What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I am a Consumer Member and currently the Chair of the Advisory Council. 

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council since it’s inception in 1997.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I taught a course in Consumer Protection which included information on the death care industry. I was also appointed by the Governor to serve on the Cemetery Task Force, which gave rise to the Cemetery Advisory Council. I also served on the Consumer Council of Maryland for twenty four years.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I serve on the Council to help ensure that the consumer's voice is heard and not taken advantage of by death care industry.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I am currently a For-Profit Representative-Cemeterian on the Advisory Council to the Office of Cemetery Oversight.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council since it’s inception on 1997.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I have been a licensed mortician for more than fifty years and currently manage, together with my siblings, our family-owned funeral business that is celebrating its 65th anniversary. My other responsibility is to manage, as President and Responsible Party, King Memorial Park, the largest African American owned and operated cemetery in the Eastern United States.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I was very involved in the formation and legislative creation of the Office of Cemetery Oversight for the State of Maryland, to be a regulatory consumer advocate for those seeking fair business practices when arranging for the final disposition of a loved one. When the office was established, I was honored to be appointed as one of the first members of the Advisory Council and have been one ever since.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of Crematory Representative on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council since 2019.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I am a licensed mortician, and supervising mortician at BAILEY Funeral Home and Cremation Service, PA as well as a certified crematory operator. I have served in the funeral profession for 12 years.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I found it beneficial to serve on the Advisory Council in order to maintain the relationship between funeral work and cemetery/crematory work. As these two vocations collaborate, the communication and understanding of both professions is imperative to serve consumers effectively.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of Consumer Member on the Council.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council since 2019.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I have worked on Council policy and most recently with fellow Council member David Zenner on programs for returning citizens to provide maintenance for neglected and abandoned cemeteries.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I serve because this is information that we prefer not to think about, but the knowledge I have gained and the ability to share the information from our meetings can empower all of us during our death care experiences. 

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of Non-Profit Representative-Cemeterian on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council since 2016.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

My experience of involvement is in every aspect of the cemetery business.  I have sold lots, laid off graves for funerals, handled the actual burial at times, laid off new areas for burials, laid off locations for the placement of memorials and have actually help in the excavation of a grave.  As an Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent, I have recorded burials by hand and then by a cemetery database.  I've held Board meetings for our Board of Directors, kept minutes, and kept financial records that our accountants required over the years for yearly audits. I've helped families make decisions on burials and tended to their needs at the most difficult time of their lives.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I found it beneficial to serve on the Advisory Council in order to maintain the relationship between funeral work and cemetery/crematory work. As these two vocations collaborate, the communication and understanding of both professions is imperative to serve consumers effectively.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of Religious Representative on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council since 2019.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I started in death care back in 2011 and graduated from the ICCFA University in 2015. Employed by the Redemptorists Father's, as the Cemetery Director. I manage six of their properties located in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

As an ordained Deacon in the Catholic  Church, caring for the deceased is very fulfilling and an honor. I enjoy being on the Cemetery Oversight to pass on my knowledge and experience to other, so Marylanders receive the highest level of care for their loved ones.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of For-Profit Representative-Cemeterian on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council since for over 5 years.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I have been employed by Service Corporation, the nation’s largest funeral and cemetery company for more than 30 years holding various positions in both sales and operations on both the local, as well as, regional level. I also have served on the Howard County Cemetery Advisory Preservation Board as the Cemetery/Funeral Representative for more than 10 years.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I serve on the Office Of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council to assist the Executive Director and act as a resource to better understand the role that “for-profit” cemeteries play in the State of Maryland.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of For Profit Representative-Cemeterian on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council for 8 years.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I have worked for Moreland Memorial Park Cemetery for 29 years. I am fortunate enough to be with the same family-owned cemetery for my entire career. Throughout my time here, we always extend that experience to families in need with sensitivity and care.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I serve on the Advisory Council to not only share my knowledge and expertise; but, to acquire that of my peers. Serving on the Advisory Council allows me to connect with others in the industry and ensure we are doing what best serves the death care industry.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of Monument Company Representative on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council for more than 20 years.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I have grown up in the death-care industry; I am the 5th generation in the monument business and my son (Walter IV) is the 6th since 1897. I have been designing and manufacturing monuments for over 50 years and the first monument I ever carved was when I was about 8 years old. I get satisfaction out of helping families during one of the most difficult times in life, the loss of someone they loved. I have received many letters and phone calls thanking me for helping them during this difficult time and for making it much easier for them; this is what makes my job so satisfying.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I serve on this Advisory Council to help protect the rights of families to have a choice of where they make a monument or marker purchase. I want to be sure that families will be able to purchase directly from a monument manufacturer and deal directly with the ones that will be carving and cutting their monument or marker.

What position do you currently hold on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council?

I hold the position of Consumer Member on the Office of Cemetery Oversight Advisory Council. I have previously also held the position of Religious Representative.

And the number of years you have been involved?

I have been a member of the Council for 14 years in total.

What experience do you have in the death-care industry?

I am the founder and recently retired Executive Director of Kavod v'Nichum, (Honor and Comfort), which has worked to restore to Jewish death and bereavement practice, the traditions and values of kavod hamet (honoring the dead) and nichum aveilim (comforting the bereaved) since 2000. I am also the co-founder of the Gamliel Institute, a center for leadership training and advocacy of traditional Jewish practice in the continuum of care at the end of life since 2010. Kavod v’Nichum is the only non-profit organization in the United States and Canada that focuses solely on education and advocacy of Jewish traditions around dying, death, funerals, burials, cemeteries, grief and mourning.

I am the Gamliel Institute’s lead author for its first three courses – Chevrah Kadisha, the Holy Society; Taharah and Shmirah; and Education Strategies. I research and write the course material, including extensive historical, text and political analysis. I have written numerous articles on Jewish traditions around death and mourning. The institute has taught over 200 students and 30 have earned a Chevrah Kadisha Certificate.

For the last 20 years, I have been coordinator for the annual Chevrah Kadisha and Jewish Cemetery Conference. Since its inception in 1998 and for 20 years, I edited and managed the website "Jewish Funerals, Burial and Mourning."

I teach workshops on Jewish traditions and practices that relate to death and dying throughout the United States. My teaching includes workshops for individuals and training for existing or evolving Chevrah Kadisha groups.

My newest project – PRINCE - Preservation and Restoration Initiative for Neglected Cemetery Entities matches cemeteries that need labor with prisoners eligible for work release.

As co-Vice-President of the Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington, I participate in developing citywide contracts with funeral homes.

Why do you serve on the Advisory Council?

I serve because the Maryland Advisory Council on Cemetery Operations provides a setting for a lively exchange of challenges and innovations in the cemetery field.

As we enter the Fall Season of 2022, we often reflect on how quickly summer passed, and we move to the busy back-to-school season, soon followed by the winter holiday season. Our team continues to improve the licensing process for the over 260,000 licensees we support across 25 professions and occupations. With technological advances, we continue to expand our online resources, allowing licensees to apply and renew licenses at any time of the day.

Our experienced customer service team is expanding and available to assist our licensees during regular business hours, as we understand that not all questions can be answered online. Each day we continue the mission of O&P “To help foster economic growth by assisting our customers in a timely, professional manner while protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public by assuring that our licensees have met a standard of expertise”.

This newsletter has all of the the meeting and contact information for the Office of Cemetery Oversight. If you need assistance or have questions, please do not hesitate to utilize these resources.

Go Ravens!

My best,

Gregory J. Morgan

Commissioner