Inside Edition

September 30, 2026

Empowering Connections | Elevating Practices | Together in Service

2026-2027 Officers and Board of Directors

We officially installed our 2026-2027 executive officers and Board of Directors at this month’s Appreciation Night event in Framingham.

President: Gary Toye (pictured)

Executive Committee: John J. Vincent Jr., First Vice President; John K. Arena III, Second Vice President; Patrick T. Saunders, Secretary/Treasurer; Stephen F. Gemelli, Immediate Past President; Margretta L. “Maggie” McNally, Past President.

Board of Directors: Lauren Campbell, William B. Chapman Jr., Jay Czelusniak, James L. Delaney, Kurt Eckstein, Nicole M. Faggas, Paul A. Hardy Jr., Jeff T. Koopman, Steven Leonard, Francesca Raymond, and Caroline Sullivan.  

We also recognized three members who this year completed their terms as members of the Board of Directors: Ricardo Jean Charles, Yesenia Aguliar, and Matthew Mulhane. We also acknowledged Brian Folsom, who departed the Executive Committee after his service as a member of the Board and as President.

Executive officers and members of the Board of Directors are installed at our annual Appreciation Night event in Framingham.

Colleagues of Gary Toye gather to celebrate his installation as MFDA president. 

Members Celebrate Licensure and Business Anniversaries!

The Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association recognized individuals and businesses for reaching milestone anniversaries for licensure and years in service. Those individuals honored at our 2026 Funeral Service Appreciation Night event in Framingham were:



Licensure Anniversaries

10 years, John W. Congdon of the Keohane Funeral Home in Quincy

10 years, Corinne Leary of the Keohane Funeral Home in Quincy

20 years, Stacy Marie Sabia of the Stanetsky Memorial Chapels in Salem

25 years, Alyssa H. Boyko of the Beers & Story Funeral Home in Palmer

25 years, Cicely Carter of the Richardson Funeral Home in Leominster

30 years, Crystal L. Champigny of the Beers & Story Funeral Home in Palmer

30 years, Jeremy Poshkus of the Callahan, Fay & Caswell Funeral Home in Worcester

35 years, Elizabeth A. Amodeo of the Chelmsford Funeral Home of Chelmsford

35 years, Dino C. Manca of the J. S. Waterman Langone Chapel in Boston

35 years, Lawrence E. Sylvia of Hathaway Funeral Service in Fall River

40 years, Mary R. Aveni of the Cartmell-Davis Funeral & Cremation Service in Plymouth

40 years, Kim L. Perry of the Waring-Sullivan Cherry Place Funeral & Cremation Service in Fall River

40 years, Theresa Poule of Chapman Funerals & Cremations of Mashpee

40 years, Gary F. Toye, Stanetsky Memorial Chapels in Canton

41 years, J. Brian McSherry of the Marchand Memorial Homes in Worcester

45 years, John J. Vincent Jr. of the Cartmell-Davis Funeral & Cremation Service in Plymouth

50 years, Glenn F. Campbell of the Campbell Funeral Home in Beverly

50 years, (posthumous) Richard S. Mansfield Jr. of the Miles Funeral Home, Holden

60 years, Robert E. Schofield of Levine Chapel in Brookline

Business Anniversaries

65 years, Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel in Worcester

85 years, Richardson Funeral Home in Leominster

220 years, MJ Kelly Funeral Home in Lee

Join Us October 14 and Help Shape the Collaborative's Future

We invite you to help define what the Northeast Funeral Women’s Collaborative can become and how it can provide lasting value through learning, connection, advancement, and giving back. Rather than presenting a finished model, we want participants to contribute ideas, identify needs, and help shape the culture and purpose of this group from the beginning. Your feedback will help inform future programming and ensure the Collaborative grows in response to the real professional needs of women in funeral service. 

The Collaborative will meet Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at The Publick House, 277 Main St., Sturbridge, Mass. Participants will earn 3 CEUs. To register, click here.

Sign Up Now for the October 8 OSHA Training Session

Don't miss the last OSHA training session before license renewal, as an OSHA certificate is needed. Register for our Thursday, Oct. 8, training session at 2 p.m. via Zoom. This is a great opportunity for you and all of your funeral home employees to complete this one-hour training session. 

OSHA training is required for all renewals: licensed funeral directors, staff and apprentices, registered funeral home assistants, as well as other staff who may have exposure to blood, body fluids, and chemicals. You will need to upload your certificate for your license renewal.

For more information or to register, click here.

Share Information on Available Scholarships for Funeral Service Students

Do you know a funeral service student in your community or working at your funeral home? Help them out by passing along this scholarship opportunity. The Funeral Service Foundation offers more than 25 scholarships, ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, to be awarded this fall to students of funeral service and military veterans who meet the eligibility criteria. The deadline for application is November 1, 2026. For more information, click here.

License and Registration Renewal: Follow These Tips

All license renewals and registrations will only be processed online. There are no mail reminders or mail-in options. For more information, review the July 8 MFDA Member Update. Be sure to create your MyMassGov account and link it to your eLipse account. Learn more by clicking here.

