Our Team

Dawn Martinez

Project Manager

Dawn Martinez is a Project Manager specializing in mergers and acquisitions, with nearly two decades of experience serving families in the funeral and death care profession. Since beginning her career in 2007, she has advanced through roles including Administrative Assistant, Funeral Home Office Manager, Corporate Operations Specialist, Director of IT Support Services, and IT Project Manager M&A — all with leading organizations in the industry.

Her background blends service, operations, and technology, providing a strong foundation for managing the complexities of M&A. Dawn is skilled in integrations, stakeholder alignment, and organizational change, helping companies achieve seamless transitions during periods of growth and transformation.

Dedicated to continuous growth, she is pursuing professional development such as PMP certification to strengthen her project leadership credentials. Passionate about both people and process, Dawn is committed to delivering successful outcomes and meaningful results in every project she leads.

Outside of work, Dawn enjoys spending time with her family and has a newfound love for riding motorcycles. She values the balance these experiences bring, offering both connection and a sense of freedom beyond her professional life.

Taylor Clifford

Project Manager, Client Engagement

With a proven track record of elevating client engagement, operational excellence, and event execution, Taylor Clifford is an accomplished Program Manager currently leading Client Engagement at J3Tech Solutions, the technology division of Johnson Consulting Group in Scottsdale, AZ. Since joining in 2021, Taylor has implemented impactful process improvements across onboarding, support, technical design, and development teams—driving remarkable outcomes including increasing client retention from 45% to 96% and improving satisfaction scores from 2.7 to 4.7 within six months.

As a dynamic leader and strategic liaison, Taylor bridges internal teams and external partners such as Johnson Consulting Group, Medallia, and various POS platforms within the Deathcare space. Her ability to manage over 2,000 active users, orchestrate multi-platform integrations, and participate in high-profile industry conventions (NFDA, ICCFA) demonstrates a rare mix of strategic foresight and tactical execution.

Prior to joining J3Tech Solutions, Taylor honed her skills in survey design strategy, client onboarding and insights implementation at Beyond Feedback, managing projects and leading cross-functional teams. Earlier in her career, she thrived in luxury hospitality at JW Marriott Camelback Inn, where she drove revenue growth and guest satisfaction across high-volume events and large-scale conferences.

Erika Thoreson

Accounting Services Controller

Jeannie Guzman

Accounting Services Controller

Gamba Lizwelicha

Accounting Services Controller

Gamba has eight years of accounting and business experience. He earned multiple degrees while studying at his alma mater, Florida Southern College, including a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a Master of Accountancy. Gamba has experience in multiple industries: banking, consulting, healthcare, material handling, food and beverage, with his most recent experience coming from a health insurance company where he was a Senior Staff Accountant. When Gamba is not working, he enjoy traveling, reading, playing video games, and working on personal IT projects.

Jim Price

Vice President of Industry Relations

Jim Price’s career in the funeral and cemetery profession spans over five decades. He served as Senior Vice President, Industry Relations at Park Lawn Corporation for over 6 years, leaving an indelible mark on the organization’s strategic growth and success. Additionally, he held the role of Chief Executive Officer at Midwest Memorial Group for over 3 years, showcasing his dedication and leadership.

A luminary in the field, Price co-founded Foundations Partners Group, playing a pivotal role in its success and contributing to operational excellence and strategic initiatives. His 14-year tenure as Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founding Partner at Keystone Group Holdings, INC., further solidifies his legacy of exceptional leadership and sustained growth.

Price has served the ICCFA Educational Foundation as chairman and President since 2015. He received their 2024 annual Lasting Impact Award. In 2022, Price was awarded the association’s Hall of Fame award. Price also currently serves on the National Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG), and the Advisory Board of the Center for the Study of Ethics/Sykes Business College at The University of Tampa.

Lisa Thomas

Accounting Services Controller

Lisa brings over 30 years of accounting experience to Johnson Consulting Group. Having earned her Master’ Degree in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, she has spent her career in various Controllership rolls including 10 years in the funeral and cemetery industry. Her hands on, day-to-day industry experience brings a realistic perspective to JCG. Her career path also led her to establishing and successfully operating her own business for 15 years, giving her a well-rounded entrepreneurial skill set. 

