Carriage Services Announces Executive Promotions Aligned with 2030 Vision and Long-Term Growth Strategy
On Jan. 16, Carriage Services announced a series of executive leadership promotions and appointments that reflect the company’s continued momentum and its deliberate efforts over the past several years to build a durable foundation for sustained growth.
Over the last three years, Carriage Services has focused on stabilizing the business, reinforcing its culture, improving performance, and restoring momentum. This work has positioned the Company to move forward with confidence, discipline, and clarity as it advances toward its 2030 Vision.
“These leadership moves are the result of intentional work to create the right foundation for sustainable, purposeful growth, and a culture of meritocracy,” said Carlos Quezada, vice chairman and CEO of Carriage Services. “As we move forward, alignment at the leadership level is essential to executing our strategy while remaining deeply committed to our culture and our Passion for Service.”
Effective Feb. 2, 2026:
- Steve Metzger has been promoted to president and chief operating officer, assuming responsibility for Operations, Sales, Marketing, and M&A, with a focus on alignment across execution and growth initiatives.
- Rene Negrete has joined Carriage Services as vice president of operations, bringing more than two decades of experience in sales, marketing, and operations leadership within the funeral and cemetery profession. Rene’s background in driving sustainable growth, building performance-driven cultures, and elevating customer experience further supports Carriage Services’ long-term growth ambitions.
- Sam A. Mazzu, III has been promoted to vice president, general counsel and secretary, continuing to lead Carriage Services’ legal function with a disciplined, partnership-oriented approach to governance and risk stewardship.
- Christine Ngo has been promoted to vice president of human resources, expanding her leadership role in developing people, culture, and performance excellence across the organization.
- Alfred White has been promoted to vice president of marketing, continuing to elevate Carriage’s brand, voice, and connection with families and communities.
In addition, John Enwright, chief financial officer, has assumed expanded responsibility with oversight of information technology and supply chain, further aligning financial discipline with the systems and infrastructure that support long-term value creation.
Negrete, Mazzu, White, and Ngo will join the Carriage Services executive team, reflecting the company’s belief that strong leadership across people, governance, brand, and operations is essential to delivering premier experiences.
“This new leadership structure directly supports Carriage’s three strategic objectives: Purposeful Growth, Relentless Improvement, and Empowered Partnership,” Quezada added. “They position us to scale responsibly, invest in our people, and consistently deliver meaningful experiences for the families and communities we serve, all in service of our 2030 Vision.”
With a clear strategy, a committed leadership team, and a strong cultural foundation, Carriage Services continues to move forward with confidence and intention.
American Academy McAllister Institute Celebrates 100 Years of Excellence in Funeral Service Education
American Academy McAllister Institute proudly enters its centennial year in 2026, marking 100 years since Dr. John McAllister revolutionized embalming education by bringing medical science to funeral service. As the industry evolves amid technological advancement, AAMI prepares compassionate professionals for AI-proof careers while maintaining a nearly 90% post-graduate employment rate.
AAMI’s history dates back to 1895, when Charles Renouard opened his Training School for Embalmers in New York City. By 1926, Dr. McAllister, who studied his profession across Europe and had performed over 10,000 autopsies as the city’s Acting Coroner’s Physician, established a school requiring rigorous study of anatomy, chemistry, and pathology. The 1933 founding of the American Academy of Embalming and Mortuary Research added research focus, culminating in the landmark 1964 merger that created AAMI.
“In 1926, Dr. McAllister believed that if doctors needed years of training to treat the living, those caring for the dead deserved equally rigorous education,” said Don Cymbor, president of American Academy McAllister Institute. “That principle guides us today.”
As workforce concerns about artificial intelligence intensify, AAMI has positioned funeral service as an AI-proof career. Recent Microsoft research data shows embalmers and funeral directors receive an AI Applicability Score of 0.03 out of 1.00 – ranking among the ten most secure occupations from automation. The profession’s reliance on physical dexterity, specialized technical skills, and deep human empathy creates a robust firewall against AI replacement.
“While AI is transforming many industries, funeral service remains fundamentally human,” Cymbor explained. “Our graduates enter a stable, meaningful career that cannot be automated.”
AAMI delivers comprehensive mortuary science education in an accelerated 18-month format, predominantly online to accommodate students nationwide. The institute maintains a nearly 90% post-graduate employment rate, with 89% of 2024 graduates securing positions in their field – demonstrating sustained demand for AAMI’s career-ready graduates.
“As we celebrate our centennial, we honor pioneers like Dr. McAllister and Charles Renouard who understood that serving families in their time of loss requires both scientific expertise and compassionate care,” Cymbor said.
For more information about American Academy McAllister Institute, its centennial celebration, programs, and graduate outcomes, visit www.aami.edu.
Former Michigan Funeral Home Owner Ordered to Face Embezzlement Trial
A former funeral home director from Huron County, Michigan will proceed to trial after a judge determined there was sufficient evidence to move the case forward, authorities announced.
Terry Alvin Kaufman, 72, of Bad Axe, has bee charged with one count of operating a criminal enterprise, two counts of embezzlement involving amounts between $20,000 and $50,000, five counts of embezzlement involving amounts between $1,000 and $20,000, and 31 felony counts related to the unlawful conversion of funeral contracts, according to a report in the Detroit News.
If found guilty, Kaufman could face significant prison time, including up to 20 years for the criminal enterprise charge. Each higher-level embezzlement count carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years, while the remaining embezzlement and contract conversion charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years.
According to prosecutors, Kaufman founded and ran Kaufman & Co. Funeral Home and allegedly misappropriated money paid to the business for prepaid funeral services and funeral insurance arrangements.
