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Meet Your Board Member
A Q&A with ICFA Board Member
Thomas Van Buskirk, CCE
Manager
Linn Grove Cemetery, Greeley, Colorado
www.ci.greeley.co.us
Why did you choose the cemetery business?
I chose the cemetery industry for several reasons. First, and most important, it gives me great satisfaction to assist families through the worst possible times of their lives. My satisfaction quotient is fulfilled when, after an arrangement has been made or at the conclusion of a service, the family involved thanks me for making this a little easier.
Second, improving and upgrading the properties I have been associated with has always been a challenge and a motivation for me. I am very proud to say I have brought prominence to both Resthaven in Menasha, Wisconsin, and Linn Grove.
My philosophy is never to say "It's good enough."
What is the best experience you've ever had in your job?
I have had so many great experiences as a cemeterian it is hard to single out just one, so I will relate a number of the best and most notable. Starting with the most recent, I would have to say that being program chairman and hosting the 2002 ICFA Small Cemetery and Funeral Management Conference gave me a great deal of pleasure. I would categorize the meeting as a total success.
Other professional experiences have included serving on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Cemetery Association, the Colorado Association of Cemeteries and the ICFA.
Improving and developing Resthaven and Linn Grove, as mentioned above, also stand out as very satisfying.
However, the best experience by far is the feeling that I get when assisting our families in making the worst possible time of their lives a bit easier. I sleep very well knowing I have accomplished that charge nearly 100 percent of the time.
What was the most difficult, and what did you learn from it?
My most difficult and most embarrassing professional experience occurred only a few years ago. A Jewish service was called into our office -- in fact, I took the call. Up until that time, the same funeral establishment had served every single Jewish family to date, and I knew exactly what to expect as far as the size and type of casket.
Though I did ask the new funeral home what the casket configuration was, I assumed from my conversation with the funeral director that it was very much like those we had encountered in the past. With that information in hand, we proceeded to set the lowering device as in the past. I realized the casket was somewhat different in width, but I proceeded to lower it at the appropriate time in the ceremony. I quickly realized that the casket was not going to pass through the device.
What took minutes to correct seemed like hours to me, and I can't imagine the anguish the family must have been experiencing. Thank goodness the family was very understanding.
The moral is: Don't assume. We now require funeral homes to advise us of any unusual size variations.
What advice would you give to young people just starting out in this industry?
To me, the answer is extremely simple: You must be very sure this is the field you wish to dedicate your interest and life to.
The best start is from the bottom up. Even if you're born into the business, go out and do at least a summer's worth of work on the grounds. Try to operate every piece of equipment available. Walk the grounds, look around and ask yourself, "Is this the way it should be?" and if the answer is "no," fix it.
But most important, treat your families as you would want to be treated.
Don't be anything but yourself; families can see right through a phony, and being anything but sincere will backfire. And don't worry so much about the "bottom line." That will come automatically, if you do the right thing.
What do you see as the biggest benefits of ICFA membership?
I believe the greatest benefit to me personally is the educational opportunities offered through various conferences, schools and seminars the ICFA provides. Just as important is the networking the meetings afford the membership.
And naturally, the ICFA is the sounding board for legislative issues which can affect all our operations.
Why did you wish to serve on the ICFA board?
As a municipal cemeterian who has to adhere to very constrained budgets and tight operating procedures, I thought I might offer a new dimension to the ICFA leadership. But just as important was the fact that I thought I could give something back to an organization that has given so much to me.
What is the biggest challenge facing the industry, and how can the ICFA address it?
I think there are many challenges before us as an industry. First and most important is returning to personalization at its highest level. That includes the largest companies in the world to the smallest "Mom and Pop" operation in the country.
The idea of running families through our operations is kicking us right in the head, and we must turn that around. The idea of a funeral director or cemeterian saying, "I can turn a family around in 15 minutes," is antiquated and inexcusable. Consumers these days are knowledgeable and will not tolerate or accept any adverse treatment.
We seem to have a tendency to take one step ahead and five back. The only way the ICFA can make a difference in this respect is to offer more educational opportunities, including customer service case history examples.
And naturally, the ICFA is the sounding board for legislative issues which can affect all our operations.
What are your outside interests?
I very much enjoy cooking, socializing, giving parties and watching NFL football. I also cherish being with my friends and family no matter what the occasion. I even like my mother-in-law!
Who are your heroes/role models?
I consider my father to be my role model. He was such a hard worker and so persistent in getting things done right. Though not highly educated, he had more "street smarts" than any person I have ever met in my life.
I suppose my hero today is President Bush. The no-backing-down policy to conquer evil is commendable. We must protect our freedom.
If you could "do lunch" today with anyone in the world, living or dead, whom would you choose and why?
I'm sure 99 percent of those asked would answer "Jesus Christ." If one is a true believer, one does not need to know more than we already know, except maybe the date of Armageddon. One thing I would like to know is why Bin Laden hates us so much, then that would be the end of his lunch.
Copyright ICFA 2003
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