In her down time, Lisa enjoys showing her Chinese Crested Dogs, volunteering and spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren. 

Kristen Szymborski

Chief Financial Officer

Kristen Szymborski is an experienced Financial Executive with over 15 years of expertise in driving financial optimization and business transformation through data insights and automated reporting. With experience in serving various industries and having worked at CliftonLarsonAllen, a Top 8 Accounting Firm, Kristen is a licensed CPA in Arizona and holds a master’s in accountancy from the University of Phoenix. Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, traveling, trying new restaurants, and living a healthy lifestyle.

She is committed to being a strategic business partner to the Executive team, leading process improvements, and driving strategic initiatives. Kristen has a proven track record of increasing profitability, stabilizing cash flow, identifying high-impact problems, and implementing new technologies. She has managed budgets up to $700M and has extensive experience leading multi-location dispersed, cross-functional teams.

Jim LaMar

Senior Business Consultant

Born and raised in California. Married (wife Cindy) with four boys, ages 39,36,32, and 25. Five grandchildren between the ages of 1 & 9. Live in Arroyo Grande, California. Jim has a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Bakersfield.

Jim joined the funeral industry, working for Greenlawn funeral homes and cemeteries, in 1990 as a cemetery and preneed funeral salesperson. Shortly thereafter, promoted to sales manager. Acquired funeral director, cemetery manager, life insurance salesperson, and crematory manager licenses during that time. In 2004, he went to work for Forethought Financial Services as a regional sales manager. In 2009, Jim was asked to return to Greenlawn and served as president and CEO until we sold the company in 2023.

Since then, he has worked with Anthem partners in various roles until the end of November 2025.

Jim serves on the board of Pathways Family Services (foster care support and placement), and California Funeral Director’s Association as Vice President.

In his spare time he enjoys landscaping, working out and reading.

Al Asta

Senior Business Consultant

Al graduated from Cypress College of Mortuary Science in January of 1982. A Summa Cum Laude graduate, he was also Valedictorian of his class. He began his career with Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, a large volume funeral home in Phoenix, AZ. In 1984 Al was involved in a Forethought Life Insurance pilot program as a sales agent.  In this role he developed sales materials, phone scripts, training materials and product development. After approximately one year in working on that project, Al was named Manager of Whitney & Murphy. After a successful tenure at the funeral home, Al was promoted to General Manager of Prime Succession Inc. Phoenix, Arizona operations, which soon grew to include the company’s operations in Texas, Iowa, Nebraska and Arkansas. In 2000, Al was promoted to Regional Vice-President, with diverse and varied corporate responsibilities. Al’s experience leading businesses through rapid growth and transition as well as difficult financial times will allow him to relate to our client’s challenges, regardless of their nature. Even during the toughest financial periods, Al’s region maintained morale, quality of service and profitability. Al’s experience managing multiple locations and supervising location managers, along with his practical experience as a licensed funeral director make him a very productive operational consultant to both large and small volume single and multiple location firms.

David Ring

Senior Business Consultant

David spent the first years out of college in the automotive parts distribution industry.  His last position was the General Manager of the midwestern distribution warehouse of a company that would rapidly grow to become the largest family-owned business in the industry.  He began his funeral industry experience as the manager of a multi-location family funeral business in Indianapolis. After the sale of that business, he worked in operations management positions and corporate development for two national companies. He joined Carpenter Hawke & Co., Boston, as a managing director and opened the Indianapolis office in 1999.  In addition to his concentration on the funeral industry, he also participated in the sale of businesses in the metal fabrication and trucking industries.  In 2004, he joined Mark Putnam in forming the Putnam Ring Group, dedicated to advising funeral directors in the sale or acquisition of funeral businesses.  David also owns Indiana Funeral Care, a regional service provider based in Indianapolis.  Indiana Funeral Care was formerly the Harry W. Moore Funeral Chapels which he purchased from The Loewen Group in 2001.  David is a graduate of Boston University, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.  He also is a licensed Indiana Real Estate Broker and Life Insurance Agent.

