Leadership

Matt has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2014. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer with Singleton Funeral Service in Cedar Bluff, VA.  Born and raised in Big Stone Gap, Va., he is a native of Wise County, Va. Matt is a 2005 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, Ga., where he was inducted as a member of Pi Sigma Eta National Morticians Honor Fraternity. He is a past president of the Southwest Virginia Funeral Directors Association. He and his wife, Amanda live in Abingdon, Va. with their rescue dog, LuLu.

Market Director, Richmond / Virginia Beach Market, SCI

President, SCI Virginia Funeral Services, LLC

Paul started his apprenticeship at Woody Funeral Home in May of 1986.  Over the years Paul served as Intern, Funeral Director, Primary Arranger, Location Manager, General Manager and Area Manager.  Paul was promoted to Market Leadership in October of 2003.  Paul now oversees 11 Funeral Homes and 12 Cemeteries serving approximately 6,900 families annually.

Wayne is a lifelong resident of the Roanoke Valley. He graduated from Andrew Lewis High School and has a Mortuary Science degree from John Tyler Community College. Before joining Lotz in April 2007, Wayne was previously employed with the John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home in Salem for 18 years and as a Communications Officer with the Roanoke County Sheriff’s Office. He served as Location Manager at the Lotz Downtown Location and took over as Managing Partner of the Lotz Vinton location in April 2012. Wayne has served as President of the Blue Ridge Funeral Directors Association and has served several terms on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Funeral Directors Association. He is also a member of the Salem Kiwanis Club and the Vinton Breakfast Lions Club. He has been married to his wife, Brenda, since 1974 and has three grown children. He spends most of his spare time with his six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Jay was born and raised in Harrisonburg Virginia.  He started his career in the funeral business in 2002 working for Kyger and Trobaugh Funeral Homes.  In 2003, he graduated from Turner Ashby High School and later in 2007 graduated from Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta.  During his year in Atlanta, Jay worked for Parrott Funeral Home in Fairburn, GA.  Upon returning home from school, Jay worked for Kyger Funeral Homes until December of 2011 when he first came to work for Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Homes.  Later, he joined the staff of McMullen Funeral Home where he remained until July of 2020.  In August of 2020 Jay rejoined the staff of Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Homes.

Outside of work, Jay enjoys following James Madison University Athletics and is a diehard Atlanta Braves fan.  He is also very active in the Shenandoah Valley Funeral Directors Association where he currently serves as President. He also serves as one of the community members of the Singers Glen Volunteer Rescue Squad Board of Directors.  Jay is also a member of the Academy of Funeral Service Practitioners, which is the highest level of achievement for Funeral Directors.  He received that designation in 2013.  He is also a Master Mason at Eureka Lodge #195 in Bridgewater.

He and his wife Amber live in the Singers Glen area of Rockingham County with their two dogs, Maddux and Chipper

“Being asked to go through the chairs of the VFDA was a tremendous honor.  As president, while we as an association have faced great adversity, I truly believe that the hard work put forth by the Executive Board and Board of Directors will strengthen this association for years to come.”

Margaret Adair Edie was born in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania she and her family settled in Stafford, Virginia in 1991. After she graduated from high school, Margaret continued with her education by becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked on the Palliative Care Unit at Mary Washington Hospital. Wanting to further her education, Margaret enrolled in the Mortuary Science Program at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama. She relocated back to Virginia and graduated in 2008 from John Tyler Community College. Margaret served her internship under the mentorship of Barry Murphy at Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington, Virginia. Once she completed her internship, she continued working with Murphy Funeral Home and grew as a director with high profile funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery and followed contract instructions from the US Army regarding services for active-duty soldiers and the repatriation of remains found from past wars. She was also involved with multicultural services and community outreach, becoming a licensed funeral director in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

In 2011, Margaret met her husband, Brion Edie who was stationed at Fort Myer Army Base as a medical with the Presidential Guard. They were married in the spring of 2013, and in October 2014 they welcomed their only child, Mea Marie. Wanting to establish roots, Margaret and Brion decided to relocate their family to the Richmond area and moved to Chesterfield, Virginia in 2018. Margaret gained employment at Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service and over time became the General Manager. In 2022, Margaret had the opportunity to purchase Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service, where she plans to continue the vision and legacy of the previous owners.

