By Thomas A. Parmalee
If there were an entry in the dictionary under “kid destined to become a funeral director,” there’s a pretty good chance it would include a picture of Jay Dodds.
The longtime funeral service executive – who is currently the chief strategy officer of Park Lawn Corp. – has been named the Lasting Impact Award winner by the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association’s Educational Foundation.
At age 10, you could find Dodds on a John Deere mower, which he rode for hours tending to the grounds of Stromsburg City Cemetery in Stromsburg, Nebraska.
“I cannot imagine putting a 10-year-old on a mower these days,” he said.
His father, Orville Dodds, owned Victor Anderson Funeral Home as well as Dodds Furniture and Floor Coverings, and it was not uncommon for him to pull his son out of school, so he could engage in more important work.
“Many times, I was called to the office at school with the hearse sitting out front and I would have to join my dad or sister for a first call,” Dodds said.
When he wasn’t doing that, he was either shoveling snow or washing cars at the family business. “It was very important to my father that our business was in pristine condition – whether there was a scheduled service or not,” he said. “Since we lived in a rural area, I also assisted my brother and father with many of the day-to-day jobs around the funeral home.”
Indeed, death was always near the young Dodds, who developed a deep appreciation at an early age about what it means to provide comfort to others.
“We had a prep room in the basement of our furniture store and had all non-church related funerals in our home,” he said. “Many nights and days, we had visitations and funerals in our living room. Mom would load up the kids, and we would drive around until the funeral was over.”
Although the Dodds children may have disappeared for a short while, the desire to be of service and chip was a fire that burned strong.
Jay’s older brother, Doug, served as his father’s main helper – and today, he is a funeral director in Lincoln, Nebraska for Service Corporation international, Dodds said.
His older sister, Sandra Moore, was an emergency medical technician for the city, assisting her dad with transfers and helping around the funeral home.
And his mom, Betty, although not a licensed funeral director, tirelessly worked to do all that she could to help grow the business.
Dodds never seriously pursued any other career.
“Growing up in the funeral and cemetery business pre-destined me to this profession,” he said. “Even though I went to college seeking a marketing degree, I eventually found myself back in the profession as a result of my father’s influence and my passion for people and service.”
And just like his father, he’s become a success while remaining grounded with the support of his family.
“I am a proud father of four daughters and am happily married,” he said. “Lori, my wife, made it possible for me to spend as much time on the road building the business, as necessary. She truly is the wind beneath everything I do. My girls keep me busy, as they always have things going on. I stay very active … I enjoy fishing in either fresh or saltwater from my kayak. It is a good quiet break and allows me to mentally get away from the phone.”
On the Fast Track
Dodds has held a myriad of roles within funeral service, spending a 12-year stint at Stewart Enterprises, where he became vice president of operations, before joining Carriage Services, where he was chief operating officer for many years.
Later, he teamed up with J. Bradley Green to launch The Signature Group, which was ultimately acquired by Park Lawn Corporation, which he served as chief operating officer before transitioning to his current role as chief strategy officer.
Throughout his career, the values that his father instilled in him have been a guiding compass for Dodds.
“My father was the consummate professional when it came to serving families and greatly influenced my affection for the profession,” he said. “Growing up in a small town, each funeral service was an important event since we served mostly friends and family members, which further solidified my desire to ensure that each family, at their time of need, was cared for and served.”
Although his dad has been dead for 20 years, he remains Dodds’s primary mentor.
“I still draw upon his influence every day,” he said. “He instilled in me service above self and respect for the profession.”
Getting the chance to work at Stewart Enterprises provided him with a solid foundation to chase success, he said.
“Working there gave me a great education and appreciation for sales, both cemetery and funeral,” he said. “Working at a very large combination operation taught me the inner workings of both businesses and how to manage the workload of a large business. Stewart also gave me my first management job and allowed me to grow in responsibility of managing multiple locations. It was during this period of my career when I was able to really understand the day-to-day workings of the funeral and cemetery business from the ground level up. Whether it was waiting on families, embalming, first calls, running weed eaters, digging graves, or handling customer issues, the practical experience was invaluable and something that I’ve relied on throughout my career.”
Next, he’d spend 17 years at Carriage Services, where he gained the opportunity to lead a variety of businesses in all regions of the country.
“This allowed me to gain the understanding of how each business is different regardless of its geographical location,” he said. “This experience also provided me with a great appreciation for the relationship nature of our profession. I quickly discovered that the people who worked at and in the businesses were the key to success – and respecting each of their individual talents was paramount. Finally, Carriage taught me that this profession is a service business, and that profitability and service must go hand in hand.”