Dave Adams

Senior Business Consultant

David graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1977 with a B.S. degree in Mortuary Science and later a Masters in Accounting and Finance at Rice University. He served as a partner/licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer/Coroner at his firm in Southern Illinois for over 10 years before selling to his partner. In 1984 he joined Batesville Casket Company, a leading manufacturer of burial and cremation products. During his 25+ year tenure with Batesville, he served in a variety of sales and senior management positions, the last being Vice President of all National Accounts, Key Accounts and the International markets with offices in Australia, England, South Africa and the Philippines. These roles enabled him to gain experience, knowledge and in-depth understanding of sales and merchandising strategies, industry demographics, and the complexity of the changing funeral industry market. David also gained invaluable experience by serving as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at a leading funeral/cemetery complex in the Greater San Francisco Bay area. Just prior to joining Johnson Consulting, David expanded his professional resume by serving as the Director of Corporate Development for Carriage Services, a publicly traded acquisition company. Throughout his career, David has gained extensive knowledge and diverse experience with all aspects of the death care industry.

Derrick Husmann

Senior Business Consultant

Derrick graduated from Southern Illinois University Mortuary Science program with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mortuary Management. He began his career as a funeral director for family owned funeral homes in Southern Illinois. In 2008 he joined Batesville as a sales representative in Illinois and Missouri and achieved the President’s Circle, Council of Excellence for Merchandising, and in 2010 became the Regional Sales Representative of the year. In 2016 Derrick joined Remembrance Group as the Director of Corporate Development and in 2018 he was promoted to Vice President of Operations. Over his career he was responsible for operational leadership, sales, merchandising, increased profitability, mergers and acquisitions and compliance support.  

For over 20 years, Derrick has been a Mortuary Officer for the Federal Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) for Region V. He is also an Assistant Fire Chief for the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department.  

During his leisure time, Derrick enjoys spending time with his family, grilling by the pool, and watching his son play baseball. 

Robert Murray

Senior Business Consultant

Robert Murray is a funeral service industry executive with a track record of improving the financial and operational performance of funeral homes and cemeteries throughout North America. He is a sixth-generation funeral service professional following in his grandfather, George H. Lewis Jr.’s, footsteps and is a licensed funeral director as well. Prior to joining Johnson Consulting Group, Rob held executive roles with Legacy Funeral Group, Transworld Business Advisors, The Journey Group as well as Vice President of the Funeral and Cemetery Trust group at Regions Bank. Prior to that, Rob served as the Regional Vice President of the Southwest Region with Stewart Enterprises. His career began at SCI as a General Manager in Atlanta, Georgia and in the 17 years that followed, he held several leadership roles in operations/sales as well as corporate based responsibilities. All of which has led to an extensive acumen in mergers and acquisitions/consulting.

Rob’s dedication to his career in the funeral and cemetery industry is born from his passion to help business owners realize success by defining and achieving performance objectives that lead to growth and/or acquisition.

Rob holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia and Bachelor of Arts in International Economics/Studies from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

His free time is spent on the golf course or fishing with friends when not engaged with his three energetic teenagers. Rob and his family reside in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.

Tammy Burch

Survey Data Entry

Tammy brings the utmost care, compassion and confidentiality being a data entry specialist for Johnson Consulting Group. She has had experience in small-family businesses since the age of 16 when she started helping with administrative duties in her parent’s factory and has continued in her current family business, a martial arts studio, she owns with her husband of 27 years.  She is a mom of an 18 and 13-year-old, 2 dogs, a bearded dragon and a Russian turtle. In her spare time she is a dance mom to her daughter and is either watching her practice at the the dance studio or volunteering to help in dance productions.

Jeff Casey

Chief Operations Officer

Jeff joined Johnson Consulting Group to assist in their management consulting efforts. Jeff brings over forty years of funeral home and cemetery management experience to the Johnson Consulting team. Jeff is a graduate of Cypress College of Mortuary Science in Cypress, CA and began his career in 1980 with Pierce Brothers Mortuaries and Cemeteries in Los Angeles. After Pierce Brothers was acquired by SCI, Jeff continued with SCI to serve in various local and regional management positions including Regional Vice President in the Western Region. He continued his career with Prime Succession in California and Florida, where he was the General Manager of Fred Hunter Memorial Services in Hollywood, Florida. In addition to his duties with Fred Hunter, he served as a Regional Vice President, leading the Prime Succession Florida locations. Jeff’s local, multiple location and regional experience, along with a keen customer service focus, provide distinctive insight as an operational consultant.

