I am honored to be the new AFSA Board president for 2025/2026. Another fantastic convention has come and gone with great guest speakers, lots of information sharing, high attendance numbers and a sold out banquet. I hope everyone enjoyed the change with moving the AGM from the Saturday morning to the Friday!
AFSA was a part of my life long before I became a funeral director, as I attended provincial and national conventions as a child with my family when my father served on the AFSA and FSAC boards. I am proud to continue the legacy of both my father and all the funeral professionals before me who have given of their time and energy to be a board member. As a group, we are all fortunate to work alongside other talented individuals who bring passion and dedication to everything they do.
Although we are sad to say goodbye to former Past President Eden Tourangeau, I would again like to acknowledge the 9 dedicated years he spent on the board. Thank you very much, Eden! I would also like to welcome our new board member Quinn Furey. We look forward to the experience and perspective he will bring.
As a board, we look forward to collaborating with our member funeral homes and building on our work with the different government entities, so that we can continue to serve our families well and efficiently. As funeral professionals, we may be direct competitors in certain geographic areas, but the challenges we can overcome push us to innovate and grow stronger and better together. As an example, since the convention three weeks ago, we have already had a follow-up meeting to see what AFSA can do to help push forward the technological advancement on the Funeral Benefits portal. Please keep sharing your experiences, both positive and negative, so that we can share with Funeral Benefits, Public Trustee, OCME, Vital Stats and other relevant areas.
I am excited to connect with you at our upcoming events and look forward to a full year ahead. Thank you for the support you give the board and the work we are doing.
Kirstie Smolyk, President
Alberta Funeral Service Association