Margaret enjoys spending time with her family and their new dog, Grace, who is training to be an additional comfort dog at Morrissett. The Edie family enjoys cookouts, spending time with friends and family, working in the flower garden, creating unique arts and crafts, and international travel. They are members of Meadowbrook Country Club where Mea Marie has joined the swim team and has plans to go to the Olympics when she grows up. Margaret is the current President of the CDFDA and a member of the VFDA and NFDA. She is the President of the Shepherd’s Center of Chesterfield, where she has an active role with planning for and assisting the 60+ community of Chesterfield.

Daniel L. Chapman started his career in funeral service 24 years ago when he joined Johnson Funeral Service in Bridgewater, VA as an apprentice. After graduating from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in February 2002, he rejoined the Johnson family in March of 2003. Daniel currently serves as the manager of the Johnson’s Grottoes location.

Daniel has served as President of the Shenandoah Valley Funeral Directors Association and currently holds the office as Treasurer. Daniel also serves the Virginia Funeral Directors Association as a member of the Board of Directors and as the Chairman of the Professional Development Committee.

In his free time, Daniel enjoys boating and fishing the Chesapeake Bay, predator hunting, competing in competition BBQ events, and collecting mid-century modern furniture.

I graduated from John Tyler Community College in 2003 and served part of my apprenticeship at Bliley Funeral Homes, Richmond, VA. I am the co-owner of Combs – Hess Funeral Service in Lebanon, VA., a credentialed Church of God minister, and a member of the Abingdon, VA Masonic Lodge. I am also very proud to be a former underground coal miner.

I have been married to Vickie Hess for over 20 years and we have one daughter, Macie Hess.

Gregg Faulkner, Sr. is co-owner and president of Faulkner Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, with the Foster-Faulkner Chapel in Mathews, Bristow-Faulkner Chapel in Saluda, and Marks-Bristow Chapel in Tappahannock. Gregg is also co-owner and vice-president of Tri-County Vault Company, which serves funeral homes on the Peninsula, Middle Peninsula, and Northern Neck with high quality Eagle Vault products and services. In July of 2021, Gregg and his brother Billy also opened River Country Pet Loss & Cremation Center in an effort to provide pet families in their area the same dignity, care, and excellent service they strive to provide at their other businesses. Gregg is an ordained Minister and loves the opportunity to fill in when needed at several local churches. His hobbies are boating and fishing in the beautiful Piankatank River and Chesapeake Bay, and doing yardwork at his home. He and his wife Valerie, live in Cobbs Creek, Virginia.

Josh Arbogast has over 14 years of Graphic Design and marketing experience. He has a vast array of skills and has put those skills to work in many industries ranging from the fitness, power monitoring, medical, mortgage and banking industries. He says, “joining the VFDA is an amazing opportunity to help bring a refresh to the association, and help to drive the association to bigger and better things.” The new VFDA logo was a creation design of his, and we look forward to him helping us going forward. 

Josh is a life-long native of the Shenandoah Valley, grew up in Bridgewater, VA, and lives in Harrisonburg, VA. When not working, Josh likes to spend time with Trex, his Bernese mountain dog. He enjoys cycling and being outdoors exploring new places and sights. He also likes to build and restore furniture. “Designing, building, and being creative is something that drives me, and are just a few things that I am passionate about.”

“I look forward to helping the association in any way possible and am always here and open to having a conversation with anyone at any time.”

As a lifelong resident of Virginia, Jonathan was born and raised in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Jonathan’s career in funeral service began stationed at the piano in the chapel of the Peery & St. Clair Funeral Home in Tazewell, VA, where following his high school graduation in 2014, he served his internship. Jonathan attained his Associates of Science in Funeral Service from the Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, Georgia in 2017.

He joined the staff of the John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home in Salem, VA, in January of 2018. Since that time, opportunities for self-growth and gainful self-knowledge led him to the Blue Ridge Funeral Directors Association where he is the current president of the association.

His “enjoyments” in life aside from serving his community, are growing his in-home recording studio, waking his neighbors up in the dead of night by playing a piece from Rachmaninoff, and perfecting his Banna Pudding recipe, lastly, he is always prepared to crack the latest joke or pun circulating on Tik-Tok. He resides in Salem with his fur-children, Beau and Sophie.

Margaret Adair Edie was born in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania she and her family settled in Stafford, Virginia in 1991. After she graduated from high school, Margaret continued with her education by becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked on the Palliative Care Unit at Mary Washington Hospital. Wanting to further her education, Margaret enrolled in the Mortuary Science Program at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama. She relocated back to Virginia and graduated in 2008 from John Tyler Community College. Margaret served her internship under the mentorship of Barry Murphy at Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington, Virginia. Once she completed her internship, she continued working with Murphy Funeral Home and grew as a director with high profile funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery and followed contract instructions from the US Army regarding services for active-duty soldiers and the repatriation of remains found from past wars. She was also involved with multicultural services and community outreach, becoming a licensed funeral director in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

In 2011, Margaret met her husband, Brion Edie who was stationed at Fort Myer Army Base as a medical with the Presidential Guard. They were married in the spring of 2013, and in October 2014 they welcomed their only child, Mea Marie. Wanting to establish roots, Margaret and Brion decided to relocate their family to the Richmond area and moved to Chesterfield, Virginia in 2018. Margaret gained employment at Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service and over time became the General Manager. In 2022, Margaret had the opportunity to purchase Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service, where she plans to continue the vision and legacy of the previous owners.

Margaret enjoys spending time with her family and their new dog, Grace, who is training to be an additional comfort dog at Morrissett. The Edie family enjoys cookouts, spending time with friends and family, working in the flower garden, creating unique arts and crafts, and international travel. They are members of Meadowbrook Country Club where Mea Marie has joined the swim team and has plans to go to the Olympics when she grows up. Margaret is the current President of the CDFDA and a member of the VFDA and NFDA. She is the President of the Shepherd’s Center of Chesterfield, where she has an active role with planning for and assisting the 60+ community of Chesterfield.

Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Queens. Gary lived over a funeral home when he was 10 and then went to school to pursue his career. Gary has worked at funeral homes in NY and Portsmouth, VA , before settling in Northern, VA. He worked in Manassas for 6 years, Fairfax for 15 years, and has been with the Cunningham Turch and Mountcastle Turch for the last 7 years.

He enjoys watching NY Rangers Hockey, NHRA Drag Racing, and NASCAR.  A Past President and current member of Fairfax Host Lions Club, Member of Knights of Columbus, John Paul 1 Council.

He enjoys spending time with family and going on vacation.

Daniel L. Chapman started his career in funeral service 24 years ago when he joined Johnson Funeral Service in Bridgewater, VA as an apprentice. After graduating from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in February 2002, he rejoined the Johnson family in March of 2003. Daniel currently serves as the manager of the Johnson’s Grottoes location.

Daniel has served as President of the Shenandoah Valley Funeral Directors Association and currently holds the office as Treasurer. Daniel also serves the Virginia Funeral Directors Association as a member of the Board of Directors and as the Chairman of the Professional Development Committee.

In his free time, Daniel enjoys boating and fishing the Chesapeake Bay, predator hunting, competing in competition BBQ events, and collecting mid-century modern furniture.

For over 3 decades, Paul Whitten has been honored to serve families in the greater Lynchburg area through the funeral home that bears his name. Paul is a 3rd generation funeral director and from a very young age knew he wanted to follow his grandfather and firm founder, W.C. “Red” Whitten. He is a 1988 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral service, a certified cremation arranger, a member of the Virginia Funeral Directors Association and a past president of the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers. Paul and his wife, Marnie, are members of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg. They enjoy traveling and RVing with their two sons.

I graduated from John Tyler Community College in 2003 and served part of my apprenticeship at Bliley Funeral Homes, Richmond, VA. I am the co-owner of Combs – Hess Funeral Service in Lebanon, VA., a credentialed Church of God minister, and a member of the Abingdon, VA Masonic Lodge. I am also very proud to be a former underground coal miner.

I have been married to Vickie Hess for over 20 years and we have one daughter, Macie Hess.