Bill Cutter

Senior Business Consultant

Bill graduated from Ball State University in 1976. He spent eleven years in various sales management positions with Batesville Casket Company and then spent several years as Vice President of Corporate Development with Service Corporation International. This experience helped grow his expertise in all aspects of the death care industry, and ultimately he teamed up with Tom Johnson as Vice President of Corporate Development at Pierce Brothers Mortuaries and Cemeteries and Prime Succession Inc. before going on to serve as Director of Corporate Development at Equity Corporation International. Bill has over 32 years of funeral service experience and has been instrumental in the successful acquisition and divestiture of hundreds of funeral homes and cemeteries.

Lee Ann Chesney

Survey Data Entry

Lee Ann has 35+ years working as an administrative/office manager for different companies through the years. She came to Johnson Consulting 4 years ago as a Survey/Data Entry specialist, and has continued to learn and grow within the company in the area of varying Performance Tracker and FDMS functions.  At home,  Lee Ann enjoys spending time with her husband riding motorcycles, golfing, and exploring new areas of Arizona.

Niccole Delgado

Accounting Services Controller

Niccole graduated from the University of Phoenix with honors, earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, and is a proud member of the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business Administration.  She brings over ten years of experience with Johnson Consulting Group and a background in the credit and banking industry.  Niccole specializes in accounting and financial support for funeral homes and cemetery operations and is passionate about helping clients understand their financial picture and streamline day-to-day operations.  Known for her attention to detail, collaborative approach, and approachable style, she enjoys working closely with clients and mentoring team members to support long-term success.

Ryan Hill

Director of Accounting Service

Ryan joins Johnson Consulting Group with more than 10 years of accounting and customer service. Ryan has earned multiple degrees while studying at his alma mater, Florida Southern College, including a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a Masters of Accountancy. Ryan brings a unique perspective to JCG, having experience in public accounting, construction, real estate, and manufacturing industries, with his most recent experience as the Controller of a new home construction company. When he is not working, Ryan enjoys traveling, reading, playing video games, and crossfit.

Allyson Dunn

Business Operations Manager

Allyson Dunn joins Johnson Consulting Group with four years of experience in business development and team coordination as well as event planning and design. As the Business Operations Manager, she works closely with the administrative staff to fulfill the needs of the leadership team and to maintain fluidity in all company processes. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology and Behavior. While not at work, Allyson spends much of her time outdoors on activities such as hiking, paddle boarding, landscape design, building, and gardening.

Tess Flores

Business Operations Specialist/ Property Manager

Tess brings extensive experience in business operations and property management, supporting day-to-day operations with a strong focus on accuracy, organization, and client service. Her background includes accounts receivable and payable, billing, correspondence, marketing support, customer communications, and project coordination.

Greg Hilgendorf

Senior Business Consultant

Greg has a record of proven success in business growth and development in the death care profession. As the owner of a successful multi-location funeral home business, his firms dominated market share and were renowned for their unparalleled customer service. In 1992, his business was the first acquisition by Tom Johnson and Prime Succession. Following progressive advancement within Prime Succession, Mr. Hilgendorf became Senior Vice President of Operations and Officer of the then fifth largest funeral home and cemetery company in the country, operating 170 funeral homes and cemeteries in 19 states. In 2007, he joined Johnson Consulting Group to create, implement, and lead the business consulting division for the company. From practicing funeral director to funeral home owner to corporate executive to business consultant, Mr. Hilgendorf’s ability to deliver exceptional customer service and maximum business performance is a valuable asset to the clients of Johnson Consulting Group.

