Our Board Members
Sue Mackey
(2022)
President
Sue is a Certified Thanatologist, serves as a member of the Ethics Consult Team at Boulder Community Hospital, is trained as an end-of-life guide, has worked as an admissions counselor for hospice and is certified in dementia care. She has extensive experience in creating effective medical directives. She also possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding today’s funeral industry and is a guide in illuminating the myriad, often confusing end-of-life options. For fun she hosts Death Cafes! Sue joined the Board in 2019, having been an FCSC member for several years. Sue took over as President in 2020 when Jill Ross resigned her position as President.
Jill Ross
(2020)
Vice President
Jill is familiar with the funeral industry; before FCSC, she was previously the Outreach and Education Manager for a family owned funeral company in Colorado. While serving on the FCSC Board the past two years, she has demonstrated her passion and advocacy for the FCSC mission, presenting many Outreach programs and drawing in many new members. Jill was elected as President in 2019. Due to her full time job in management and leadership at a Sr. living community (and due to the covid-19 Pandemic), she resigned as President. She remains on the FCSC Board.
Jim Taylor
(2021)
Treasurer, Information Services
Jim has a background in accounting and computer work; he is also Treasurer of the National Square Dance Association, and is actively working on re-imaging square dancing. He is a Mason and a Shriner---was Denver's "Shriner of the Year for 2013". Jim has been on the Board since 2006, and has been the Treasurer since 2007. He is retired, but a full-time volunteer for many organizations.
Marilynn Manzutto (2021)
Secretary
Marilynn worked as death investigator in a coroner’s office for more than a decade; she then transitioned and is now an End-of-Life Doula with focus as a Death Educator, Home Funeral Guide, and Grief Recovery Specialist. Marilynn is also a member of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (Region VIII) and is Secretary for the National Home Funeral Alliance. In both her professional and personal relationships, she seeks to empower individuals to be their most authentic self by removing barriers and inspiring opportunities to discover personal truth and expression.
Anthony Bowerman
(2019)
Membership Services
Anthony was born and educated in England. He came to the US in 1971. After a 40-year career as a geologist in the international mining business he retired in 2001. Anthony has been on the Board since 2004 and takes care of all matters related to the membership.
Jan Eccher
(2019)
BOD Education, Telephone Secretary
Jan spent nearly 32 years with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, involved specifically with vital records of Colorado. Her knowledge of the vital statistics and funeral regulations and laws is a valuable asset to FCSC. Much of her pastime is spent on genealogy and writing family history. She has been a Board member since 2003, and served as President of FCSC for 16 years. She is now the phone Secretary and in charge of Board Members Education, which includes pertinent Colorado legislative bills.
Andy Sweet (2020)
Co-Director of Outreach
Andy comes to the Board shortly after his retirement from his practice of clinical psychology. He is also an artist, a sculptor, an avid outdoor lover, a traveler and enjoys cooking, jazz and gardening. He brings to the position a passionate interest in consumer education and a desire to make the discussion of death matters more commonplace in our culture.
Judy Taylor (2019)
Media (Newsletter, Webmaster)
Judy has written and edited numerous articles and newsletters over the years, and is known for her many photographs of Shrine activities and square dancing. She is a past teacher, and worked in the Counseling Psychology field. Judy joined the Board in 2007, and has done the Newsletter since 2007. She started this website in 2014; her title is now called "Media". Her hobbies: Most crafts, glass jewelry, & photography.
Jennifer Bishop (2020)
Outreach Presenter
Jennifer is a Colorado native. Her passion is to help the aging population and advocate for their rights. She's writing a workbook to help with funeral planning so no one else ever has to go through the frustration and confusion she did. Jennifer is one of our Outreach presenters.
PAST BOARD MEMBERS, ADVISORS & VOLUNTEERS
Stephanie K. Schacht
(2023)
Stephanie Schacht grew up in Wisconsin with a lovely family. She attended Smith College in Northampton, MA. Stephanie loved ski racing for the college and that passion took her to New Zealand and then to Colorado. She went to law school at DU - Sturm College of Law. She has three amazing children who are young adults now. She has her own estate planning practice and is a certified end of life doula. Stephanie is passionate about educating and helping people with comprehensive plans to aid families and loved ones in stressful moments of life.
