October, November, & December, 2021

Q4 eNewsletter 

 





         President's Note 
  

One step forward, two steps back. I wrote in the last quarter’s e-newsletter about my excitement for the return to normalcy and optimism surrounding our country’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, the delta variant disrupted some aspects of that recovery and has once again created old (and new) challenges. COVID-19 cases again were on the rise, but much lies ahead in the deathcare industry.
 
The final quarter of the year begins with National Funeral Director Association (NFDA) 2021 International Convention and Expo. Details are included below about when and where to find us in Nashville. It’s exciting to be able to once again see friends and colleagues at this event, and if you’re going, we’d love to see you in the Music City!
 
In this newsletter, please check out the spotlight on one of our newest employees, Matthew Brossette, in Employee Spotlight. He is a recently hired Clerical Assistant and we’re delighted to have him on board at FSI. Matt is studying toward an exciting future goal that you’ll learn about in his profile.
 
We’ve learned a few lessons while navigating the difficulties of the pandemic. But the adversity has also created several different new techniques to move forward into 2022. Please read some of the articles written by leadership in the quarter on technology and how innovations can lead the deathcare industry into the future
 
Finally, though 2021’s ups and down have felt like a rollercoaster at times, the New Year will be here soon and bring with it new hope. I believe that 2022 will be one of FSI’s best years ever and look forward to a great future ahead for this company and our country.

Sincerely,



Bill Williams
President and CEO, Funeral Services, Inc.
ICYMI:  NFDA Presence

In case you missed it, FSI is heading to Nashville for NFDA’s 2021 International Convention and Expo October 17-20. We’re looking forward to meeting up with our friends and colleagues from around the world, seeing familiar faces and hearing from experts on the issues that our industry faces heading into 2022.
 
During the convention, FSI will give a live demo of PRISM, our online trust recordkeeping and administration services platform. We will be demonstrating all the enhanced features, which include making the platform more mobile friendly, allowing clients to set up and process one-time and recurring consumer credit card payments online, and providing state associations the capability to process member checks and other forms of payment through PRISM.
 
If you are attending the conference, please stop by our booth (1638). We’d love to see you!

Regulatory Update.

As FSI continues to ensure that its clients remain in compliance with all deathcare laws and regulations, we also want to educate you on changes or little-known details within the industry that impact your business. 
 
Our general counsel and dear friends at WRW Legal share insights in each of our quarterly e-newsletters.
 
Ensuring the Handling of Veterans’ Cremated Remains is Lawful
Many experienced sellers of cremation services and crematories do not realize the jeopardy they place themselves in when they handle the cremated veterans in the same way as the cremated remains of non-veterans. Read more on the subject from WRW Legal’s Wendy Russell Wiener here.

How Much Do You Know About FSI?

Each e-newsletter, we share a service or resource that FSI provides to help ensure our clients and the industry understand the value we can deliver to them.

FSI can provide peace of mind to any client going through the regulating or auditing process. Laws and regulations can change frequently. FSI stays on top of any changes for you.  FSI provides detailed regulatory reporting and audit materials customized to the specific needs of clients and requirements of state law and regulators. No business enjoys being audited. As an FSI client, you will be provided with assistance to ensure that the regulator receives the information it needs so that your business will avoid significant disruptions. Learn more about our audit reporting representation here.
 

FSI in the News
During the second quarter of 2021, FSI executives and partners wrote several thought leadership articles that appeared in many of our industry’s leading publications. Here are brief summaries of the most recent stories featuring FSI:
 
Paul White On Transforming Your Preneed Program in a Post-Covid World
The pandemic has taught deathcare professionals several lessons on how embracing technology can better help serve families in need. In the latest issue of Catholic Cemetery Magazine, FSI’s Senior Vice President of Client Development and Marketing, Paul White, focuses on three ways that an increased digital approach can support the assistance Catholic cemeteries are providing to their communities. Learn more here.
 
FSI and Oregon Funeral Directors Association Contribute to American Funeral Director
In the latest issue of American Funeral Director magazine, FSI’s Bill Williams and WRW Legal’s Wendy Russell Wiener joined Oregon Funeral Directors Association leaders Wally Ordeman and Marc Lund in an in-depth Q&A about how FSI’s technology is helping OFDA members. Read more here.
 
Bill Williams On How Deathcare Technology Can Enhance Job Satisfaction and Firm Culture
Today’s new technology can help state associations improve their Frontline and back-office employees are the heart and soul of every successful funeral home or cemetery, but do they have the necessary digital tools to provide first-class service to your families? In the July issue of The Director, FSI President & CEO Bill Williams highlights three ways to enhance employee job satisfaction and company culture through effective trust and sales program administration and technology. Read more here.
 
FSI Employee Spotlight

 


Matthew Brossette

Client Services
Clerical Assistant
FSI is made up of a dedicated team of experienced professionals who work each day to provide you with excellent service. Each individual brings an important skillset that assists us in powering your trust and sales programs. To help you get to know the FSI team better, we shine a spotlight on one employee or department each quarter.

Matthew Brossette is a recent hire at FSI, filling the role of Clerical Assistant. In the position, he is helping to organize all payments and contracts that come in by mail. He’s also responsible for initial entry for receipts and transmittals, scanning payments from coupon books and depositing payments into the correct bank accounts.
 
In addition, he’s been training to become an Azure administrator. He has completed several courses at Computer Tutors, training toward joining the I.T. Department in the future. He’s currently studying to take the Azure Administrator certification exam in pursuit of that goal.
 
One reason Matthew says he joined FSI is because of the great opportunity for a stable career to help support his growing family. He and his wife, Kimber, currently have a 3-year-old child, Jace, and they’re expecting another baby soon. He has seen the care that FSI offers its employees and the workplace culture.
 
Matthew worked most recently in the service industry, cooking for the last ten years.
 
Outside of work, Matt’s free time is split between playing with Jace, playing online games, and enjoying television, movies and baseball games with Kimber.

Calendar
Important FSI Dates to Remember:
 
October 17-20, 2021
2021 NFDA International Convention & Expo
Nashville, TN

Visit Us at Booth #1638!

November 11, 2021
Veteran's Day

FSI offices will be closed in observance of Veteran's Day

 
      November 25-26, 2021 
Thanksgiving

          FSI offices will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving.
 
        December 23-25, 2021 
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
         FSI offices will be closed in observance of Christmas.
 

  December 31, 2021
 New Year’s Day

FSI offices will be closed in observance of New Year's Day.

Copyright © *|2017|*|Funeral Services, Inc.|*| All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:

Funeral Services, Inc.
Post Office Box 13407
Tallahassee, FL  32317
(800) 749-1340


You can unsubscribe from this list
Facebook
Twitter
Website
LinkedIn