Bob Horn

Senior Business Consultant

Bob Horn began his career in the funeral industry more than 44 years ago with a small family-owned mortuary. During the mid-1960s, he was involved in organizing International Funeral Service (IFS), and served as Vice President of the pioneer “multi-unit” funeral cemetery company that operated over 120 locations nationwide. Prior to co-founding Keystone Group Holdings, a multi-state funeral acquisition and operating firm, Bob was Chief Operating Officer and Partner of Prime Succession, Inc., following 10 years as Executive Vice President of Pierce Brothers. A strong proponent of the team concept, Bob believes his role is to provide the goals and the momentum that keep the company working together and moving forward. Bob provides the leadership, the strategic thinking, and the clear vision that foster this environment of success and growth.

Jake Johnson

President & Chief Executive Officer

President & CEO at Johnson Consulting, Jake began his career at Keystone Group Holdings (now Dignity Memorial Network) as Associate Director, Corporate Development.  This job included financial analysis, bank and equity partner presentations, along with accounting and system setup with acquired funeral homes.  Jake then went on to work at Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries in Las Vegas, NV which at the time handled 6,500 funeral home families and over 2,200 cemetery cases out of 6 locations.  Here Jake conducted funeral directing, funeral arranging, funeral home management, cemetery operations management, and sat on the executive board.  Jake’s ability to problem solve business issues contributes to his success in currently owning a funeral home and cremation center in Sun City, Arizona along with a small-town funeral home in Batesville, IN. Jake’s education includes a BSBA degree in Management with an emphasis in Accounting and Financial Analysis from Xavier University. His foundation in accounting and EBITDA forecasting is complemented by technology savviness and management qualifications in business development and operations.  He is also a licensed REALTOR in Arizona and a Register Investment Advisor Representative and is currently a member of the Entrepreneur Organization (EO) Arizona Chapter. Jake is also a member-emeritus of the Funeral Service Foundation Board.

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Tom Johnson

Founder

1950-2023

Tom has pursued a highly successful career in multi-site funeral home and cemetery management, as well as acquisition and divestiture activity in the death care industry. After beginning his career in banking and then serving in several key positions with Batesville Casket Company, he became President and CEO of Pierce Brothers Mortuaries & Cemeteries in Los Angeles. There, he grew the company from 17 locations to a total of 64 funeral homes and 14 cemeteries, making it, at the time, the largest regional independent funeral and cemetery operation in the United States. When Pierce was sold to SCI, he left the company and founded Prime Succession, which grew from no operations to 146 funeral homes and 17 cemetery locations in only three years, becoming the largest national independent operation in the country. After Prime Succession, Mr. Johnson started Johnson Consulting Group, which has become the premier consulting company in the death care industry focusing on mergers & acquisitions, business valuations and appraisals, accounting services, management services and training, and business financing. Mr. Johnson’s expertise in funeral home and cemetery management, combined with his strong background in banking and finance, gives him a unique understanding of operational and financial matters relating to the death care profession.

Derek Kaufman

Configuration Specialist

Derek brings an efficiency-focused mindset to Johnson Consulting Group. As a Configuration Specialist, he’s continually looking for patterns and trends, chasing down methods to make processes easier with creative and innovative solutions. Derek uses over a decade of combined Technical and Support experience to create user-friendly interactions of both technology and people. When he’s not using his Excel-Wizard skills for work, you might find him writing guitar and piano music, working out at the gym or researching programming technology.

Karen McCurdy

Director of Mergers and Acquisitions

Doug Miller

Senior Business Consultant

Doug began his career in 1972 in Orchard Park, New York. During the course of 54 years he has worked for two Independent owners, Service Corporation International, The Hamilton Group, The Keystone Group and Park Lawn Corporation. Overall, he has held positions of location management / GM, District Manager, Regional Vice President, Regional President, Chief Operating Officer and President. These positions involved funeral homes, cemeteries, care centers and floral shops.

Doug has held licenses as an embalmer, funeral director, cemetery broker and pre-need insurance. He is a past President of the Nevada Funeral Directors Association, past member of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association serving on the Finance and Membership Committees, past member of the California Funeral Directors Association serving on the Finance, Legislative, Public Relations and Professional Development Committees. He also served as a board member of the Interment Association of California and the California Mortuary Alliance. During his time of 22 years with SCI he also held the positions of Governmental Relations Liaison for Nevada and SCI’s Western Region Field Trainer. Doug contributes many of his accomplishments to his belief of being a hands-on leader. He enjoys working “along-side” other funeral professionals at all levels, and has learned much from the experience.