Also, before you start your renewal, gather the following:

All licensees and registrants:

• A 2 x 2 passport-style photo. Need to get one? It's likely your local CVS, Walgreens, or U.S. Post Office offers that service in print and digital forms.
• Proof of bloodborne pathogens training. Haven't completed that yet? Click here.
• A notarized CORI authorization form downloaded from eLIPSE.  

In addition to the above, all Type 3 and Type 6 licensees must also have: 

• Proof of 8 hours of continuing education credits. Haven't completed any or all of your CEUs? We have the resources to help. See the article below about our CEU bundles.

In addition to all of the above, all Type 3 licensees must have:

• A copy of the firm's 2025 annual preneed report to upload.

Some more tips:

Funeral Assistants and Apprentices: Do not need to upload CEU certificates. They do need to upload OSHA. This will enable you to move forward and complete the renewal.

Municipal Certificates: For some renewal candidates, the system stops at this point if you do not upload a municipal certificate, and it's unclear why. Remember, this is only required for Type 3 licenses. If you are a FA, Apprentice, or a Type 6 and cannot move past this section, upload a statement that reads, "I am a (insert your license or registration type) and I am not required to have this document." This should enable you to move forward to complete your renewal.

Type 3s only - Municipal Certificates: This is your license issued by your local city or town and is required by statute. With that said, some municipalities are not issuing them on a regular basis or at all. If you have one, be sure to upload it. If not, upload a statement on your funeral home letterhead that reads, "The city/town of Anytown has not issued a license this year." (Note: The board is required to notify each city/town annually about the Type 3 funeral directors in that community.)

In Review Status: A few members are reporting that their renewals seem to be complete, yet they get a status update that it is "In review." This review status should not be more than two weeks, and most are cleared during that period, so keep checking. If it is longer, you should send an email message to the eLIPSE help desk with a copy of that to ePLACE_Helpdesk@Mass.Gov and Embalming.funeral@state.ma.us to record that you are following up and trying to resolve the issue. There are many reasons why a record is in review, and some are never clearly obvious.

Asked to provide an employment certificate: This is not required to renew your license, so to move forward if the system will not let you proceed, you can upload a statement that you are employed by a funeral home (state name, address, etc.). If you are not currently employed, simply upload a statement that says that.

2025 Annual Preneed Report: This is only required for Type 3 renewals. If you are not a Type 3, you do not need to access and upload the firm's report. If you cannot move forward, upload a statement that reads, "I am a Type 6 - or funeral assistant/apprentice - and I am not required to file an annual preneed report."

Having an issue with eLIPSE and can't link your license? You should open a case with eLIPSE. Log in to eLIPSE and click:

The linking will fail, and a form will pop up from eLIPSE that will let you request help.

According to the Division of Occupational Licensure, that's the best and most direct way for them to assist you.

The following How-to Guides offer guidance on the process:  

• Guides for eLIPSE
• Getting started, creating an account with eLIPSE
• Link your license

Need CEUs?

With busy schedules, work, and family commitments, completing your CEUs may still be on your to-do list. If that’s the case, with license renewals pending, now is the time to check that off.

When investing the time in earning CEUs, choose education that offers real value and information you can put to use in your professional practice. In collaboration with the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), we’re pleased to offer a seven-hour CEU bundle for just $12 per credit hour – $85 for the bundle.  It’s an affordable opportunity to complete your required education while gaining knowledge from a respected colleague within our profession.

The seven-hour bundle includes:

The Cremation Choice – 2.0 CEUs

Communication Skills Fundamentals – 1.0 CEU

Cremation Arrangement Conference Best Practices – 2.0 CEUs

Cremation Phone Shoppers: Your Best First Impression – 1.0 CEU

Presentation without Preservation – 1.0 CEU

A few important reminders:

• You will need to upload your CEU certificates to the eLipse system when completing your license renewal, so CEUs are mandatory!

• The eighth CEU hour should be OSHA training. Learn about or register for our October 8 session.  

To access this special seven-hour bundle offer, click here.

The Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association is the professional community for funeral directors. We are the recognized voice and resource for information on issues affecting the funeral service profession and the bereaved communities we are honored to serve in the many cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth. Together, we leverage our experience, expertise, and influence to anticipate and address issues, build skills, develop practical solutions to business problems, and set the standard for quality service and ethical practice. MFDA represents 290 funeral homes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is the largest representative organization of funeral service professionals in New England. In 2025, our members provided services for over 41,000 families, and during that same period, over 2,000,000 people visited our member funeral establishments. We are a chartered state association of the National Funeral Directors Association and a founding member of the Northeast Funeral Service Partnership, along with the state associations of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. MFDA was awarded the 2021 Organizational Excellence Award by the New England Society of Association Executives for our work serving bereaved families and communities in Massachusetts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This email newsletter and any attachments are meant for the exclusive use of the intended recipient or addressee. The information provided in this newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Readers should consult a qualified attorney for advice regarding their specific legal situation. You are receiving this newsletter because you are a member of the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association. Please notify MFDA of your correct email address to ensure that you promptly receive MFDA communications. Please review your membership information on our website at www.massfda.org and notify us of any changes to your membership profile or company listing. This newsletter is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Questions and comments about MFDA's Inside Edition may be directed via email to insideedition@massfda.org or by calling 781-335-2031.