David G. Hicks has been in funeral service over 30 years. David is the National Sales Mgr. for Pierce Chemical and serves as Sales Representative for Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. A graduate of the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, he earned a Bachelor’s of Mortuary Science and holds a Master’s of Science in Education from Capella University. Hicks holds a license in both Ohio and Kentucky. He worked at two prominent, Cincinnati funeral homes as a funeral director/ embalmer before accepting the position as the Clinical Lab Manager at CCMS in 2002. From 2008 until 2011 Hicks was the Chair of Embalming Sciences at CCMS where he taught in the areas of embalming theory, restorative art, clinical labs and various other science courses. David also served as an editorial consultant to Robert G. Mayer, Jr. with the 5th Ed of Embalming- History, Theory and Practice. From May-October 2013, Hicks served as an adjunct faculty member at Mid America College of Funeral Service where he taught Restorative Art I-IV. Hicks also keeps busy as a speaker, having presented all over the United States and internationally in Keele, England.

David is a member of The Ohio Embalmers Association, where he serves as Secretary. He also served two terms as Chairman of the British Institute of Embalmers North American Division. David is a past president of the Greater Cincinnati Funeral Service Association- District #5 OFDA. David is an avid N Scale Model Rail Roader.

He is married to his wife Julie, together they have three boys, and two spoiled Dachshunds. David and his family reside in Cincinnati.

David G. Hicks

Lance Ray has been involved in funeral service since 1990. Lance is the Chief Operating Officer for Pierce Chemical. Lance holds a Funeral Director / Embalmers license in Texas. He is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service where he earned an Associate of Science degree and also holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Resources from Friends University, Wichita, KS.

Prior to working on the supply side of funeral service he worked in a funeral home in Wichita, KS as their prep room manager.

Over the past 20 years Lance has held various positions within the family of Wilbert dealers covering Kansas, Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Ohio. He accepted the position as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Pierce in December of 2012 after the purchase of Pierce by Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. and in 2014 he was promoted to COO of Pierce.

Lance has written various articles for the Director magazine and the Wilbert Updater newsletter on various embalming subjects. In addition Mr. Ray has presented to the following state and national associations: ICCFA, KS,CO, IA,UT,OK, KY,OH PA, and the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia.

Lance Ray

Rick Rork has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1985. He is a 1983 graduate of the Funeral Service Program at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. Mr. Rork has worked in funeral homes in both Indiana and Illinois and has served as both a deputy coroner and elected coroner in Union County, Indiana, and currently holds an Illinois embalmers and funeral director’s license.

Since 1996 Mr. Rork has been employed with the Pierce Chemical company of Dallas, Texas, where he works as a sales representative serving the states of Missouri, and Illinois. Mr. Rork also serves Pierce Chemical as a speaker and has served as guest lecturer for many local, state, national, and international funeral service organizations, as well as many mortuary colleges throughout the US and South America.

Most notably Mr. Rork served as the keynote speaker for REMANSO, the National Association of Funeral Homes and Cemeteries of Colombia, South America, at their national convention near Bogota’ Colombia. In addition to being the first American to speak on the topic of funeral service in that country, he was also the first American to embalm in that country. Mr. Rork was asked to remain in Colombia for two weeks preceding and following that convention to tour funeral homes and act as an advisor to help that country’s funeral homes modernize their system of funeral service.

 Mr. Rork resides in Litchfield, Illinois with his wife Jamie.

Rick Rork