Cheshire Resident Named New President Of National Funeral Directors Association

CHESHIRE, CT — Cheshire resident and funeral director Daniel J. Ford, CFSP, CCSP, has been named the new President of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), representing 20,000 funeral directors in 49 countries around the world, officials announced.

Ford was installed in this top position on Oct. 28 at the NFDA International Convention & Expo in Chicago, Illinois, and immediately took office.

Ford is President of the Alderson-Ford Funeral Homes, Inc., and the Buckmiller Ford Mengacci Funeral Home, serving the communities of Cheshire, Naugatuck and Waterbury, and the surrounding areas. He is a past President and Treasurer of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA), based in Wethersfield.

“The world is changing quickly and so is funeral service, and I am filled with excitement and optimism looking forward to the year ahead,” Ford said. “I am incredibly honored to represent this profession and the dedicated men and women who serve and care for families with innovation, integrity and compassion every day.”

Read more from the news release below:

"Dan Ford’s leadership, work ethic, and commitment to the ever-changing face of funeral service have brought him to where he is today,” Melissa Melin-Miles, President of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, said. “It’s truly a win for the profession to have someone with Dan’s passion and drive leading the National Funeral Directors Association forward — and knowing him personally makes it all the more special!"

“Connecticut’s licensed funeral directors are extremely proud that ‘one of our own’ is leading NFDA,” said Jesse M. Gomes, MA, CFSP, CPC, CCO, Executive Director & CEO of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association. “Funeral service professionals enjoy a close-knit community in our state, and many of us are fortunate to know or have worked with Dan Ford over the years. He has the expertise and vision to steer funeral directors worldwide as we face new career opportunities together.”

Ford most recently served as President-Elect of NFDA and before that, was a Member-at-Large of NFDA’s Board and Connecticut’s representative to the NFDA Policy Board. He has also served on NFDA’s Audit Task Force, Disaster Response Work Group, Convention Education Task Force, Budget Task Force, Spokesperson Team and Headquarters Operations Committee. He also is a past Trustee of the Funeral Service Foundation, the charitable arm of NFDA that is dedicated to investing in people, programs, and resources that strengthen funeral service and support grieving communities.

For the past 28 years, Ford has worked alongside his father, John W. Ford, who now is Chairman of the Board of Alderson-Ford Funeral Homes, Inc., a 104-year-old family-owned firm. He was named Executive Vice President of the firm in July 2008 and its President in May 2014. Ford is recognized as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) through the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and as a Certified Cremation Services Provider (CCSP) through NFDA.

Ford said that he always knew he wanted to be part of the funeral service profession and recognizes the importance of being committed to excellence in his chosen profession. Twelve days after graduation from Naugatuck High School, his passion for funeral service led him to mortuary school and he received his degree in Mortuary Science from the former New England Institute at Mount Ida College in Massachusetts.

In addition to his profession as a funeral director, Ford has devoted much of his career to public safety. He was a career firefighter, retiring from the Naugatuck Fire Department after 11 years of service. During those years, Ford was named Naugatuck Firefighter of the Year in 2007. He remains an active member of the Naugatuck Firefighters Local 1219, where he served as Union Vice-President and as Co-Chairman of the Firefighters’ “Toys for Kids” annual Christmas drive for children in the Naugatuck and Beacon Falls areas. He currently volunteers for the Cheshire Fire Department, where he held positions of Lieutenant, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, and President of the organization.

Through the Cheshire Fire Department, Ford has been involved with numerous fundraisers for Cheshire Human Services and the Connecticut Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He was recognized as that department’s Firefighter of the Year in 2013 and received its Willy Grove Award that same year. He is a member of the Waterbury Area Fire Chiefs, where he has served as both Vice-President and President.

He also worked with Medstar Ambulance/American Medical Response of Waterbury, and a past member of the Naugatuck Volunteer Ambulance Corp. where he served as Lieutenant and President and was a member of the Naugatuck Volunteer Fire Company.

Ford and his wife, Danielle, live in Cheshire with their two children, Ryan and Emma. A communicant of St. Bridget of Sweden Parish in Cheshire, he is a member of the Naugatuck B.P.O.E. 967 Lodge of Elks. He has coached Little League Baseball at both Peter J. Foley and Union City Little Leagues in Naugatuck, and has been actively involved with the Greater Waterbury Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society – co-chairing registration and serving as past chairman of corporate sponsorship. In addition, he is a past Board Member of the Naugatuck Chapter of the American Red Cross and is a former member of both the Cheshire Exchange Club and the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce.