry need to be written–50 or more years from now–with more engagement at the local level from the membership at large, I hope it reads:
"They saw the change coming.
"They knew it mattered.
"And they showed up.”