Just as important as any of that, however, is that it was at Carriage that Dodds met a man who would have a profound impact on his future: J. Bradley Green, who was the company’s executive vice president of strategic development and general counsel.
Together, the two men would make the decision to leave Carriage and start a company of their own, launching The Signature Group in 2012 with its first acquisition: Daniels Family Funeral Services, which consists of eight funeral homes in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Socorro, as well as three cemeteries and two crematories in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
“Brad was truly a blessing for me,” Dodds said. “We recognized each other’s strengths and more importantly, we understood the relationship nature of the funeral and cemetery profession. We felt that, with our respective experience and skills, we could offer a slightly different way of operating. We firmly believed that if we did not try to overcomplicate things and just remained honest and straightforward, we would be successful. Fortunately for us, Kevin Daniels was ready to sell his businesses in New Mexico and gave us a foundational opportunity to start The Signature Group.”
It was the start of a richly rewarding time – one defined by the learning curve always curving upward.
“Having the opportunity and privilege to do things the right way, according to a vision and purpose without conflicting agendas, was the best part of my ownership at Signature,” Dodds said. “I am a student of this profession, and the daily lessons were complex yet built a lasting experience.”
His journey of growth continued when Park Lawn completed its acquisition of Signature for about $123 million in May 2018. At the time, Park Lawn had no way of knowing that the two men would climb to the very top of the organization and ultimately broker a transformative deal to take the company private, with Homesteaders Life Company (by way of Viridian Acquisition) making a $250 million investment in Park Lawn alongside Birch Hill Equity Partners.
“The Park Lawn journey – both as a public company and now as a private organization – was just the next chapter in the book that has continued to be one of growth, learning and success,” Dodds said.
Steve Shaffer, president, CEO and board chair of Homesteaders Life Company, said he’s been honored to know and work around Dodds for much of his 30-year career in funeral service.
“For years, I’ve watched as he worked to move the profession forward, leading organizations including the ICCFA, the Funeral Service Foundation and operations at several national companies,” he said. “Jay is the consummate funeral professional, having driven exceptional service for families in several small, medium and large organizations, developing young professionals and building teams of great talent; innovating to serve families better and serving as a thought leader to the profession as a whole.” He continued, “Most recently, I’ve appreciated the chance to work closely with him again in conjunction with his key role at Park Lawn. Jay has a great sense of humor and is a great friend and colleague. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition!”
While he scoffs at the notion of being near done, in looking back at his career, Dodds said he’s always committed himself to making the profession better.
“Not complicated or overthought, I just wanted to make what we do more valuable to the communities we serve,” he said. “This thought process led me to larger companies, as I felt that I could impact more people with a larger platform. This singular mission drove my desire for more education and learning opportunities across the profession. If I have been able to help anyone grow in their professional acumen, that would be my proudest accomplishment.”
Praise from Throughout the Profession
The very fact that Dodds is being bestowed with one of the profession’s highest honors shows that plenty of people believe funeral service is a better place because of Jay Dodds.
“Beyond his business acumen, Mr. Dodds has been a dedicated advocate for the funeral profession,” said Gino Merendino, president of the ICCFA Educational Foundation. “His service includes leadership roles such as past president of the ICCFA, trustee emeritus for both the Funeral Service Foundation and the Educational Foundation, and a Pierce Mortuary Colleges board member. Through these roles, Jay has significantly contributed to advocating for best practices and ensuring the future growth of the profession through education.”
John Heald, general manager of the funeral home channel at Legacy.com and chair of the Funeral Service Foundation, called Dodds “a consummate professional and someone who I have looked up to since I came into the business.”
Watching Dodds’s professional growth has been nothing short of remarkable and inspiring, Heald said.
“As a quasi-entrepreneur myself, I’ve tried to surround myself with others that I can learn from, seek guidance and feedback,” Heald said. “Jay was always approachable and forthcoming with ways to help, learn and grow. Never boastful – he quietly went about his business and let his actions speak for themselves.”
Heald has fond memories of a trip he made to Houston last year, when he spent some quality time with his friend.
“We met for lunch, and never talked business,” he said. “We put some time aside to connect as friends in funeral service, talk about family, and what the future may hold. Jay is a very humble and generous person, not only with his time but also with his treasure too. His support, personally and professionally, has helped our profession continue to flourish.”
