OGR Board OGR Installs New Board and Officers By Nancy Weil, OGR Member Resources Director Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the 2020-2021 OGR Board of Directors met virtually on April 21 by video conference for their quarterly board meeting and installed new board members and officers for the coming year. Mary Steele of Arnett & Steele Funeral Home in Pineville, KY was installed as OGR’s president. Tom Hemmerle of Barnett-Strother Funeral Home, Madisonville, KY transitioned to Immediate Past President, Evan Strong of Evan J. Strong Funeral Services in Calgary, AB as President-Elect and Paul Hummel, III of Hummel Funeral Home in Akron, OH as Secretary-Treasurer. solutions that will help their businesses and the families they serve post-COVID-19. Along with our members, we will rise beyond the pandemic and continue to set the standard for funeral service and charge forward to be the standard for the industry to follow.” “OGR is excited to have a board that covers so many geographical areas from coast to coast, from Canada to the US to the Philippines, from small towns to large cities,” said Interim Executive Director Mark McSweeney. “This diversity will provide unique insight and guidance to enhance OGR’s service to all of our members in the year ahead.” About 2020-2021 President May F. Steele The following members are returning to the Board: Raffy Jose of Arlington Memorial Chapels, Inc. in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines; Chris Miller of Thomas Miller Mortuary and Crematory in Corona, CA; Peter Urban, Jr. of Anton B. Urban Funeral Home in Ambler, PA; and Jamie Wieting of Wieting Family Funeral Home in Chilton, WI. Kim R. Hunter of Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles – Newbigging Chapel Ltd. in Toronto, ON, Canada was sworn in as first-time elected board member, serving a two-year term. After Mary was installed, she shared some of her plans for the Association as OGR President. “I’d first like to ensure we help our members come out of the Coronavirus pandemic successfully and help them thrive in their communities.” She continued, “Moving forward will continue to provide our members with 6 www.ogr.org | Summer 2020 Mary F. Steele, CFSP, CPC, CCO is co-owner of Arnett & Steele Funeral Home in Pineville, KY. She has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1991 and is both a graduate of nursing school and of Mid-America College of Funeral Service. Mary served as the first woman president of the Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky. Mrs. Steele brings a lot of experience to the Board having received numerous honors and awards including the NFDA Initiative Award (2007) and the OGR Community Service Award (2008). She also serves on the Advisory Board for Mid America College of Funeral Service, formerly served on the Southeast Community and Technical College Funeral School’s Advisory Board, and is a Certified Preplanning Consultant and Certified Crematory Operator. Mary has been married to Jay Steele since 1977 and they have a son; Jason (and Jessica), who works in the funeral home with her, and a daughter, Margaret, who is a Forensic Toxicologist with the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory in Baton Rouge, LA. Jay and Mary have granddaughters, Vian (16) and Nadine (14) and a 5-month-old grandson, Blaze, who keeps their lives active!
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