Allan Adams
Mr. Adams has served on the Board of Directors since 1995. He is the former owner of Adams Funeral Homes in Ralls, Crosbyton, and Lorenzo, Texas. Mr. Adams is dedicated to seeing FDLIC become the leading provider of preneed services in the nation and preserving the value of traditional service. He enjoys serving on the board and getting to know FDLIC employees.
Mr. Adams is a member of the First Baptist Church, the Emma Masonic Lodge, and the Crosbyton Lodge.
Mr. Adams was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He attended Texas Tech University and is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Mike Branon
Mr. Branon has served on the Board of Directors since 1989 and currently holds a seat as a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Branon's father, Tom Branon, was one of the original founders of FDLIC. Mr. Branon's mission is to serve the public to the best of his ability through FDLIC as well as through Branon Funeral Home.
Mr. Branon is a funeral director and the owner and operator of Branon Funeral Home in Lamesa, Texas. He is also a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, the National Eagle Scouts Association, and the Epsilon Chapter of Pi Sigma Eta, an honorary funeral service fraternity.
Mr. Branon is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Jack Cypert
Mr. Cypert has served on the Board of Directors since 1989. He is the owner and President of Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home in Snyder, Texas. Mr. Cypert is pleased to be an active member serving on the board. He feels that the funeral industry is an important part of the American way of life, and he is pleased that Directors Investment Group and FDLIC are leaders in the industry.
He has served as the President of the West Texas Funeral Directors Association, is a member of the Lions Club and has served on the City of Snyder Planning and Zoning Commission.
Mr. Cypert attended Southwestern State College in Weatherford, Oklahoma and also served three years in the United States Army Security Agency. Mr. Cypert is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Jerry Edwards
Mr. Edwards has served on the Board of Directors since 1985. He is the former owner and operator of Edwards Funeral Homes in Ranger, Strawn, and Eastland, Texas. His mission is for FDLIC to be the best, most-respected provider of service to the funeral industry.
Mr. Edwards has served as Master of the Strawn Masonic Lodge and as President of the Ranger Lions Club and the Ranger Chamber of Commerce. Currently, he is a deacon at First Baptist Church in Ranger, a member of Ranger and Strawn Masonic Lodges and of the Gordon and Strawn Lions Clubs.
Mr. Edwards is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Mark France
Mr. France has served on the Board of Directors since 2002. He is dedicated to making Directors Investment Group (FDLIC's parent company) and its subsidiaries the best in the industry, and the best they can be.
Mr. France began his work with FDLIC as a consultant in 1982 and later joined the company as a Vice President and Chief Actuary in 1990. Mr. France has been a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries since 1978 and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries since 1979. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a mathematics degree.
Robert Hamil
Mr. Hamil has served on the Board of Directors since 1998 and currently holds a seat as a member of the Executive Committee. He became a licensed funeral director in 1986 and owner of Hamil Family Funeral Home in Abilene, Texas in 2005. His passion is to help his community in times of need when death occurs in the family. He feels it is more than simply a job that being a funeral director is a calling to help one's fellow man. He is honored to serve on the Board of Directors and proud to be a part of completing the mission of this Company. Mr. Hamil is a member of the West Texas Funeral Directors Association, the Texas Funeral Directors Association, and the National Funeral Directors Association. He is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Jeff Harper
Mr. Harper became a member of the Board of Directors in 2008. He was born and raised in the funeral business, and became a licensed funeral director in 1986. Mr. Harper feels that funeral service is a ministry to others and that as a funeral director, he is able to help a family by carrying some of the burden of grief during a time of need. Mr. Harper is pleased to see this sense of service to others transcending to FDLIC through our "Helpers of People" programs.
Mr. Harper is currently the funeral home manager at Johnson's Funeral Home in San Angelo, TX. He began working at Johnson's Funeral Home in 1976. Mr. Harper is a former board member of the West Texas Boys Ranch and a previous chairman of the board. Mr. Harper is a graduate of Angelo State University and of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Bill Harper
Mr. Harper has served on the Board of Directors since 1983 and currently holds a seat as a member of the Executive Committee. He is currently Vice President of Directors Investment Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. He has served as President of Johnson's Funeral Home and the Chamber of Commerce in San Angelo, Texas. He currently acts as a consultant to Johnson's Funeral Home and has been on the Board of Directors of the West Texas Funeral Directors Association. He has also been a member of the Rotary Club for the last thirty-nine years. He attended Howard Payne College and is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Jay Kelly
Mr. Kelly has served on the Board of Directors since 1990. Prior to retirement, he served as funeral director and co-owner of Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home in Odessa, Texas. Mr. Kelly is committed to continuing to serve families by providing the best service and products in the industry through FDLIC and its sister companies. Mr. Kelly attended Tarleton State University and Baylor University. He is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in Dallas, Texas.