Jake Johnson, president and CEO of Johnson Consulting Group, thinks it was “an easy decision” to award Dodds with the Lasting Impact Award. “I would describe him as a hard-working and a kind individual who gives back to our profession, and he is a mentor to many,” he said. “His success is of no surprise to me given his resume and demeanor toward others. He certainly does and will have a lasting impact on this profession for many, many years.”
Jay Waring, president of Service Corporation International, said the impact of Dodds on the profession is “the absolute best.” He called Dodds “a consummate professional, a great leader and an overall class act who has given 110% to everything that he’s focused on.” He added, “Tens of thousands have benefited from his dedication, passion and care.”
Chris Cruger, CEO of The Foresight Companies, has known Dodds for almost 20 years, back to his days at Carriage.
“Jay Dodds is one of the one of the ‘good guys,’” he said. “He is a funeral director at heart who cares deeply about this profession.”
He added, “Jay has been a pioneer and maverick his entire career. He has started or helped build three of the most successful and respected companies in funeral service – Park Lawn, The Signature Group and Carriage Services. Along the way, he has given selflessly to the profession and the people that make it great. He has and continues to mentor some of the finest professionals across North America. Jay is a guy who takes a genuine interest in making others and the profession better. I bet there wouldn’t be a state convention he could walk into where he would not be immediately mobbed by a couple dozen smiling faces. Jay has that impact on others.”
Jim Price, a former Lasting Impact Award winner himself and the senior vice president of industry relations at Johnson Consulting Group, said Dodds has always been a catalyst for great conversations about our profession. “It never mattered where you came from, and it didn’t matter what association you belonged to,” Price said. “What always mattered was that we worked together for the good of our funeral service profession. His collaboration style and depth of experience and connections have resulted in significant contributions to the profession.”
He added, “Jay’s leadership was inspiring. He leads by always being approachable. He’s not about title and designation. He is about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact is about getting results.
Influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, all while continuing to inspire the next generation of leadership. Dodds always led his entire career in this manner. He is very worthy of receiving the 2025 Lasting Impact Award.”
Despite all the accolades from others, Dodds remains humble, noting that the best piece of career advice he has ever received is that hard work is the only thing that leads to success. “No matter what you do, there are no easy paths, and your hard work is part of the reward,” he said.
Asked about regrets, he says he has none.
“I made a lot of mistakes, but have learned from each of them,” he said.
As for winning the Lasting Impact Award, it’s a great honor, Dodds said.
“I am humbled to be recognized as someone that has practiced a path of lifelong learning and education and given back to the profession,” he said. “Words cannot adequately express my feelings to all the people that have helped and supported me during my career journey. I am deeply touched by this honor.”
And those people who have helped him on his journey are many, he said.
“Frank B. Stewart Jr. was instrumental in shaping my professional outlook, combining all facets of the business – cemetery, funeral, and sales – and teaching me how they all worked together to make a great business,” Dodds said. “Frank Sessions taught me how to structure an operating plan and to make sure the oversight and follow-up was designed to make the strategy work. I utilized the advice and lessons Frank taught me about organization and structure over and over in my career. J. Bradley Green, although younger than me, showed me how to critically think and look at decisions from different perspectives, usually yielding a somewhat different outcome.”
There have been numerous others who have taught him lessons, and Dodds appreciates every single one of them.
He’s also grateful for the friends and professional relationships he’s cultivated by being an active member of the ICCFA.
“Being both a cemetery and funeral professional, I cannot remember a time when I was not a part of the ICCFA,” he said. “From attendance at the University in the early 90s through the present day, the ICCFA has always been a valuable resource and part of my network. The association is special because its members and management care deeply about the entire profession, both funeral and cemetery – and the association advocates for the entire profession.” He continued, “Through education opportunities, resources provided and networking with peers, the ICCFA can provide you with an answer to any operational question you have about the profession.”
He’s also contributed his time, resources and efforts to helping both the ICCFA’s Educational Foundation and the Funeral Service Foundation achieve their goals.
“The opportunity to make the funeral and cemetery profession better begins with education and understanding the value proposition of what we do each day in our business,” he said. “Our consumers are human, and all humans have innate needs that can be met by what we do. Similarly, we can serve the needs of our communities more effectively by providing resources and education to those providing services. Both foundations tie these concepts together.”
The verdict is clear: In naming Dodds as the winner of the Lasting Impact Award, the ICCFA Educational Foundation is recognizing a career of excellence, compassion and leadership. His tireless efforts have shaped the profession, and his mentorship has paved the way for leaders that will follow in his footsteps.
Dodds will be honored with the award at the President’s Welcome Banquet on April 30th at the 2025 ICCFA Experience at the Mandalay Bay & Casino in Las Vegas.
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