Poul Lemasters, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer

“Having a career in deathcare as a funeral director and embalmer than spans over 20 years, I quickly recognized the growing risk and liability for funeral homes and cemeteries, along with the lack of support and resources available to those in this profession, as a deadly combination. So, I went to law school and now provide legal and professional resources to the vast deathcare profession.”

Founder Lemasters Consulting founder, ICCFA Legal Counsel, Licensed Professional – Ohio, National Speaker in Deathcare and Legal Topics, Alumnus 1996

Mr. Lemasters has served on the CCMS Board of Trustees since August 2019, resigning that position temporarily to serve in this role.  Mr. Lemasters, a 1996 alumnus of CCMS, has worked in the funeral profession for over 30 years and holds funeral director and embalmer’s license in several states.  As an attorney, Mr. Lemasters is admitted to practice law in several states as well. His work has focused in deathcare advising on funeral home, cemetery, and crematory issues across the country. He is a renowned Keynote speaker who has addressed audiences across North America. As an author, he has published hundreds of articles covering all aspects of deathcare. Mr. Lemasters works directly with practitioners, and also serves as counsel for several associations including the National Concrete Burial Association, the Catholic Cemeteries Conference, and General Counsel for the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association.

President Code of Responsibility 

Mark Ivey

Program Director

mivey@ccms.edu

Mark Ivey is a licensed funeral director and embalmer who graduated from CCMS in 1990.  Mark is returning to CCMS after having served as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the college from 2018 to 2021.  In addition to being a funeral home and crematory owner,  Mark has extensive experience in end-of-life services.  He has served as a manager for combination funeral and cemetery properties,  large funeral organizations, family-owned businesses as well as a cremation service, taught courses at CCMS, and has a background in hospitality management.  Mark earned his MBA from Thomas More College in Kentucky.  He brings a unique set of skills and experience and the college is excited that Mark has decided to return to CCMS as the Program Director.

Holly Hoffman

Director of Admissions

hhoffman@ccms.edu

513-596-4117

Holly Hoffman is a lifelong resident of northwest Ohio with a short hiatus in Florida. Holly earned her MBA from Tiffin University. During her hiatus in Florida, Holly was a Lifestyle Director at River Strand Golf & Country Club. Prior to her move, she spent almost 10 years at Terra State Community College in Fremont, Ohio in several positions including Administrative Assistant to the President, Manager of Conference & Event Services, Adjunct Faculty in the hospitality program, and most recent Coordinator of Workforce & Community Education.

Holly has relocated to the Cincinnati area with her husband Randy. She has a son Chris, two stepsons Matthew and Jarrod (Wife Raven and children River and Forrest), a stepdaughter, Jennie (Husband Tom and daughter Eva). Holly enjoys spending time with her friends and family and in her spare time, she loves cooking, crafts and working in the flowerbed!

Brittany Marcum

Registrar

bmarcum@ccms.edu

513-761-2020

Brittany Marcum has held several positions at the College including Front Desk Administrator and Accounting and her newest role as Registrar. Along with her bubbly, inviting personality and love of meeting new people, Ms. Marcum also strives to provide assistance to both current students and alumni.

She joined CCMS after serving in pre-K education as a preschool teacher with Child Focus. She and her husband along with their four amazing children reside on the east side of Cincinnati. In her free time she loves to travel, hike, and explore the world with her family.

In her spare time, she also serves as a front desk administrator with US Martial Arts Academy several evenings during the week. She is an avid animal lover and shares her home with four dogs and a cat. 

Teresa Dutko, M.A.

Faculty

Fellow in Thanatology, Death and Grief Studies Certificate, Certified Funeral Celebrant/Trainer, Certified Crematory Operator

tdutko@ccms.edu

513-618-1928

Teresa Dutko, M.A., FT, is Academic Chair and faculty member at CCMS. For over 35 years she has taught the College’s social science curriculum, including courses such as Social Aspects of Death and Dying, Professional Relationships in Funeral Service, Psychology of Grief and Counseling and Aftercare in Funeral Service. Teresa coordinates the College’s assessment program designed to ensure student learning and improve institutional effectiveness. She also serves as the College’s liaison to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ICFSEB).

Teresa holds the Fellow in Thanatology (study of death, dying and bereavement) advance-practice credential through the Association for Death Education and Counseling and a Death and Grief Studies Certificate through the Center for Loss and Life Transition. A certified funeral celebrant for 17 years, Teresa is also one of the celebrant trainers for CCMS bachelor’s degree students. 

In her leisure time, Teresa enjoys reading, cooking, and practicing yoga. She is married to writer and educator, Louis Martinelli. Together they enjoy hiking, canoeing, playing golf, and traveling.

Kiana Alford

Clinical Director

Faculty/Clinical Instructor

kalford@ccms.edu

Kiana is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the state of Indiana, and is reciprocating her licensure and certifications to Ohio. She graduated from CCMS in 2022 with her Bachelor’s Degree and was awarded The Dodge Award for exceptional advancement in the art and science of embalming; she is also a Certified Life Celebrant and Crematory Operator in Indiana. She is earning her Masters Degree in Thanatology from Marian University – Wisconsin. She has background previously in sales and management.

Kiana is a Tri-State area native and served as a funeral director and embalmer for two local Indiana funeral homes, both of which she contracts for as an embalmer. She grew up with an interest in death care and later in life found her calling to the funeral profession in which she loves deeply and wants to help transform in order to take away the macabre stigma surrounding it. Kiana’s passion for the death care profession is apparent and she wants to give back to the students entering CCMS’s doors to help them become the best funeral directors and embalmers they can be.

In her free time Kiana enjoys reading, arts of all kinds, attending concerts, and being an aunt to her two young nieces and friends children.

Cyanna Westfall

Enrollment Services Assistant

cwestfall@ccms.edu

513-618-1926

Cyanna Westfall is a recent graduate from the University of Cincinnati! After attending the School of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (aka DAAP), she received her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. She has done multiple co-ops in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mexico City, and Chicago, Illinois. Cyanna has assisted in designing hotels, large office spaces, commercial restaurants, and worked on designing Targets as well. Not only did she choose Interior Design as her degree because of her love of creating beautiful spaces, it's also because she loves people and bringing them to in said spaces. She is a born and raised Cincinnati native and the oldest of six siblings ranging from 23 (herself) to three years old. She is a pro at multi-tasking and being a big sister. In her free time she enjoys thrifting, reading, listening to music/going to concerts, trying new food, and adventuring to new places with her longtime boyfriend - Carlo.

Kym Smith

Senior Accountant/Safety Officer

ksmith@ccms.edu

513-618-1925

As bookkeeper, Kym is responsible for all day to day financial processes that take place at CCMS.

Kym graduated from The University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor's in Accounting. She has over 20 years of experience in this field, and is excited to bring her expertise to CCMS to forward their vision.

Kym and her family live on the east side of Cincinnati. She spends her time outside of work volunteering at her daughter's school, being a karate Instructor at the U.S Martial Arts Academy, or playing with her two loving cane corso dogs: Zeke and Onyx.

Krista Ralston

Staff Accountant

kralston@ccms.edu

Krista is thrilled to be joining the accounting department at CCMS. With over 20 years of experience in accounting across various industries, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new role. Krista is currently pursuing a Bachelor degree in Accounting at the University of Phoenix, further enhancing her skills and knowledge. When she's not working or taking classes, Krista enjoys reading and spending quality time with her five grandchildren. She is excited to contribute to the success of CCMS and continue her professional growth in the field of accounting.