Mark Kowalczyk,  Utica Funeral Director,  Named Chairman of Blue Ribbon Commission on

Disaster Protocol and Policy

Utica, NY --  January 29  --  Mark  Kowalczyk, vice president of the Kowalczyk Funeral
Home, has been named chairman of the newly formed New York State Funeral Directors
Association's Blue Ribbon Commission on Disaster Protocol and Policy. The Commission
will help to identify and shape a disaster management policy which will define how
NYSFDA and its member funeral directors should assist and cooperate with national, state
and local agencies in the event of mass disasters such as airline crashes, bioterrorism or
other catastrophic events like "911".

A funeral director since 1989, Kowalczyk spent several days in New York City
immediately after September 11 coordinating many different funeral service volunteer
activities. In November 2001 he led the New York State Funeral Directors Association in
the preparation and shipment of many of the individuals who died aboard Flight 587.

According to Kowalczyk, "Life in our post September 11 world has changed forever,
whatever our profession or line of expertise may be, we all have a duty to respond and
serve when and if necessary. The work of this Commission will help ensure that funeral
directors will continue to serve adequately and appropriately in the event our services
should be needed as a result of a disaster. "

The first meeting of the Commission is scheduled for Thursday, February 5 at NYSFDA's
Albany headquarters. Officials from the US Department of Homeland Security, the NYS
Emergency Management Office, the NYS Division of State Police's Office of
Counterterrorism and the NYS Department of Health's Bureau of Funeral Directing are
scheduled to make presentations and discuss this important subject with NYSFDA
member funeral directors.

Founded in 1889, NYSFDA's mission is to promote the highest standards of funeral
service to the public and to enhance the environment in which its members operate. More
than 750 licensed funeral firms who operate across the state belong to the New York State
Funeral Directors Association. NYSFDA maintains a Website at "www.nysfda.org",
publishes Transitions, a consumer information newspaper column, and a member
newsletter; conducts ongoing educational sessions for members and consumers, and
manages PrePlan, a preneed trust fund for persons who wish to prefund their own
funerals.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please call Mark
Kowalczyk at 315-732-8320, Randy McCullough or Bonnie Tippy at 518-452-8230 or
Vera Nuspliger at 518-882-9816. Visit NYSFDA's Website at www.nysfda.org.