Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service

THE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE COMMONWEALTH FACULTY

Jason C. Altieri

Jason C. Altieri is a native of the South Shore of Massachusetts. He earned a B.S. if Funeral Service Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and a M.S. in Management Science from Southern Nazarene University. Currently, Jason is completing his dissertation for the degree of a doctorate in higher education administration from Texas Tech University. Licensed in both Oklahoma and Texas as a practitioner, Jason brings practical experience from the field into the educational environment. In 1998, he moved to Amarillo, TX to start the Amarillo College Mortuary Science Program. He served as a member of faculty and program administrator until 2005 when he accepted the position as President of Commonwealth Institute. He has designed and taught numerous academic and continuing education courses, including: business law, mortuary jurisprudence, history of funeral directing, funeral directing practices, small business management, accounting, restorative art, technical procedures and regulatory compliance. In addition to administration and teaching, Jason serves on the curriculum study committee of the American Board of Funeral Service Education; the programs and education committee for the Texas Funeral Directors Association, and the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Funeral Service Education.

Dennis C. Christie

Dennis was born November 21, 1943 in Monroe , Michigan and was raised in Abilene, Texas most of his younger years. He graduated from Abilene High School and joined the U.S. Navy in May, 1964. Dennis served two tours in Vietnam as a Hospital Corpsman and was honorably discharged March 1968. He attended the University of Texas at El Paso and received a B.B.A. in Business Administration in 1972. Dennis held several positions in Hospital Administration from 1972 to 1981. In 1981, he accepted the position as Director of the Practice Plan for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and served in that capacity until 1994. In March 1994, Dennis made a dramatic and exciting career change attending Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service and graduated with an Associate Degree in Funeral Service in 1996. Dennis served his Apprenticeship with Wright Funeral Directors in Wheeler, Texas and received his funeral directing and embalming license in 1997. In March of 1997, Dennis took a position with Carmichael Whatley Funeral Home in Pampa , Texas . In July, 2000, Dennis accepted the position of instructor at Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service. In addition to his instructing assignments, he has assumed the duties of the Financial Aid Administrator. Since July, 2000 he has received two teaching excellence awards presented by the graduating classes.

Christopher C. Layton

Christopher has been interested in the funeral service profession as long as he can remember. He began working for his cousin’s funeral home in his hometown of Safford, Arizona when he was a teenager. While attending Arizona State University he served his apprenticeship at Messinger Mortuary in Scottsdale, Arizona. After graduation he relocated to Los Angeles, California where he taught school as well as continued to work in the funeral profession on the weekends. In 1988, he joined the training department of Pierce Brothers Mortuaries, which is one of the largest and oldest funeral firms in Los Angeles. In 1991, he accepted a position with the training department of Service Corporation International in Houston. SCI is the world’s largest provider of funeral and cemetery services. It was at this time that he began teaching part-time at Commonwealth Institute. When a full-time teaching position opened up at the Institute in 1992, he accepted it. He is currently Dean of Students at Commonwealth and teaches mainly in the funeral service arts.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a master’s degree from the University of Houston. Christopher graduated from the mortuary science program at Cypress College in Cypress, California. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Arizona, California and Texas. Christopher was a board member of the Los Angeles County Funeral Directors Association and currently serves on the board of the Houston Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association; as well as being the chairperson of the Programs and Education Committee of the Texas Funeral Directors Association.

By being part of the Commonwealth Institute, Christopher considers himself most fortunate because he is allowed to continue to stay in the fields that he has great love for by teaching the new funeral directors of tomorrow.

Stuart Moen

Stuart was born in Rapid City, South Dakota and has a M.A. in Adult and Higher Education. In December 1978, Stuart graduated from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion with a B.S. in Mortuary Science with Distinction. In June 1980, he graduated from the University of Minnesota—Dept. of Mortuary Science
In February 1984, Stuart accepted the position of instructing the students at Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service. He teaches speech, anatomy, embalming, forensic pathology, microbiology, and thanatochemistry. In May 1998, Stuart became Dean at the Commonwealth Institute. He has continued to fullfill both positions as instructor and Dean to this day.

Patricia Ann Tamayo Moreno

A native Texan-Born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, Patricia graduated from Commonwealth College of Sciences in 1980 and began her apprenticeship with Darling Mouser Funeral Home located in Brownsville, Texas. She completed her apprenticeship at Heights Funeral Home, Houston, Texas. Her employment with Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service began in April 1981. She is married to Jesse B. Moreno, who is also a graduate of Commonwealth College of Sciences.
Patricia is a member of the National Funeral Service Honor Society; President of Commonwealth Institute Alumni Association; Member of Texas Funeral Directors Association; Past president of the Houston Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association.

Jane Hemberger

Jane was raised in upstate New York, but has lived most of her adult life in Texas with her husband, Alan Hemberger. After raising five children, she followed the call to help people in some of their darkest hour by pursuing a career in funeral service. Jane holds a master’s degree in counseling and psychology from Boston College, and a master’s degree in fine arts and sculpting from the National Higher Institute of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. She finds the skills she developed in these fields aid her perfectly in her work as a funeral director, embalmer, and restorative art specialist for Heights Funeral Home where she works full-time. Having graduated from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, she finds teaching at Commonwealth Institute a true honor and pleasure. When not working or teaching, Jane enjoys being with her family and volunteering at church and at Martha’s Kitchen, helping to serve meals to the needy of Houston.

Kenneth Ball

B.A., M.A., Texas Southern University
Instructor of U.S. History II

Jenine Fastuca

B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.L.A., Houston Baptist University
Instructor of U.S. History II

Elbert Hamilton

B.A., Xavier University
M.A., University of Notre Dame
Instructor of English Composition

Dr. Wesley Johnson

B.S., D.V.M., University of Minnesota
M.A., North Dakota State University
Instructor of Biology 1

Lori Richter

B.A., University of Texas
M.S., Utah State University
Instructor of General Psychology

James Roach

B.S., Prairie View A & M University
M.S., University of Notre Dame
Instructor of College Algebra