Introducing
Mr William C. Wappner
New FIAT-IFTA President

FIAT-IFTA proudly introduces its newly appointed President, whose extensive experience and dedication to funeral service will guide the organization toward continued global leadership. This transition marks a new chapter in our commitment to upholding the traditions and advancing the standards of funeral service worldwide.

Dear colleagues and friends,

It is a great honor for me to ascend to the Presidency of FIAT-IFTA. I cannot think of a more meaningful way to complete my decades long journey through funeral service, one of the most ancient and noble services that an individual can perform for mankind. I have been an Associate Member of FIAT-IFTA for many years. Never did I expect to become the President of this worldwide association when I joined. Being fortunate to have been able to travel internationally with NFDA over the years and then being appointed as their representative to FIAT-IFTA has opened new experiences that have given me a worldwide view of funeral service. I thank all of you for the many congratulatory wishes given to me.

For those of you who may not know me, I am a fourth-generation funeral director. My great grandfather, after immigrating from Germany in 1852 with his family, grew up to start a “Furniture and Undertaking” business in 1872. One hundred and three years later I graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, the oldest mortuary school in the United States and where my grandfather studied under the founder of the school.

I got interested in funeral association work early in my career when I was asked to serve on a committee for the Ohio Funeral Directors Association involving preneed. I went on to serve as President for our District Association and then went through the chairs of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association, becoming President from1994-1995. One of my accomplishments which I am most proud of is when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration wrote rules on the national level that forced funeral homes to comply with extensive regulations, I developed an OSHA Manual that is in almost every funeral home in the state of Ohio. It has since been revised and new sections added but is basically still in the same format.

After a few years of getting my three children through their active high school years, I was asked to serve on a National Funeral Directors Association committee. This got me excited again about funeral association work. Doors opened for me, and I got elected to an At-Large position on the Executive Board and from there got elected as Secretary which led to becoming President of the National Funeral Directors Association from 2009-2010. NFDA kept me busy after leaving the Executive Board. I served as Chair of the Professional Conduct Committee and was asked to serve as a Trustee on the Funeral Service Foundation, the charitable foundation for NFDA. I went on to be Chair of the Foundation and during my time as a trustee we went over the ten-million-dollar amount and gave away hundreds of scholarships, funded several grants for grief programs, and funded several groundbreaking programs for NFDA.

In 2016 I was asked to serve on our State of Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, which regulates the licensing and regulations for funeral service and crematory operations in the state. I am still active on this board and have served two years as President.

I am truly looking forward to serving FIAT-IFTA for the next two years as your President.

Bill Wappner
FIAT-IFTA President