Gregg Faulkner, Sr. is co-owner and president of Faulkner Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, with the Foster-Faulkner Chapel in Mathews, Bristow-Faulkner Chapel in Saluda, and Marks-Bristow Chapel in Tappahannock. Gregg is also co-owner and vice-president of Tri-County Vault Company, which serves funeral homes on the Peninsula, Middle Peninsula, and Northern Neck with high quality Eagle Vault products and services. In July of 2021, Gregg and his brother Billy also opened River Country Pet Loss & Cremation Center in an effort to provide pet families in their area the same dignity, care, and excellent service they strive to provide at their other businesses. Gregg is an ordained Minister and loves the opportunity to fill in when needed at several local churches. His hobbies are boating and fishing in the beautiful Piankatank River and Chesapeake Bay, and doing yardwork at his home. He and his wife Valerie, live in Cobbs Creek, Virginia.

Angie Bezik originally founded Principle Advantage Government Relations Group, LLC, a Hampton Roads-based public relations and government relations firm, in 2009. Angie develops and implements successful strategies for legislation, budget items and project coordination with an array of clients at the state and local level, including clients within the alternative/renewable energy, health, technology, and transportation sectors, and local government and quasi-governmental authorities. Additionally, she works with businesses and organizations to develop strategic plans to enhance their profiles, missions and branding by making introductions to appropriate businesses, government officials and staff, community leaders and organizations.

Angie started her political and public relations career as the Legislative Director for a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. After seven years, she was recruited by a prominent Richmond-based lobbying firm to run its Hampton Roads office.

Through her career, Angie has established solid relationships with local, state, and federal representatives, departments and agencies, and business leaders. She currently serves on the Virginia Beach Board of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce; the Hampton Roads Association of Commercial Builders (HRACRE) Legislative Committee; and the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO); and the Roanoke River Basin Association (RRBA) Board of Directors. In 2013, she was chosen to serve on Governor Terence R. McAuliffe’s Technology Transition Team and currently serves as Chairman of the Public Awareness Committee of Champions for Children Hampton Roads, a 501(c) 3 whose mission is to eradicate child abuse and neglect in the Hampton Roads region.

Terrie Dean, Certified Business Etiquette, and International Protocol Consultant, has been active for over 40 years in marketing management and special event planning for the travel and tourism industry. She received certification at the Protocol School of Washington under the direction of Ms. Dorothea Johnson; a world recognized authority in business and social etiquette. She received International Protocol certification under the direction of Jonathan Moeller, Protocol Advisor to the President of the United States.   

Ms. Dean, a life-long native of the Shenandoah Valley, opened The Wishing Well over 14 years ago in Harrisonburg, VA and currently serves as the Owner and General Manager. The Wishing Well brings a unique business model to Central Virginia that encompasses; full-service travel, event planning, and floral design, all located under a single roof. The Wishing Well’s travel division is aligned with Virtuoso – the world’s largest luxury network of by-invitation-only travel agency members.    

Ms. Dean has also held positions as Marketing Director and Public Information Officer for the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport and Manager of Franchise Development for Carlson Companies, Inc., a $33 billion dollar privately held Fortune 500 Company. She also has held management positions with offices of American Express and served as the travel and events coordinator for GE Fanuc (a global joint venture of General Electric and Fanuc USA). While at GE Fanuc, Ms. Dean received the “Outstanding Customer Service Award” and became the first outside vendor ever to receive this recognition.   

Some of Ms. Dean’s more recognizable clients have included: Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange, Sam Sheppard, Dave Matthews, John Grisham, and the legendary Mohammad Ali.      

Ms. Dean has functioned in the capacity of public relations liaison and served as an officer on numerous community service boards and committees. She has accepted public speaking engagements ranging from the topic of tourism to motivational topics, customer service and conducted classes for self-help.

Josh Arbogast has over 14 years of Graphic Design and marketing experience. He has a vast array of skills and has put those skills to work in many industries ranging from the fitness, power monitoring, medical, mortgage and banking industries. He says, “joining the VFDA is an amazing opportunity to help bring a refresh to the association, and help to drive the association to bigger and better things.” The new VFDA logo was a creation design of his, and we look forward to him helping us going forward. 

Josh is a life-long native of the Shenandoah Valley, grew up in Bridgewater, VA, and lives in Harrisonburg, VA. When not working, Josh likes to spend time with Trex, his Bernese mountain dog. He enjoys cycling and being outdoors exploring new places and sights. He also likes to build and restore furniture. “Designing, building, and being creative is something that drives me, and are just a few things that I am passionate about.”

“I look forward to helping the association in any way possible and am always here and open to having a conversation with anyone at any time.”