Mike Lemons
Mr. Lemons has served on the Board of Directors since 1988. He is a former owner and President of Lemons Funeral Home in Plainview, Wood Dunning Funeral Home in Plainview, and Wallace Funeral Home in Tulia, Texas, and he is the former Secretary and Treasurer of Parklawn Memorial Gardens in Plainview, Texas. Mr. Lemons was proud to serve his community before retiring and now continues to serve families by ensuring that FDLIC is providing the best possible products and services.
Mr. Lemons served as the past President of the Panhandle Funeral Directors Association, as a board member of the Texas Funeral Directors Association for two terms, and as a member of the National Selected Morticians. Mr. Lemons was named the Texas Funeral Director of the Year in 1996. He graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor's degree in Business.
Darrell Rains
Mr. Rains has served on the Board of Directors since 1988. He started in funeral service in Snyder, Texas in 1966. He is the former owner of Rains-Seale Funeral Home in Ballinger, Texas, which he operated for twenty-three years and currently stands as a consultant to that firm. As a member of the board, he has watched the remarkable growth of FDLIC in the years since its inception, and he is amazed at the progress that has been made, even with the ups and downs in the industry. He is proud to work toward the Company's mission to be the best, most-respected provider of service to the funeral industry.
He is currently on the Board of Directors of First National Bank of Ballinger, Texas and is a Director at Large of the Texas Funeral Directors Association. Mr. Rains is a former President of the Texas Funeral Directors Association. He is currently a member of the Ballinger Masonic Lodge, the El Paso Scottish Rites Consistory, and the Suez Shrine Temple in San Angelo. Mr. Rains is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Kris Seale
Mr. Seale has served on the Board of Directors since 1986, holding a seat as a member the Executive Committee, and is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Directors Investment Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries, including FDLIC. Mr. Seale grew up in the funeral service profession as the son of a funeral director. Bill Seale, Kris Seale's father, was co-owner of Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home and in fact was a founding member and past president of FDLIC.
Mr. Seale is passionate about inspiring employees, counselors, and clients to succeed in all aspects of life, from their spiritual lives, to their personal lives, to their business and work life. He is also committed to serving funeral directors and clients by providing them with valuable services and excellent products through the Companies.
Mr. Seale currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Community Bank of Snyder and the Abilene Youth Sports Authority where he sits as Chairman of the Board.
He is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and a graduate of Baylor University.
Tommy Welch
Mr. Welch has served on the Board of Directors since 1988 and currently holds a seat as a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Welch is currently the owner and President of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home in Big Spring and Midland and of Gilbreath Funeral Home in Stanton, and Trinity Memorial Park in Big Spring, Texas. Mr. Welch's mission is to see that Directors Investment Group continues to grow and to be a viable company that serves the funeral industry. He believes that one of the most important things that he does as a funeral service provider and as a board member is serve families to the best of his ability.
Mr. Welch is a member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Practitioners, the Texas Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors Association, and a member and former board member of the International Order of the Golden Rule. Mr. Welch also served as past President of the West Texas Funeral Directors Association.
He attended Stephen F. Austin University and has an Associate's degree in Science at Howard College. He subsequently graduated from the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Ernest Welch
Mr. Welch is the single surviving founder of the Company. Along with Tom Branon, Bill Seale, and Melvin Storm, he founded Directors Investment Group and FDLIC in 1981 and has served on the Board of Directors since then. His mission is to provide funeral homes with products and services to help them increase their business and serve families to the best of their ability. He is the former owner and President of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home, Inc. in Big Spring, Texas.
Mr. Welch is a member of the Texas Funeral Directors Association, and served in the United States Air Corps during World War II. He is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.
Bob White
Mr. White has served on the Board of Directors since 1983. He is the President of White's Funeral Homes in Weatherford, Mineral Wells, Springtown, and Azle, Texas. Mr. White enjoys being a part of Directors Investment Group (FDLIC's parent company) and its Board and representing the needs and interests of funeral service professionals.
In 2009, Mr. White was recognized by the Texas Funeral Directors Association for 50 years of service in the funeral profession. He received his Bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance from North Texas State University. Mr. White is also a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science.