Allen C.

Alexander

Summary
A skilled professional with extensive experience in caring for grieving families
. Equally capable of providing comfort and assistance to the bereaved and coord
inating the administrative details of the funeral business. Strong interest in
all phases of funeral service including pre-need, at need arrangements and funer
al directing as well as after care.
Strengths and Skills
Relating to Grieving Families Creative Problem Solving
Funeral Planning & Directing Organizational Skills
Officiating and Preaching at Funerals Account Management
Grief Counseling Business Acumen
Hospice Process Ministry Facility Management
Pre-Need Counseling Administrative Efficiency
Staff Training and Development Community Relations
Cohesive Team Building
Professional Experience
Waite & Son Funeral Homes - Brunswick and Medina, Ohio
1994 - present
Licensed Ohio Funeral Director, Embalmer, Notary Public, Insurance Agent, Certi
fied Funeral Service Professional (CFSP)
Served as Manager of the Brunswick branch of Waite & Son Funeral Home directing
every aspect of the business. This included funeral arranging and directing, su
pervising employees, managing accounting functions, database coordination, and m
arketing throughout the community. Accomplishments include:
* Funeral Directing: Personally arranged over half of the 1000+ funerals at the
Brunswick Chapel; embalmed 15% - 20% of the bodies; officiated and preached fun
erals for approximately 25 persons per year; among the staff wrote the greatest
number of pre-needs and had the highest dollar value of pre-needs; helped to s
et up the North Coast Cremation Company, designed all the office forms and proc
edures and performed cremations and processed cremains for return to the family
* Staff Development: Authored a new-hire packet, Employee Handbook, and Procedu
re Manual. Personally supervised the training of 6 interns and various staff me
mbers staff over a 15 year period
* Administrative Efficiency: Designed forms and brochures for every aspect of f
uneral service including First Call sheets, an arrangement conference reference
packet, all manner of office forms. Served as branch manager for monument and g
rave marker design and sales
* Office Management: Handled accounts receivable and payable, performed bookkee
ping with QuickBooks Pro and assisted the company accountant, supervised purchas
ing, maintained databases and compiled all funeral data and printed all necessar
y materials using The Director's Assistant computer program and other online for
ms including Ohio Death Certificates using IPHIS program
* Marketing: Served as the spokesman for the funeral home throughout the commun
ity. Activities included meeting with Hospice volunteers in training and Hospic
e children's grief support groups, speaking to church and civic groups, senior c
itizen, veteran and minister's groups, directed funeral home booth at the Brunsw
ick Annual Senior Fair, authored the monthly newsletter
* Community Involvement: member of the Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce; Pro
ducer and Co-Host of "Brunswick Business Focus", a monthly cable-TV interview pr
ogram as a service of the Brunswick Chamber from January, 1996 to the close of t
he show in February, 2002; participated in Hospice Bereavement Program for Child
ren and planned and directed the annual Holiday Help Program
SwissBank Records Center - Medina, Ohio, 1992-1993
Sales Representative - Worked with a team to develop a new commercial records ma
nagement and storage business as well as disaster recovery services. Conducted
individual and group seminars in records management and document preservation pr
ocedures; personally developed sales and serviced accounts; managed bar coding,
computer tracking, and retrieval of stored documents, micrographics and electro
nic media; directed all marketing activity.
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, 1971 - 1992
Roman Catholic Priest
Participated in all phases of parish life in assignments in inner city, suburban
, and rural parishes. Responsibilities included liturgical and spiritual develo
pment and pastoral ministry, counseling, religious program development and direc
tion, education, fiscal planning, fund raising, and supervision of the parish st
aff.
Assignments
Pastor
* St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church - Columbia Station, Ohio 1982 - 1992 Pastor and
Member of the Pastoral Team
* Our Lady Help of Christians Parish - based at Litchfield, Ohio 1976 - 1982
Member of the Pastoral Team
* Sacred Heart Church - Oberlin, Ohio 1975 - 1976
Pastor, Pro Tem
Associate Pastor
* St. Anthony Parish - Akron, Ohio 1974 - 1975
* St. Gregory the Great Parish - South Euclid, Ohio 1971 - 1974
Accomplishments
* Successfully developed and managed annual parish budgets. With significant pa
rishioner cooperation, paid down the parish debt at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton from
$ 450,000 to less than $ 75,000 in 10 years
* Directed and managed ministry programs with an emphasis on family life concern
s and strong parish community
* Taught adult, youth and elementary religious education classes. Founded and t
aught in a parish school of religion for the deaf
* Established a support group for separated and divorced Catholics
* Established a bereavement group for parishioners and community members
* Organized and led three parish outreach programs to Appalachian communities in
Lewis and Carroll Counties in Kentucky. Focused on housing improvement, teachi
ng life skills, and operating a Bible Study Camp for children
* At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, personally managed the construction of a 3,100 squ
are foot parish house and community center. Coordinated the efforts of an all-v
olunteer labor force of over 350 people. Responsibilities included building des
ign, construction planning, purchasing, budget control, coordination and supervi
sion of volunteers
* Worked with a team of eight to establish a new parish, Our Lady Help of Christ
ians, consisting of seven mission sites in large rural area of the Catholic Dioc
ese of Cleveland. Using collaborative team ministry concepts, worked to develop
seven vibrant communities, blending them into one cohesive parish
* Participated on the development of guidelines for both Parish Pastoral Council
s and Parish Financial Councils for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

Education
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland - Cleveland, Ohio
Ordained Roman Catholic Priest - 1971
St. Mary Seminary Graduate School of Theology - Cleveland, Ohio
Master of Divinity - 1974
Borromeo Seminary College of Ohio - Wickliffe, Ohio
Bachelor of Arts - 1967
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science - Cincinnati, Ohio
Associate of Applied Science (Mortuary) - 1994
Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice - Columbus, Ohio
Certified Funeral Service Professional - 1996
Continuing Education
Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice - 20 CEUs required every year;
current
Ohio State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors - 20 CEUs required every 2 y
ears; current
Ohio State Board of Insurance - 20 CEUs required every 2 years; current
Professional Organizations
National Funeral Directors Association
Ohio Funeral Directors Association
Ohio Embalmers Association
National Notary Association
Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice
Member of International Council of Community Churches with authority to perform
national and international religious ministries including bereavement and marria
ge ministries
References available on request