OUR AFFILIATIONS
Our Affiliations
The staff members of Lord & Stephens Funeral Home are very active in both community and professional organizations. Here is just a short list of the local, regional and national groups where we put our time and energy.
Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia
James Johnson, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, recently became a member of the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia, an association that promotes the profession through education advancement and mutual improvement.
Georgia Board of Funeral Service
In 2014, Tom Lord was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to the Georgia Board of Funeral Service. Tom served on the board until 2020. The Board governs licensed businesses and individuals, adopts rules and regulations, and oversees the standards of funeral service within the state.
Georgia State Board of Cemeterians
In 2020, Tom Lord was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to the Georgia State Board of Cemeterians. The Georgia State Board of Cemeterians is charged by law with regulating the practice of perpetual care cemeteries, merchandise dealers, preneed dealers and preneed sales agents. The Board is authorized to approve licenses, take disciplinary action against licensees who fail to maintain professional standards, and adopt rules and regulations concerning the Georgia Cemetery and Funeral Services Act. The Board provides consumers with an assurance of the qualifications of licensees along with a means of enforcement in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Georgia Funeral Directors Association
Since 1899, the Georgia Funeral Directors Association has provided a network of resources to funeral service professionals. Lord & Stephens Funeral Home is proud to be an active member of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association, with staff having served in various capacities from treasurer to president.
National Funeral Directors Association
Every day at Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, we pursue excellence.
That’s why the National Funeral Directors Association has honored us with their Pursuit of Excellence award for thirteen consecutive years. This award is presented by the National Funeral Directors Association annually to firms that have demonstrated a commitment to raising the bar on funeral service excellence by adhering to strict ethical and professional standards and providing outstanding service to families and communities.
In 2021, Lord and Stephens was inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence in 2021 to honor ten consecutive years as a recipient of the Pursuit of Excellence Award.
In 2023, Lord and Stephens received an honorable mention for the NFDA Best of the Best award, an elite designation in recognition of their development and execution of an innovative program or service that had a positive impact on the families and communities they served this year.