Carolyn Tillquist (2023)
Secretary
Carolyn is a retired Infectious Disease physician. Carolyn and her husband, Rick, have raised two children who have both just completed graduate degrees. Carolyn is particularly interested in End of Life Issues, having observed the shortfalls of current practices during her medical career. She volunteers with The Denver Hospice, has a certificate in Advanced Care Planning, and is an advocate for Physician Aid in Dying through Compassion and Choices.
Em Putnam
Advisor and Consultant
Em spent 33 years as a Teacher, College Advisor and then Registrar at an independent school in Massachusetts. When she resigned, she became a Technical Writer for the US Navy and then a columnist for a local weekly newspaper. She became a member of the FCSC Board in 2012 and had been Secretary for all meetings since then. Em is now retired from the Board, but is still an active advisor and writing consultant.
Barbara L. Wagner
Barbara is the Research Librarian at The Access Point, serving clients’ information needs since 1980. She had a 50-year career in specialized libraries, most recently at the US EPA National Enforcement Investigations Center. She is a Colorado “semi-native” and a long-time member of the FCSC. She helped publicize its services to the public, and brought educational items to the Board.
Grant Steffen
Grant came to Denver from Illinois, and after a 27 year career in internal medicine in Denver, he became a Medicare Medical Director (13 years), retiring in 2003. He acquired an M.A. in Philosophy in 1987, specifically in Medical Ethics. Grant is the former Vice President of FCSC, and was the Outreach Coordinator.
Larry Clarke
Volunteer Advisor
Larry has been a member of the Funeral Consumer Society for more than 25 years. He served as the FCSC as telephone secretary from 2011 to 2016. Larry is an active advisor, attending meetings as his business allows. He is employed as a licensed realtor with Equity Colorado Real Estate.
Lewis Dunlap
Lew was a retired Unitarian Universalist Minister. He was also a retired U.S. Air Force Chaplain. In the early 80's, he was a co-founder of Hemlock Society in Colorado, which later was re-named nationally as Compassion & Choices. Lew retired from the Board in 2017.
Stewart Fleisher
Volunteer Advisor
Stewart is an estate attorney, who is an active member of FCSC, and was on the Board 14 years. He has spoken at numerous Annual Meetings (including the May 2014 meeting) on Colorado rules, regulations and new tax laws related to estate planning. See a summary of his speech on the Annual Meeting page.
Nancy Persons
Volunteer Advisor
Nancy has been a member of this organization since it was started back in 1963. She was a Board member for over 16 years, serving as the Vice President until retiring from the Board in 2014. Nancy was FCSC's Outreach Presenter, and gave many talks free of charge to groups in the community.
Lura Williams
Past Secretary
Lura joined FCSC in March of 1997, then became a board member in 2003-2012. She was Secretary for 9 years - 3 terms. She is still active in the organization. See her picture with Stewart (on the "Photos & Videos" page), taken at the 2016 FCSC Annual meeting.
Ross Getchell
Retired from the Board as of 5/2/15
Ross joined the Army in 1948, was wounded, but upon recovery returned to duty at the 104 Grave Registration. After military service, he was with the New York Police Academy and an FBI school in N.Y. He worked at the V.A. in Denver, and served with the government for 36 years. Ross had a special interest in helping veterans. Ross died in 2016.
FUNERAL CONSUMER SOCIETY OF AMERICA
FCA is the parent organization of Funeral Consumer Society of Colorado. The FCA Web site address is: www.funerals.org
Josh Slocum
Executive
Director of the Funeral Consumer Society of America
Josh Slocum as been the Director of FCA (the parent group of FCSC) since 2003. He has a background in journalism, and has co-authored the book, "Final Rights", dealing with funeral information. Slocum lives in Vermont, and was the featured speaker at FCSC's 2014 Annual Meeting (see a summary of his speech on the Annual Meeting page).