We believe leaders instill in their people a drive for success and empower people to accomplish their goals. This belief drives us forward.
Leadership Team
Our leadership team, headed by founder Mel Payne, is characterized by a dynamic culture that reacts quickly and proactively to address changing market conditions and emerging trends. This culture provides Carriage Services with an important advantage as the deathcare industry evolves.
“When you reach the top, keep climbing.”
That’s the driving concept behind our operating model, instilled to ensure commitment at all levels of the organization. The leadership team works to create more cooperation and synergy between our funeral and cemetery operations and support the goal of market-share and volume growth in our most significant markets. The following individuals are part of our team of exemplary leaders:
Mel Payne, CEO
Melvin C. Payne has been Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since December 1996, prior to which he had been a director and Chief Executive Officer since Carriage’s inception in 1991.
Prior to co-founding Carriage, Mr. Payne spent ten years in the private company turnaround business involving numerous industries including refining, chemicals, trucking, hotel, offshore petroleum supply boat and rent-to own retail industries.
L. William Heiligbrodt, Vice Chairman, Executive Vice President & Secretary
L. William Heiligbrodt has been a private investor and managing partner in a family business since February 2003. From February 1999 to February 2003, he served as a consultant to Service Corporation International, a funeral services corporation (“SCI”). Mr. Heiligbrodt was the President and Chief Operating Officer of SCI until February 1999 and he had served in various management positions with SCI since February 1990. His background in funeral service operations and management is extensive.
George (Skip) J. Klug, CIO
George J. Klug has been Senior Vice President of Information Systems and Chief Information Officer of Carriage since May 2002. Before joining Carriage, Mr. Klug served from 1997 to 2000 as Vice President of Information Technology at Allright Corporation, an owner operator of parking facilities both national and international. Prior to Allright, Mr. Klug served as Vice President of Information Technology for various retail companies including Oshmans, Sportstown, and Zaks.
Cliff Haigler, PAO
Cliff Haigler has been our Principal Accounting Officer since September of 2012. Mr. Haigler has ten years’ experience as an equity securities analyst. In addition, Mr. Haigler spent 15 years with a niche private equity firm focused on merger transactions combined with consolidation strategies across a wide range of industries. Mr. Haigler has also served as Chief Financial Officer of several companies including two public companies. Mr. Haigler is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant. Cliff possesses a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin as well as a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Our Board of Directors
The primary responsibility of the Board of Directors is to protect our shareholders' assets and ensure they receive a decent return on their investment. But there’s always more. Our board works closely with the leadership team to maintain the corporate culture of integrity, teamwork, and increasing profitability. Rich with diversity of experience, the Carriage Services Board of Directors includes:
Melvin C. Payne
Melvin C. Payne has been Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since December 1996, prior to which he had been a director and Chief Executive Officer since Carriage’s inception in 1991. Prior to co-founding Carriage, Mr. Payne spent ten years in the private company turnaround business involving numerous industries including refining, chemicals, trucking, hotel, offshore petroleum supply boat and rent-to own retail industries.
L. William Heiligbrodt, Vice Chairman, Executive Vice President & Secretary
L. William Heiligbrodt has been a private investor and managing partner in a family business since February 2003. From February 1999 to February 2003, he served as a consultant to Service Corporation International, a funeral services corporation (“SCI”). Mr. Heiligbrodt was the President and Chief Operating Officer of SCI until February 1999 and he had served in various management positions with SCI since February 1990. His background in funeral service operations and management is extensive.
Richard W. Scott
Richard W. Scott is a seasoned financial services executive with over thirty years of capital markets experience. Since January 2009, he has served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Loews Corporation and from 2001 to 2008, was a senior executive in Insurance Portfolio Management, with AIG Investments including service as the Chief Investment Officer-Insurance Operations. His career has included extensive executive and professional responsibility for all aspects of fixed income and insurance portfolio management on both domestic and global platforms, as well as extensive experience as a mergers and acquisition and capital markets professional.
Donald D. Patteson Jr.
Donald D. Patteson Jr. is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sovereign Business Forms, Inc. a consolidator in the wholesale manufacturing of custom business forms and related products segment of the printing industry. Prior to founding Sovereign in August 1996, he served as Managing Director of Sovereign Capital Partners, an investment firm specializing in leveraged buyouts. Mr. Patteson also previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of WBC Holdings, Inc., a consolidator in the rent-to-own industry, and was President and Chief Executive Officer of Temple Marine Drilling, Inc./R.C. Chapman Drilling Co., Inc., a consolidation and workout subsidiary of GE Capital in the drilling industry. He was President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Temple Drilling and held various other positions of executive and financial management in the offshore drilling industry. Mr. Patteson began his business career with Arthur Andersen's management consulting practice.
David J. DeCarlo
David J. DeCarlo has more than 23 years of experience in the deathcare industry, having served as an executive officer in various roles for Matthews International, a leading worldwide supplier of deathcare products. Prior to retiring from Matthews as Vice Chairman in 2008, Mr. DeCarlo had previously served as President of the Bronze Division, Group President of the Memorialization Group and a member of the Board of Directors for twenty-two years. Prior to joining Matthews in 1985, Mr. DeCarlo held diverse management and executive roles in finance, manufacturing, operations, sales, marketing, and management information systems at several Fortune 500 companies.
Barry K. Fingerhut
Elected 2012
Barry K. Fingerhut Mr. Fingerhut was elected to the Board of Directors in March 2012. Mr. Fingerhut has been the Chief Executive Officer and majority equity owner of Certification Partners, LLC since the fall of 2010. Prior to 2010, he has focused much of his career in investing in small capitalization companies in the for-profit education and training, publishing, media, consumer services, hydrocarbon, investment and financial services industries.. He served as President of GeoCapital, LLC from 1981 to 2004, following two years at First Manhattan Co. and four years as a Limited, then General Partner of Weiss, Peck & Greer. In 1992, he co-founded Wheatley Partners, a Venture Capital partnership, specializing in investments in new technologies and services. In 2004 he formed Fingerhut Management, a Family and Friends Investment office in New York City. In 2009, he co-founded The Caregiver Institute, LLC, formed to address the enormous challenges of aiding the work of the home caregiver populations in the U.S. Mr. Fingerhut served on the Company's Board of Directors during 1995 through 1999.