Vince Roberge

Senior Business Consultant

Vince Roberge is a Senior Business Consultant with Johnson Consulting Group and a trusted advisor to funeral home and cemetery business owners. He brings a strong blend of operational leadership experience and consulting expertise to help organizations improve performance, align strategy, and build effective management systems.

Vince holds a degree in Economics from the University of Michigan – Dearborn and a degree in Funeral Service from Commonwealth Institute. A Licensed Funeral Director, he previously served in operational leadership roles with Service Corporation International, working with both single‑location and multi‑location funeral home businesses. This hands‑on background allows him to approach consulting with a practical understanding of operational and leadership challenges.

Since joining Johnson Consulting Group in 2019, Vince has partnered with clients on performance management, strategic planning, incentive compensation plan design, pricing strategy, and succession planning initiatives. His work focuses on growing enterprise value through customer experience, workplace fundamentals, marketplace strategy, and financial management.

Vince is certified by The DiJulius Group as a Customer Experience Coach and works with clients to intentionally elevate both the customer and employee experience. He also facilitates Johnson Consulting Group’s biannual Leadership and Management Program in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Lacy Robinson

Senior Business Consultant

Lacy offers funeral home clients more than 15 years of success developing and facilitating customer service training programs. As an experienced coach and speaker, Lacy has established organizations, including Aurora Casket Company and the National Funeral Directors Association, as leading providers of training and development for funeral professionals. Lacy is a Worsham College of Mortuary Science instructor, teaching Fundamentals of Customer Service and facilitating training programs for Johnson Consulting Group clients. She co-authored the book Engaging the Heart of Hospice – Making Funeral and Memorial Services an Extension of Hospice Care. 

Lacy is a licensed funeral director/embalmer, a certified funeral celebrant, a member of the board of trustees for the Selected Independent Funeral Homes Educational Trust, and has previously served on the APFSP Board of Trustees. She graduated from Georgetown College and Mid-America College of Funeral Service. Lacy earned an MBA in Bourbon Tourism and Event Planning from Midway University. 

As an active member of Toastmasters, Lacy has achieved the designation of Competent Communicator. Lacy is also an active volunteer for Hosparus Health in Louisville, Kentucky, and regularly presents engaging community programs to area senior adults. Lacy is also the founder of the Bourbon Legends Tour, which offers luxury tours to the final resting places of Kentucky’s bourbon legends.  

Rich Sells

Senior Business Consultant

Rich has spent thirty extremely productive years in the funeral and cemetery industry where he held several senior level executive positions. He is well known and respected for his many accomplishments during those years. Twenty seven of those years were with Service Corporation International (SCI), the world’s largest owner and operator of funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories. There he held senior level executive positions in operations and is renowned for his accomplishments in the Pre-Need sales arena. As part of his responsibilities, Rich devised and led the construction of the traveling replica of the Vietnam Wall Memorial. He also headed up several other initiatives to honor and care for the Homeless Veterans. In addition to his many accomplishments while at SCI, he also served as President of the International Cemetery and Funeral Association (ICCFA), a 6,000 member trade association, as well as a Hall of Fame recipient for ICCFA,. Rich earned a BSBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis and is a CPA. He is considered an expert in all facets of funeral home and cemetery operations.

Laurie Rhea

Senior Business Consultant

Laurie was born and raised in a small town, just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and is a licensed embalmer/funeral director. She and her husband Tim owned a funeral home in the Pittsburgh area for a number of years, before retiring from the 365/24/7 of the industry. Being well-versed in the industry, the day-to-day operations, and having the knowledge and understanding that selling a funeral home is different than selling any other kind of business, she and Tim came to the realization that they had more to offer, to the industry. They bring their experience and hard work ethic to the table, to now help others in the industry, both buy and sell funeral service related business’. While not at work, she and Tim love to travel cross-country and do so when they can, along with their pup, Grunt. They have four grown children and enjoy spending time with family whenever they can.