Investigators say he received nearly $193,000 but did not place any of those funds into required escrow accounts
Authorities allege that over a 10-year period, Kaufman diverted money from 55 individuals for personal use, including funding his own salary.
Fire Heavily Damages Georgia Funeral Home; Remains Safely Removed
A major fire broke out Jan. 19 at Cook Brothers Funeral Directors and Crematory in Fairburn, Georgia causing significant damage to the building and drawing a large emergency response. Thick black smoke from the blaze blanketed the area, prompting road closures.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation.
The funeral home’s owner, Pastor Tamarkus Cook, entered the burning building to ensure the safety of the remains entrusted to his care. All five individuals inside the facility were successfully removed and transferred to a local church, preventing any loss of the remains. One person was treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.
The fire caused heavy damage to the building, which Cook had helped restore in 2018, but he and his staff plan to continue serving the community despite the destruction. Neighbors and families affected by the fire expressed relief that the remains were safely recovered.
Authorities continue to investigate the origin of the blaze, and the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Read more and see photos and footage of the fire here and here.
Parents Sue Funeral Homes After Discovering Son’s Brain Returned with Personal Belongings
Roughly two weeks after their adult son, Timothy Garlington, died in November 2023, Lawrence and Abbey Butler went to a funeral home in North Philadelphia to collect his personal effects.
Among the items returned to them was an unlabeled white container that held a smaller red box that was difficult to open. The couple placed the box in their vehicle and drove home, leaving it there for several days. During that time, an odor developed inside the car, and liquid began leaking from the container. When the parents eventually opened it, they discovered it contained their son’s brain, according to a report in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The discovery prompted the Butlers to discard the vehicle, as Lawrence Butler later explained that the presence of his son’s remains in the car was unbearable.
The parents have since filed a lawsuit against Nix & Nix Funeral Homes in North Philadelphia and Southern Cremations & Funerals in Georgia, alleging negligence that caused them severe emotional trauma and psychological suffering.
Garlington, 56, was living in Georgia at the time of his death, which followed what his family’s attorney described as a catastrophic incident. Additional details about the circumstances were not disclosed. The Butlers are represented by Atlanta attorney L. Chris Stewart of Stewart Miller Simmons, as well as Philadelphia attorney Samuel Anyan of Wapner Newman.
According to the complaint, Garlington’s body was initially taken to Southern Cremations & Funerals following his death. However, his mother requested that he be buried in Philadelphia, a city he considered his home throughout his life, despite residing elsewhere.
The lawsuit states that Garlington’s body and remains were later transported to Nix & Nix Funeral Homes, along with the white box that was eventually returned to his parents.
A representative for Nix & Nix said the matter had been fully reviewed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors but declined further comment. Public records from the board do not reflect any disciplinary action taken against the funeral home. Southern Cremations & Funerals did not respond to a request for comment.
It remains unclear why Garlington’s brain was removed, why it was placed in a container, or how it came to be returned to the family with his belongings, according to Stewart.
Former Sunset Mesa Funeral Home Operators Seek Second Resentencing
The former owners of Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, Colorado, who were convicted in a wide-ranging body parts fraud case, are asking a federal court to resentence them for a second time, according to a report in The Daily Sentinel.
Attorneys for Megan Hess have filed a request seeking another resentencing hearing, arguing that the court should consider her post-conviction rehabilitation and should not apply a sentencing enhancement based on the presence of a large number of vulnerable victims.
Hess and her mother, Shirley Koch, received federal prison sentences of 20 years and 15 years, respectively, in January 2023. The sentences stemmed from their involvement in a scheme in which Sunset Mesa Funeral Home sold body parts to research organizations and other buyers while misleading families about how the remains of their loved ones were handled.
Court records show the pair were also accused of deceiving families by providing cremation remains that did not belong to their relatives, falsifying documents, and withholding key information from purchasers of the body parts.
Hess owned the funeral home, while Koch worked there as an employee. Both pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud after being indicted by a federal grand jury in 2020.
Hess’s most recent appeal argues that the first resentencing process was flawed because the court failed to properly weigh her rehabilitation while incarcerated. Her attorneys contend the court did not follow appropriate procedures by disregarding evidence of her conduct and progress during imprisonment.
Get more details in the full report.
CANA’s 2026 Cremation Symposium to Explore AI’s Role in Deathcare
Artificial intelligence isn’t just the next tech-world buzzword – it’s already changing how funeral professionals work.
At the Cremation Association of North America’s 2026 Cremation Symposium, the “AI Panel Discussion” is your chance to get ahead of the curve. This Feb. 25-27 in Las Vegas, you can hear from leading voices in technology, law, and innovation when they share real-world applications, cautionary tales, and practical tools you can start using now.
If you’ve wondered how AI can save time, reduce errors, and enhance the personal touch families expect, this is the discussion you can’t afford to skip. Learn what’s possible today – and what’s coming next – from experts who are shaping the future of deathcare.
Moderated by Lara Price, shareholder in Pappas Grubbs Price law firm and CANA legal counsel, the panel will feature: Curtis Funk, founder and CEO of Tukios; Lauren Pettine, a Florida-licensed attorney with WRW Legal, PLLC, who focuses her practice on regulatory deathcare law; and Kris Yee, co-founder and CEO of Prelude.
Together, these panelists will bring a balanced approach of optimistic ideas and cautionary tales for AI-curious funeral professionals.
Get the scoop about how AI is being used in death care – and what you should know about using it in your business. Register for CANA’s 2026 Cremation Symposium Feb. 25-27 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino: cremationassociation.org/future.