Tim Wilt

Senior Business Consultant

Tim was born and raised in a suburb of Pittsburgh. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. While serving his country, he completed his preliminary education requirements for mortuary college. He then attended and was a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. After becoming a funeral director/embalmer, he took a position with a family-owned funeral home that was originally established in 1886 and had a rich history of serving their community. He worked with them for 24 years, before purchasing the funeral home in 2011, after the death of the owner. He and his wife Laurie ran their successful and thriving funeral home business for 12 years, when the decision was made to take a step back from the day-to-day rigors of being available 365/24/7. While not at work, Tim and his wife Laurie love to travel, having driven across the country many times. They are avid Pittsburgh Penguin fans and have followed the team across the US. They have four adult boys, and reside with their beloved pup, Grunt.

Dave Shank

Business Development Consultant

Dave began his funeral service career in 1973 in his hometown of Sterling, Illinois.  He holds degrees in Mortuary Science, a BS Degree in Business Quality Management, and an Executive MBA.  Dave was a licensed funeral director and embalmer in both Missouri and Kansas (1980-1998).  He joined Batesville Casket Co. in 1997 as a Kansas-based Sales Representative.  He was Region Sales Director in both the Mountain and Midwest Regions, a Sales Consultant in North Texas (2005-2013), was inducted into the Maters Club in 2012, and concluded his Batesville career as the Sales Training Manager (2014-1019).

In 2019, Dave founded AnchoredGrowth Partners, LLC, a consulting practice focused on training and coaching business professionals for performance growth.  He specializes in relationship building, sales and merchandising strategies, maximizing customer satisfaction, and improving business profitability.  Dave primarily serves as a trainer, one-on-one coach and workshop facilitator.  He has been privileged to speak on skill building and motivation at ICCFA, various events in Kansas (KFDA) and Texas, and for numerous Batesville sponsored events.

Dave resides in Peoria, Arizona.  He is married with two married children and six grandchildren.

Madison Swaney

Accounting Services Manager

Madison graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Management and certificates in Marketing and Accounting. She was on the executive board for the professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi. During her college career, Madison worked at an accounting firm where she found a passion for helping clients with their businesses and assisting in reaching their goals for their business.

Nelson Thulin

Director of Business Consulting

Nelson Thulin began his funeral service career at a family owned funeral home in Wisconsin and over the course of 30 years, his work experience has included independent ownership as well as corporate leadership roles. His management experience ranges from a single location serving approximately 100 families a year to multi-location markets serving over 2600 families. As a mortuary science student, Nelson received the J.M Nolte Scholar Award and continues his education as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner through the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice as well as collaborating with and learning from other funeral professionals. Nelson emphasizes a keen focus on the importance of exceeding expectations of client families and providing a meaningful and memorable experience for their guests, resulting in a loyal advocacy of our profession as well as continued growth of individual businesses.

Madison Wagner

Marketing Manager

Originally from Pennsylvania, Madison Wagner joins the Johnson Consulting Group with a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcasting and Streaming Media from Champlain College in Burlington Vermont. During her time in college she discovered a new passion when she had the opportunity to utilize her production skills for a marketing purpose. Now Madison has 3 years of marketing experience and a Master’s of Science in Digital Audience Strategy from Arizona State University.

Melisa Battaglia

Accounting Manager

Melisa graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelors in Intelligence Studies. Melisa brings over 15 years’ experience in accounting, administration, and financial management. She has a diversity of knowledge in the accounting industry such as non-profit, manufacturing and construction, both nationwide and globally. Previously she was an Accounting Manager responsible for aggregating data for teams across multiple platforms. She also has extensive experience in both payroll and audit preparation. Melisa enjoys a good challenge and has a willingness to learn new knowledge and skills. When she is not working, Melisa enjoys creating new memories by traveling the world and spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys cars and a good hockey game.

Michael Yates

Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

Michael graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors in Finance with a minor in Political Science. During college Michael worked at a start-up software company that developed financial compliance software for cash intensive businesses. In his spare time Michael enjoys watching and talking about sports and relaxing at home.

Simon Wong

Financial Analyst 

Tyler Newman

Financial Analyst